The youngsters these day grow without much chance to experience manual typewriter. Do you even still remember it? One that still use ribbon tape, black or red colored, and could get stuck when you press several keys at the same time. My house got one of such, and when I was small I used to play with it, never ever really put it to its real function.

There used to be typing lessons during hi-school. Students were expected to bring their own typewriter to school, and then they were practicing, to type with 10 fingers. I was not among one of them who got the chance to join a typing class, but my elder sister did. She got a book from that class, which I used later on to train myself to type with 10 fingers. But I used computer keyboard instead of a real manual typewriter.

Using computer is a real bliss compared to old school way. The keys are much easier to press, and of course it is much easier to correct your mistakes. With a computer, I say everyone should be able to improve their typing speed.

Which actually is not the real fact, I’m afraid.

With all the ease of computer (keyboards), I suppose many people even getting lazier to learn to type well. I can imagine what’s in their mind. Why should they learn to type with 10 fingers when with only two fingers (or four, or more, but not all ten fingers) you can already type fast enough to produce writings? And there’s no compulsory anyway to rule how we should type.

And then come the era of qwerty phones and gadgets, with the size of keyboards smaller or even tiny, compared to our regular keyboards and relative to our hands’ size. Typing is no longer using most fingers, we just need our thumbs. That’s what I’m doing even now, ironically. Haha..

Anyway, I myself still know how to type with 10 fingers on regular keyboards, though not with the manual typewriter – my fingers are too weak fore that real thing. I’m rather proud with this skill of mine, and I did train myself, though yes using computer (lighter) keyboards. In my view, typing with 10 fingers is more efficient, and using your muscles better than 2 finger typing – on keyboards. Can’t help it though, I’m also developing typing skill with thumbs on gadgets, with considerable speed. And I give respect to those who can type with 10 fingers. Hope that my future partner will share that same skill as well :D.

Speaking of efficiency, you should give yourself more challenge, when you think you’re good enough already in 10 fingers typing. Try to change the layout of your keyboard to the Dvorak-style. Why and how?

Simple explanation, with Dvorak’s layout, the letters are re-arranged in a way that left and right hand’s fingers will work better in turns (not dominantly on one side only), for the layout was resulted from deeper examination of English Language. Activating Dvorak layout is simple in computers, just by tweaking the control panel setting. More details could be found in www.dvzine.org, or just google it :)

Dvorak is gonna be in my to-do list for this 2010. I’ll post more of this Dvorak experience of mine from time to time.

~JaveBerry!~