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OT: Which Hand Do You Use to Type the Letter "B"?


seagullplayer77

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I was looking for a new keyboard at Office Depot the other day, and I was trying out a few of the ergonomic models. One of them had the left- and right-hand keys separated by a partition in the middle of the keyboard, to keep your hands more comfortable I guess:

 

123241-2312p094-1b.jpg

 

Anyway, I was testing it out, and when I typed a word with a "B" in it, I realized that I typed an "N" instead. I tried typing it again, and I got the "N" again. I looked at the keyboard, and I noticed that the "B" key was grouped in the left-hand sector of the board. I always type the letter "B" with my right index finger; when I tried for "B," I hit the elongated "N" key instead.

 

I thought this was strange, so I asked my mom to give it a try. She used her left hand to type "B." I asked my sister to try, and she used her right hand like I do. Now I'm curious to see how others type "B."

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Left index for me.

 

Apologies for the long post. I used a shaped keyboard like that for 12 years up until last year - in fact I have that exact model. It used to be good for me, because I had one on my desk at work and one at home (both desktop PCs) and I rarely used any other machine.

 

Now that I use a laptop, it's a real pain to switch between the straight laptop keyboard and the curved one, so I switched back to a straight one. Unless you have been advised to use one or are suffering from wrist pain I'd highly recommend it. The main reason is that it's the standard, so wherever you end up on a keyboard it's going to be the same shape.

 

This is the best keyboard (Logitech K800) that I've ever used. It has intelligent backlighting, quiet and responsive keys, and retains a charge for weeks. Charges with a USB cable. Plus it uses the same micro USB dongle that my mouse (Logitech M505) uses. Plus it's decent looking.

 

wireless-illuminated-keyboard-k800-amr-g

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I do not hunt and peck but I use both hands to hit it depending on where the other hand is on the keyboard at the moment of the button needing pressed.

 

For instance I used it 4 times in the prior sentence and when watching my hands noticed that I pressed it 2 times with each hand.

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Left index finger, just like I was taught back in the 8th grade.

 

Short story. Toward the end of the 7th grade, as we were choosing our "electives" for the following year, a good friend of mine suggested that he and I choose "typing" as one of the subjects. I really didn't want to do it, thought it was dumb,but he talked me into it. Some of our buddies made fun of us. This was back in 1955 and "guys" just DIDN'T take typing!

 

When classes began the next fall, it didn't seem so dumb anymore after we found out that he and I were the only boys in the class......with ALL THOSE GIRLS!! One of the smartest things we ever did in school. These days, I'm really happy that I learned how to type properly. I hardly ever have to look down at the keyboard to type something.

 

At the same time......I HAVE run into several two-finger typists whose typing speed amazed me.

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Left index finger, just like I was taught back in the 8th grade.


Short story. Toward the end of the 7th grade, as we were choosing our "electives" for the following year, a good friend of mine suggested that he and I choose "typing" as one of the subjects. I really didn't want to do it, thought it was dumb,but he talked me into it. Some of our buddies made fun of us. This was back in 1955 and "guys" just DIDN'T take typing!


When classes began the next fall, it didn't seem so dumb anymore after we found out that he and I were the only boys in the class......with ALL THOSE GIRLS!! One of the smartest things we ever did in school. These days, I'm really happy that I learned how to type properly. I hardly ever have to look down at the keyboard to type something.


At the same time......I HAVE run into several two-finger typists whose typing speed amazed me.

 

 

I took typing in the 8th grade too. Seemed like an easy A. Our teacher used a lot of current music, with the right cadence, to teach us rhythm and accuracy. It sure made the class a lot less boring.

 

My final speed, after errors, was around 35 wpm.

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I took typing in the 8th grade too. Seemed like an easy A. Our teacher used a lot of current music, with the right cadence, to teach us rhythm and accuracy. It sure made the class a lot less boring.


My final speed, after errors, was around 35 wpm.

 

 

I never was what you'd call a "fast typist", but I think I could probably do 35 wpm now with more practice. I DO think the keyboard itself makes a big difference in typing accuracy. I know for a fact that I make a lot more errors on this Dell keyboard than I ever made on my old IBM or HP keyboards. (My last Dell keyboard was the same way as this new one.) I think it's time for me to make a little trip to Micro Center and get something a little smoother and less "clacky". I've got a brand new IBM keyboard, still in the box, but it's gray......and I prefer black because it always looks CLEAN........I hate to have to clean a keyboard!

