How long does it take you to adjust to a new keyboard?

How long does it take you to adjust to a new keyboard?

  • No adjustment time needed

    Votes: 6 12.5%

  • 1 day or less

    Votes: 9 18.8%

  • 1 week or less

    Votes: 21 43.8%

  • More than 1 week

    Votes: 8 16.7%

  • Don't know, I always replace it with the same keyboard.

    Votes: 4 8.3%
  • Total voters
    48
D

dparm

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
181
My aging Saitek Eclipse II was on its last legs so after much searching I replaced it with a Microsoft Sidewinder X4. Of all the keyboards out today I find it the most similar to my Eclipse, but not the same. I'm occasionally making typos or missing keys even after 2 or 3 days.

How long, on average, does it take to get used to a new kind of keyboard?

I'm sort of debating just returning it and buying another Eclipse.
 
I would only do that if you really find your self not adjusting to the X4. When I swap keyboards it takes me around usually a week or so. If you find that after a week you still can't adjust, then I'd swap back.
 
You don't think it's like shoes where it should "feel right from day one?"
 
If by "adjust" you mean help you write better posts, it's not the keyboard.

Just sayin'. <3
 
From my Logitech G19 to my mechanical CM Storm Quickfire, took about a day and was already back up to typing 120wpm.
 
wra18th said:
Wow, 120wpm. I'm lucky if I type 60 characters per minute.
Click to expand...

Many years of typing quickly before smashing against a mountain/building/ground at 120mph in Tribes 2. And many final curse words uttered before being gang raped by the enemy faction in Anarchy Online.

Although because of many years of early online gaming, I never learned to type the conventional way (home row), I am a key pecker, I only type using my index fingers for letters, thumb for space and little finger for backspace and shift. Older people find it so weird how I type so fast compared to someone who actually learned to type properly.
 
I rehabbed my hand from a car wreck in 05 playing wow, i joke that im now adapted for typing at the metacarpal level :p

If my keyboard died I'd probably just buy another for like $15 (i love my dell media keyboard, even if it does have a spacebar that rattles like hell and pretty loud keys)

A wise man once told me, if you can get what you prefer, get what you prefer ;)
 
NickJames said:
Although because of many years of early online gaming, I never learned to type the conventional way (home row), I am a key pecker, I only type using my index fingers for letters, thumb for space and little finger for backspace and shift. Older people find it so weird how I type so fast compared to someone who actually learned to type properly.
Click to expand...

Wait, wait, wait... you type 120 wpm with only your index fingers, thumbs, and pinkies?? Are you robot?? :eek:
 
Been trying to get used to a new mechanical keyboard vs. my old logitech illuminated for a couple weeks, still making some errors - mainly hitting keys out of order. I think it's because mechanicals are inclined whereas the illuminated was completely flat. The illuminated was never exactly a standard keyboard and it probably did me more harm than good typing on it for so long :(
 
Depends... when I tried to switch to an ergonomic Microsoft board I failed pretty bad. Because of certain keys I probably used the wrong fingers for... like 'b' I usually use my right-hand pointer finger for. I have no idea why, but I do. On the ergonomic keyboard, the 'b' key is on the left side, so I would constantly be hitting 'n' on the right side instead of 'b'. Same thing with 'y'... I used my right hand to hit 'y', not my left hand. But it was on the left side of the board, so I would always hit the wrong key. I think cause my hands are too big to sit comfortably on home-row. So my right hand kind of scooted over, but also took over more keys.

Basically, I have weird typing style. So I can't use ergonomic keyboards. I still type at like 100-140wpm regardless of the keyboard... as long as the keys are all on a flat surface (Except for those rubber keyboards, those are awful). I even got ~110 on an 7" EeePC keyboard which had keys smaller than the tips of my fingers.
 
I switched back to the Eclipse and my typing is perfect again. I don't know what it is about these keys, but everything else feels weird. I think the height of the Eclipse II and the big palm rest are part of it.

Tried the K90, Sidewinder X4, Lycosa, G15, G510...didn't like any of them.

Might give the Alienware TactX a shot. The keys look very similar to these on the Eclipse, plus Wal-mart will do a free ship-to-store and that makes returns easy if I don't like it. $79.
 
Usually takes me around a week. Maybe a little less or a little more. Microsoft's comfort curve took me little time to break in though. I really like it!
 
I went from the microsoft x6 to a TT mechanical keyboard only took a few mins at max to figure the difference out
 
dparm said:
My aging Saitek Eclipse II was on its last legs so after much searching I replaced it with a Microsoft Sidewinder X4. Of all the keyboards out today I find it the most similar to my Eclipse, but not the same. I'm occasionally making typos or missing keys even after 2 or 3 days.

How long, on average, does it take to get used to a new kind of keyboard?

I'm sort of debating just returning it and buying another Eclipse.
Click to expand...

I went from a regular Saitek Eclipse (with the EASDFXC and 1/4 of the space bar worn off) to the X4 myself, and the only thing I have a problem with is trying to hit the escape key. I always end up switching macro key profiles instead since it's in the upper left. Other than that, I absolutely love the keyboard and I'm already mostly used to it after two days of use.
 
achensherd said:
Wait, wait, wait... you type 120 wpm with only your index fingers, thumbs, and pinkies?? Are you robot?? :eek:
Click to expand...

Everyone finds it super weird, I should probably record myself doing it one day since I seem to be the only one who types like this. I need a wrist wrest on this mechanical though, mine is cramping up when doing these speed tests.

Words per minute (WPM) 109
Keystrokes 549
Correct words 103
Wrong words 1
 
Last edited:
dparm said:
I switched back to the Eclipse and my typing is perfect again. I don't know what it is about these keys, but everything else feels weird. I think the height of the Eclipse II and the big palm rest are part of it.

Tried the K90, Sidewinder X4, Lycosa, G15, G510...didn't like any of them.

Might give the Alienware TactX a shot. The keys look very similar to these on the Eclipse, plus Wal-mart will do a free ship-to-store and that makes returns easy if I don't like it. $79.
Click to expand...

You're not giving them enough time. It's going to take your brain longer to relearn the keys if you've been typing on the same keyboard for a long time. I just switched to a mechanical keyboard after using a Razer Lycosa for 5 years. The feel is totally different and I'm making quite a few mistakes, but I can tell the potential is there. When everything clicks, I can type much faster on the new keyboard, but I keep having those brain farts where I try and press keys like I did on the old keyboard and that's when I start screwing up. It takes a while. It could be a month before you're completely comfortable on the new keyboard.

If you get frustrated it'll just make your body more resistant to changing so try and just accept that it'll take a bit to learn a new keyboard and don't give up.
 
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