Adapting to a Mechanical Keyboard
Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 11:00 pm
I was wondering if upgrading from a laptop keyboard to a mechanical keyboard would be worth it (Preferably from people who have also made the switch and had to adapt).
I've been using laptops - and ONLY laptops (Excluding a few instances in grade school computer lab, which became obsolete with the introduction of personal laptops) for around a decade. I'm able to average around 100-110wpm, and that's using six fingers - index for the character keys, pinkies for shifts, and thumbs for space. Using this method has forced me to develop fluidity, dexterity, and accuracy with my index fingers (Jumping across-the-keyboard in a fraction of a second and making accurate keypresses consistently). This brings me to the main concern with switching to a mechanical keyboard; the raised keycaps, which seems like it would inhibit my ability to move across the keyboard as swiftly as I would with near-flat keys. Also, with flat keyboards, I tend to not press down when I type, but rather to push and drag across the key as I type to decrease a drop in momentum, thus increasing speed. The resistance brought upon by the taller keycaps and ergonomically-shaped keys which seem to be most effective when pressed directly vertical, which contradicts my typing style.. is concerning. I've heard the inputs are much swifter and more accurate than a laptop could ever provide, let alone a $200 Chromebook, and I've heard all the hype brought upon by Cherry MX switches (The keyboard I'm considering has brown ones), but I don't know if I could get past my old style of typing without it taking several years (Which, if that be the case, I'd rather just abandon the investment altogether and practice typing on laptop keyboards as I always have). Any suggestions?
TL;DR: I've typed solely on laptops for nearly a decade and average around 110, but my typing style is more efficient with the flatter keys that a laptop keyboard provides and I don't know if it'd be worth it to invest in a mechanical keyboard solely for the more accurate inputs.
I've been using laptops - and ONLY laptops (Excluding a few instances in grade school computer lab, which became obsolete with the introduction of personal laptops) for around a decade. I'm able to average around 100-110wpm, and that's using six fingers - index for the character keys, pinkies for shifts, and thumbs for space. Using this method has forced me to develop fluidity, dexterity, and accuracy with my index fingers (Jumping across-the-keyboard in a fraction of a second and making accurate keypresses consistently). This brings me to the main concern with switching to a mechanical keyboard; the raised keycaps, which seems like it would inhibit my ability to move across the keyboard as swiftly as I would with near-flat keys. Also, with flat keyboards, I tend to not press down when I type, but rather to push and drag across the key as I type to decrease a drop in momentum, thus increasing speed. The resistance brought upon by the taller keycaps and ergonomically-shaped keys which seem to be most effective when pressed directly vertical, which contradicts my typing style.. is concerning. I've heard the inputs are much swifter and more accurate than a laptop could ever provide, let alone a $200 Chromebook, and I've heard all the hype brought upon by Cherry MX switches (The keyboard I'm considering has brown ones), but I don't know if I could get past my old style of typing without it taking several years (Which, if that be the case, I'd rather just abandon the investment altogether and practice typing on laptop keyboards as I always have). Any suggestions?
TL;DR: I've typed solely on laptops for nearly a decade and average around 110, but my typing style is more efficient with the flatter keys that a laptop keyboard provides and I don't know if it'd be worth it to invest in a mechanical keyboard solely for the more accurate inputs.