Features
common to all TouchStream Layouts
For our US Qwerty, Dvorak and International Layouts, most
keys are about the same size (19mm X 19mm) as those on a full-sized
mechanical keyboard. We've made a few re-arrangements of peripheral
keys like tilde (~), BackSpace, Delete, and
Enter to make them easier to reach within the split design.
We've also lessened the slant of key columns, since when typing
quickly on a smooth surface, your fingers naturally flex in straight,
not slanted columns. The left and right Hand icon keys double
as Windows keys on PCs, Apple keys on Macs, and Meta
keys on Unix Workstations. On a Mac, Alt is equivalent to
Option. Though Shift and Ctrl keys are provided
at their normal locations, most people will prefer our Shift
and Ctrl modifier
chords, which are activated by holding 4 fingertips on home
row.
Raised
dots (like Braille dots) at the center of each home row key ( A
S D F BackSpace Space J K L ; ) provide the only texture on our
typing surfaces. These dots help ten-finger touch typists find and
remain centered on home row.
It
is not necessary to strike the exact center of each key.
If you touch in between keys, a built-in English spelling model
guesses which key you intend by finding a sensible spelling. This
greatly assists accuracy so long as your hands remain roughly aligned
with home row. You can also enter passwords and filenames without
trouble because the spelling model is not invoked when you do
strike near the center of keys and with an even rhythm.
All TouchStream units can be reconfigured electronically
to behave as QWERTY or DVORAK keyboards. However, the symbols printed on the
surface cover can not be changed. When viewing the pictures below, remember that the LP surface halves will be split and angled by 10 degrees so key columns that look slanted below will actually align vertically with finger travel. Click on the sample images for larger full-scale views that you can print, cut and try on your desk. Background color of actual product is burgundy, not purple.
LP Qwerty Keyboard Layout
The
QWERTY letter arrangement appeared on the first typewriters in the
1870's, and hasn't changed since. Unfortunately it is far from optimal,
with more typing done on the top row than home row, and awkward
hops between top and bottom rows required for many common English
words.
The
FingerWorks QWERTY layout has optimized key column angles for touch
typing on ZeroForce surfaces. Why? Because without key edges, straight
flexion & extension are simpler, quicker motions for your fingers.
The
QWERTY layout also includes an embedded punctuation pad on the right
half. The punctuation pad lets programmers type frequently-needed
punctuation symbols without inaccurate pinky reaches. The embedded
punctuation symbols are active while the AltGr modifier chord is
held by the left hand, just like top row punctuation symbols are
active when the Shift modifier chord is held.
LP Dvorak Keyboard Layout
The DVORAK key
layout was carefully designed by August Dvorak in the 1930's and
became an ANSI standard in 1982. All vowels are placed on the left
hand home row keys, and the most common consonants ('D','H','T','N','S')
lie on the right hand's home row. This way most (70%) typing is
done within home row, and finger hops between upper and lower rows
of keys are minimized.
This is a stark
contrast to QWERTY, which requires finger hops for common letter
sequences like 'EC','EX','CR','CT','CE','BR','BE', and 'UN'. (Compare
finger travel to type 'EXCRUCIATING' on QWERTY versus on the DVORAK
layout above).
Typing gurus
and academics have long debated how much faster DVORAK is than QWERTY.
While DVORAK appears to increase mechanical keyboard speeds only
5-10%, one thing is clear: it greatly (90%) reduces finger motion
and travel off home row! This can be very helpful for people
whose hand or wrist injuries make repeated finger stretches painful.
By eliminating sources of hand drift, DVORAK offers performance
advantages that are even more important for zero-force surface typing
than for mechanical keyboards.
What's the catch?
If you've already learned touch typing on QWERTY, retraining your
brain to type quickly on DVORAK keyboards could take 3 to 6 slow, frustrating
weeks. All alphabetic and punctuation keys except 'A' and 'M'
move to new positions! The least frequently used keys (e.g. Z X
[ ]) and keys that move to the opposite hand seem to take longest
to relearn.
FingerWorks Resellers that stock or specialize in Dvorak keyboards:
Links to some interesting Dvorak enthusiast sites:
Qwerak Experimental Layout
Qwerak is an experimental, hybrid layout that FingerWorks is optimizing specifically for surface typing. Because Qwerak is still experimental, you cannot order a TouchStream with Qwerak printed covers. However, if you think learning Dvorak is tame and like the idea of rewiring your brain with something even more eccentric, order a Dvorak and give Qwerak a try by enabling it electronically. Feel free to make your own tweaks to the key placements in the MyGesture Editor's layout editor.
As you can see from the image above (click for full-size printable), the right half especially is very similar to Dvorak, with a few Qwerty influences on peripheral keys. Here is how Qwerak's surface-typing optimizations differ slightly from Dvorak's objectives for mechanical keyboards:
- Minimize frequency of corner reaches by index and pinky fingers, e.g. move L from pinky to middle finger and Y from index to ring finger.
- Slightly decrease frequency of hand alternation (e.g. swap S and O) where within-hand rolls across adjacent surface keys can be less tricky than inter-hand alternation timing.
- Least-frequently-used keys like Z Q / " take longest to relearn because you practice them less often. Qwerak leaves these in same place as Qwerty to cut retraining time a bit.
Selected International
Layouts are also available.
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