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Re:New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spri... by mamcx on Thursday February 18, 2021 @11:59AM (#26182318)
> and so everyone’s just typing with much more force than necessary

This is interesting!. I learn typing in a VERY old mechanical typewriter, then in an electronic one, then in a computer keyboard.

You need to hammer the keys in the old typewriter, like hitting with all the force in the world. But in the electronic it was so soft! Then the computers come and was like in the middle.

I made my own mechanical keyboard, and looking at it, I bottom up around the "middle", not going full force. Also, I HEAR if I hitting it too hard, so I can "lower" the sound mid-tipyng! Cool to have feedback!

Re:New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spri... by chasil on Thursday February 18, 2021 @03:04PM (#26184707)
I took my typing class in 1983 junior high.

There were two IBM Selectrics in the back of the room, and everything else was manual. There was a schedule for the lucky two.

I think we had more than one Apple ][ for after-school signup at that point, but I'm not sure.

Re:New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spri... by wyclif on Thursday February 18, 2021 @10:35PM (#26189348)
I'll avoid dating myself, but let's just say I took typing class around the same time you did. Classroom had 20 IBM Selectrics. I was the only male in the class and probably the only student who wasn't in the Business/Accounting track (I was in College Prep and they couldn't figure out why I would take the class since professionals at the time had a secretary type all their correspondence). I foresaw that it was going to be a valuable skill because I was also in my school's first computer science class. None of the guys, and they were all guys, in my comp sci class could type, they were all hunt-and-peck.

So I learned the traditional way with an egg timer and a spiral-bound exercise book on a stand. Curled fingers. I still type this way, and I can still do about 170+ wpm depending on how many cups of coffee I've had.

Later, this really helped me when I got an IBM Model F keyboard or Sun UNIX keyboard and when I would fly around Vi like a keyboard assassin it would amaze my colleagues. My current keyboard is a mechanical Ducky with Cherry MX Brown switches: https://www.duckychannel.com.tw/en/Ducky-One-Golden-grey-TKL

Re:New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spri... by mycall on Thursday February 18, 2021 @11:10PM (#26189586)
170 is insane. I have similar history and top out at 88wpm @ https://play.typeracer.com
Re:New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spri... by wyclif on Saturday February 20, 2021 @12:55AM (#26201985)
Practice helps, but you can probably increase your speed by learning not to bottom out the keys with every keystroke. Cherry Browns help because they have a tactile 'bump.'