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A better question is which fingers do you use to make a B chord?

 

 

If I HAVE to do a B chord, I use all of them on my left hand. I don't play much in F or B, so the only B chord I do very often would be a B7 when I'm playing in E. I play country, folk, blues and bluegrass......we don't need no steenking B chord! :poke:

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I voted left; like it should be! Too many typing classes in my youth. Besides that I was company clerk of a signal corp in the army. And back then you had to type the morning report on mimeograph paper with no mistakes and no erasures! That at 6AM on an antique typewriter was no fun!

Bob

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I voted left; like it should be! Too many typing classes in my youth. Besides that I was company clerk of a signal corp in the army. And back then you had to type the morning report on mimeograph paper with no mistakes and no erasures! That at 6AM on an antique typewriter was no fun!

Bob

 

 

But look at the bright side, Bob......you probably got to share your office with the "top kick"!

 

I remember those typewriters from back then. Some of them looked like "leftovers" from WW-II.

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Home keys are ASDF, JKL; Reaching the B with the right hand is quite a reach. If you ever took a typing or keyboarding class, you would have not developed that habit.

 

 

On my keyboard, B is right in the middle of the F and J, so it's no more of a reach for the right or left.

 

As to your "habit" statement, haven't you ever learned something the "right" way only to find it easier to do it "your" way?

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But look at the bright side, Bob......you probably got to share your office with the "top kick"!


I remember those typewriters from back then. Some of them looked like "leftovers" from WW-II.

Actually John, I was really the guy in power :) I could make or break anybody by what I did or didn't do! All those typewriters were manual too!!!

Bob

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On my keyboard, B is right in the middle of the F and J, so it's no more of a reach for the right or left.


As to your "habit" statement, haven't you ever learned something the "right" way only to find it easier to do it "your" way?

 

 

I agree. I don't know how you can be typing on a keyboard and state that the B is too far from the right hand. It's dead center.

 

With that said, I use the left index.

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I agree. I don't know how you can be typing on a keyboard and state that the B is too far from the right hand. It's dead center.


With that said, I use the left index.

 

 

I use the left index because that's what that old snaggle-toothed Mrs. Cherington said to do. And, if you didn't, she'd come down on the back of our neck with a 16" wooden ruler!! These kids today don't know how easy they've got it!!

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Clerk Type I and II, 8th and 9th grades. I touch type exclusively, at about 45-50 wpm most of the time. I did it because I wanted to learn to type properly. And there were girls in that class. Lots of them. :D

 

The "b" key is assigned to the left index finger. Doesn't matter how close it gets to the "j". That would just be wrong. :wave:

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Looks like the majority of people use their left hand, which is kind of what I'd figured; if that's the way Microsoft designed the keyboard, that's probably the correct way to do it.

 

In any case, I learned to type when I was in grade school, and I can't recall which hand I was taught to use to type the letter "B." Probably the left hand, since that's what everyone else was taught. Oh well. Wouldn't be the first thing I've forgotten since grade school. :facepalm:

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Sigh. Seagull, just. Sigh.

 

The QWERTY keyboard was not designed by Microsoft. :eek:

 

It's been around since people used real typewriters. (I didn't go to a "keyboarding" class - I went to a typing class). 1878, brother. That's when it came out.

 

QWERTY - 1878

 

The ergonomic keyboard you were looking at is just following the standard layout. :D

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Left index. I never learned to type, but it's become natural to me. I've used that kind of keyboard at work, and it took a few days to get used to, but after that, there was no different than using a normal one.

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Left index. I never learned to type, but it's become natural to me. I've used that kind of keyboard at work, and it took a few days to get used to, but after that, there was no different than using a normal one.

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LOL...I'd say 'left index finger' too, but then realised that since I've been in france, I've ajusted to a AZERTY keyboard (and yes I took typing lessons at school on a big manual typewriter and used my left). I hate switching between Azerty and Qwerty when I go home...!)

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