Adjusting to a Laptop with an Ergonomic Keyboard
Adjusting to a New Keyboard
I posted recently about our laptops getting stolen. Such a bummer, especially since my husband is a PhD student and I work from home. We are both quite computer-dependent in our own ways and have felt more than a little hobbled without the comfortable feel of our own computers. The cool thing is that we have wonderful friends who have loaned us their backup laptops. While it truly is such a blessing to have such a generous community of friends so willing to help, it has also been challenging to adapt to new set-ups. Some of the difficulty lies in the fact that these are backup laptops- not exactly state of the art. They have trouble multi-tasking and staying connected.
For others, it’s more of an adjustment issue. Typing on a laptop is one thing- actually typing on your own laptop is one thing; typing on someone else’s is quite another. The keys might be in different places, they might be touchier and only require a swift tap, or conversely, as with older models, they may be rather hard-headed and need a good, firm press-down. In general there’s not an ideal keyboard that all people want- it’s typically whatever you’re used to and everything else requires time to get used to.
Shrunken Keyboard Syndrome and How to Fix It
For me right now, I am struggling with getting used to this netbook, which may be the tiniest thing I’ve ever seen. I feel like Vector in Despicable Me and this laptop done got shrunk. Even though I have relatively small hands, I still am somewhat like a bull in a china shop, hitting keys I never meant to and generally taking too long to type a normal document s as I have to study the keyboard to see where the short-cuts are and adapt my usual protocol. I think a good solution would be to plug in an ergonomic keyboard that would allow me to stretch out again and find the keys more easily.
Every typist is different and therefore has different needs in a keyboard. The important thing about choosing an ergonomic keyboard is to find the right fit that makes sense with your head, too.