Typing and Keyboards

On Typing and Keyboards

I have a very consistent routine. I get up early. I exercise. I shower. I make coffee. I turn my computer on, then I place my hands on my keyboard and begin working.

Learning to type

I love to type. I enjoy it so much, and and in recent years I’ve grown to appreciate my ability to type more and more.

I have a clear memory of my early years in elementary school being the time in which I first learned to use a keyboard. I was very fortunate that my mid-1990’s public school had a well equipped computer lab, in which all students were given access. I remember that we were given basic computer literacy training in that lab, which included typing lessons. My memory of that time is that I didn’t particularly care for the lessons, but I managed to get by. I remember doing well to follow along until we started learning the number row, at which point I started tuning out. I find it fascinating that even to this day I still lack good muscle memory for the number keys.

We used an educational software package to learn, and unfortunately I can no longer remember what that would have been. I do remember that we were allowed to play Mario Teaches Typing, but only after our primary course work was completed. To this day I was much more interested in playing other games on the computer, a favourite for me and my friends was Cross Country Canada 🇨🇦

Slowly but surely I did learn to type, and then to touch type (albeit slowly). Through the years (decades, good god…) between then and now I have become much faster and accurate. I feel that receiving those lessons early was an important groundwork on which I was later able to build my proficiency.

My first enthusiast keyboard

One day during my teenage years I was browsing in a Staples retail store and on a whim I purchased a Razer Blackwidow 2013, with Cherry MX Blue switches. It was a lot of money for me at that time, but I had remembered reading about how nice ‘mechanical keyboards’ were for gaming and just normal desktop use. It was the base model and had no RGB lighting but I didn’t care so much. It did have an extra column of macro keys along the left-hand side that I did appreciate. It did always bother me though that Razer required the use of their Synapse software to enable them, instead of just letting them emit generic key-codes by default.

I used that keyboard for well over a decade, and only just recently replaced it. That keyboard is still fine, I just wanted an upgrade. Enthusiast keyboards are often built so well that they’d likely last a lifetime if taken care of. I find this both very ironic and amusing.

What I’m using Now

My current setup includes the following:

• RK ROYAL KLUDGE R65 Keyboard
• Epomaker TH33 Numpad
• Epomaker RT100 Cables (2x)
• Red Samurai Custom Keycaps (white-label from Amazon)

I bought the keyboard first. I did not know what to expect, but was absolutely blown away! It was not expensive, it cost less than the Razer even adjusting for inflation. The marketing copy refers to the typing experience as ‘creamy’, which is grown-worthy. I don’t care so much what you call it I just know that I love the sound and feedback of this keyboard. A more technical description would state that the mechanical keys were ‘linear’, and that sound-dampening material was layered into the board to attenuate the sound of key presses. Regardless, I think its fantastic.

The numpad has a similar typing experience, but not quite as nice as the Royal Kludge. Overall I’m very satisfied with it.

The keycaps are just icing on the cake. I remember seeing the Drop.com Red Samurai keycap set years ago and thinking they were as gorgeous as they were too expensive. I found these white-label caps on amazon for a good price and decided to pull the trigger. I’m again, very satisfied.

Mapping Software

For years I used a small program called keyd. I still do use it on other computers but I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that the firmware on both the new numpad and keyboard were fully programmable. They both use VIA, which is derived from QMK, an open, user programmable, generic keyboard firmware.

I have a lot to say about keyboard macros, but I’ll save that for another post.

Why I’m grateful

I enjoy typing a lot, and I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I’m very grateful for having had those early lessons. I really feel as though I would not be as capable now without them, and then of course I wouldn’t have the opportunity to appreciate my own skill.

There seems to be a growing concern over a lack of computer literacy in younger generations, including the ability to type. As a millennial I find this a bit disturbing. I can understand a perspective that says that technology has changed and that typing skill is no longer necessary. My personal opinion is that it is an inherently useful skill. I can type as fast as I can think, which has been very useful for me for both writing code and prose. It’s a valuable thing and would be unfortunate if younger generations were to miss out.