Learning How to Type 5

[jerry1423]

I am sixty years old and never learned how to type properly.
I am still just a pecker.
Does anybody have any suggestions on the best way to learn to type ?



Jerry J.
UGV5-NX1899

 

[JohnRBaker]

I was always told that the guy who wrote the vi editor, that he would have done a better job if he had known that anyone would ever use it.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[WinelandV]

I was always told that the guy who wrote the vi editor, that he would have done a better job if he had known that anyone would ever use it.

That may be the most programmer statement ever.

Please note that is a "v" (as in Violin) not a "y".

 

[drawoh]

JohnRBaker,

I believe vi was written by Bill Joy. I assume he is a touch typist.

--
JHG

 

[dbooker630]

Eighth grade typing from 1973 was one of the most useful classes in school. The manual typewriters in the classroom had blank keys. A large keyboard picture with keys identified was posted on the wall at the front of the classroom. So we put our fingers on the home keys and kept our heads up. It worked!

 

[JohnRBaker]

But speaking of the 'QWERTY' keyboard, which it's claimed was developed so as to support the mechanical nature of typewriters, that is to keep adjoining type fonts from jamming. However, with the advent of computers and there no longer being any need to worry about the mechanical dynamics of moving parts, there was an effort to define a keyboard layout specifically designed to maximize typing speed. This resulted in the Dvorak layout. Now while there was no question that, with the proper time to relearn the keyboard layout, that the Dvorak layout was superior in terms of typist speed and reduced hand and finger fatigue, it never caught on. Now some larger companies, like AT&T, tried to get their people to change over, but it never quite made it.

Note that Apple supports the Dvorak layout on iPhones and iPads as well as letting you switch MacBooks to use the layout (of course, you'd have to relabel the keys, while on iPhones/iPads, they just switch the display of the onscreen keyboard).

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[btrueblood]

Pretty sure the speed standard has been set by court reporters using stenograph machines - 360 words per minute, vs. 90 for a trained qwerty typist, and maybe 120 for a typical trained Dvorak typist. Of course, speed records up to 300 wpm exist for other systems...but stenography at 360 still kicks a$$ on the others. Downside: stenography is a words-only system, intended for transcribing the spoken word. Anything requiring symbols, numerals, punctuation and such is going to beat stenography.

 

[claudiaosterhagen]

To type faster, you simply need to practice regularly using typing software or online typing tutorials. Focus on accuracy first, then gradually increase speed. Use proper finger positioning and posture. Take breaks to avoid strain. Consistent practice and patience are key to improving typing speed.

My favourite paper writing blog -

https://papertyper.net/knowledge-bank/

 

[Taicho567]

The Typing of The Dead.

When I was a kid, I learnt my typing by playing the game. I'm not sure about you though, as this is a video game. Considering your age, you may not want to consider this. But there is no harm trying. The game was fun though.

 

[MTBEngineer1]

Hi, I just joined Engineering Tips and saw this post.

I recently learned to touch type. I was able to learn within 6 months. As I found it really beneficial I created a personal blog on how to type.

I used these 3 websites to learn and practice.

https://www.how-to-type.com/

https://www.keybr.com/

https://www.typelit.io/

https://www.how-to-type.com/

The website has Lessons that focus on different areas of the keyboard. I started using the website by clicking on “Learn to Type“. Two weeks of practice.

https://www.keybr.com/

This website exercise shows random words to practice your typing on. To start just start typing. Practice for two weeks before moving to the next website.

Typelite.io
In this website, you select a book to type over. The free version contains classic books, but you can also pay to upload a book or document you want to read. You will practice touch typing while you read a great book or article.

Keep practicing around the 3 websites. You will learn to type without seeing the keyboard within six months.

For more details, my post is on the website:

https://rogeliolab.com/2024/06/11/touch-typing/

The main information is in this post.

 

[Eng16080]

Download GNU Typist and practice daily. Do this for a few months and you'll become proficient. At least that's what worked for me when I did it back in 2020. The program (GNU Typist) is old school (or maybe just old), written for DOS. It's free and high quality.

Improving my typing ability has saved me significant time writing emails, reports, responding to posts here, etc, etc. I can type nearly as fast as I can speak now. (Now I just need to find a way to make my brain work better/faster.)

 

[Strong]

When I was in High School the students that were not going to college had typing class, and the rest of use did not. Very frustrating getting through college (BSME) and a long engineering career without good typing skills! I made several efforts to learn to type, but I was unable to master the skill for various reasons.

I chose to use dictation software instead of learning to type. The software and microphones have improved considerably over the years, so it is now possible to enter text with considerable speed and minimal errors. There are inexpensive ways to dictate with limited capability including on a cell phone and with a Windows PC. The best software available is Dragon Dictation. The cost may shock you, but the capabilities will certainly impress you.

Here are three important links to get you started you if are interested.
Dragon Dictation:
Dragon Speech Recognition - Get More Done by Voice | Nuance

https://www.nuance.com/dragon.html

Purchase Dragon and support items here for better Customer Support:
KnowBrainer - Your one-stop shop for all of your speech recognition needs.

https://www.knowbrainer.com/

Speech/Dictation Forum -- best support on the Internet:
Forums - Forums (knowbrainer.com)

https://forums.knowbrainer.com/

Walt