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Question
Which thumb is your spacebar thumb?
In an effort to improve my productivity, posture, and programming prowess - alliteration aside - I procured a split keyboards with a thumb cluster. Plugged it in and went to use it to find my default spacebar digit produced a carriage return. That I did not expect, and it's made me question whether I've been doing 'keyboard use' wrong all along by hitting the spacebar with my right thumb.ย
What say you? Do you use your right or your left thumb for the spacebar? Do you use a split keyboard with thumb cluster? If so, which one? And how long did it take you to get proficient?
I chose the ZSA Moonlander after studying some reviews and doing a cost analysis, and have not yet customized it - just trying it out in default configuration. My thought was the split keyboard would help with posture since I have broad shoulders, one of which was surgically reconstructed, and the thumb cluster with wrist guard would prevent another hand surgery. If you use a split thumb-clustered keyboard, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks.
What say you? Do you use your right or your left thumb for the spacebar? Do you use a split keyboard with thumb cluster? If so, which one? And how long did it take you to get proficient?
I chose the ZSA Moonlander after studying some reviews and doing a cost analysis, and have not yet customized it - just trying it out in default configuration. My thought was the split keyboard would help with posture since I have broad shoulders, one of which was surgically reconstructed, and the thumb cluster with wrist guard would prevent another hand surgery. If you use a split thumb-clustered keyboard, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks.
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I have a 95-115 wpm typing speed and use my left thumb, but that's probably because I'm left-handed. I'd think you'd use whatever your dominant hand is.
I use a standard $15 external keyboard from Amazon since it's wider and more satisfying than my built-in keyboard. (Plus my built-in laptop keys get sticky and make it slower and more frustrating to type.)
I looked up the thumb cluster keyboards since I wasn't sure what those were. Honestly, they look like something straight out of Star Trek, and I have all the respect for people who can rewire their brain to make that work for them!
Considerable rewiring will definitely take place if I'm going to be able to use this thing effectively.
Right thumb using a regular keyboard. I throw a baseball/football with my left hand, write with my right hand so I'm all over the place
I'm curious if you use your right thumb because you're right-handed. Now that you mentioned other handedness, it made me think that I'm firmly left-handed for everything but right-legged with kickboxing (stabilize with my left leg and roundhouse kick with my right).
Bodies are weird.
(Also, I just tried to use my right thumb for the space button, and I can't express just how WRONG it felt ๐ Never again.)
I'm probably more left handed than I am right handed - also eat with my left hand. Not sure what's going on with the few exceptions like using my right thumb for the keyboard or writing with my right hand. Always been like that for some reason.
Absolutely! Making a switch like this feels SO WRONG. I have to pause and think when using the left thumb to hit the spacebar. Very strange feeling.
Awesome, you're ambidextrous. I'm so glad you brought up baseball/football, especially throwing. It's been my skill since I was 5, and the main reason I had right shoulder surgery after 35+ years of pitching (so I could keep on throwing). Also glad to know I have a fellow right-thumb-spacebar user alongside me.
Spacebar is left thumb. I use a the mouse with my left-hand for work, but right-hand for gaming.
Eating, chopsticks, dishwashing, most daily chores with left-hand. But I write with my right-hand
I think i was dropped as a child ๐
All the food would end up on the floor if I tried using chopsticks with my left-hand.
๐
I'm writing this reply to check which thumb I use. It's the right one.
So cool - I've never heard of this. Going to look into it more!
I use both thumbs on a standard keyboard but predominantly my right (if my left is closer in the range of letters I'm typing it will hit it at times). I was in the (I'm hoping last) group of girls to do typing classes blindfolded (secretary careers were dreamed for us) so hopefully learned touch typing the right way! I miss the days when writing a word count p/m on a resume was considered my achievement ๐
Now I sometimes switch between a US english and French keyboard (my mac is in french azerty but I switch it to the english version and just touch type the keys from memory when writing in english or dutch). What I've found fascinating is because of my habits its often easier for me to write french with the qwerty layout anyway (although a pain for some common letters/accents) but on the phone I much prefer to use the french layout when typing french and I've noticed my fingers have habituated much more to that layout even when typing english and switching to the english keyboard (which causes me frequent errors now). I partly think this is maybe because I've always changed how I've typed on a phone (i.e starting with the Nokia and the three hits for each number) whereas my typing on a computer never changed.
Ok going to stop here! Interesting Q!