How do you type? Do you only use your fingertips, or do you use the rockerswitch to rock back and forth?

[Bartholomew Simpson]

I'm a new user (and really liking it so far), and was hoping to get
some feedback, because the way that typing is discussed isn't the way
I've started using the alphagrip.

In case I misunderstood, the way I read the instructions was that I
should be using my fingertips to type everything. So to type the
letter n followed by the letter u, I hit the n, then I would have to
actually move my finger across the rocker switch and use my fingertip
to hit the letter u.

For now, the way I plan on starting to try to use it is to rest my
fingers across the rocker switches and atually use them as rocker
switches. So, to type nu I would not be moving my fingertip across
the switch. I would be puttting pressure on the fingertip to type the
n and then putting pressure on the other side of the rockerswitch to
type the u.

If for some reason, this has been found to be a BAD way to use the
device, I'd appreciate you letting me know.


Not that I have any right to chime in, but in some of the
discussions for modifications, it looks like getting rid of the rocker
switch is one of the things being considered. If you only use your
fingertips, I could understand why. For now (remember, I'm a new
user, I've only been using it a couple of days so far), I would much
prefer a 3 way rocker-switch that would allow you to press it while in
the resting position.

Take Care,
Bart

[Al Wild]

I actually tried it your way for a while.  I swithed to the finger tip method though.  It just felt more natural.

[Mike Willner]

FYI, we are considering 3-way rocker switches for the next version of the
AlphaGrip, but it's probably a long way off.

Mike

[Doug Sims]

This seems to be at least slightly popular with some people, but most
of the people that are typing this way add the triangular pieces of
foam to the keys and rock them that way. I'm tempted to try this if I
can find some of my foam blocks lying around.
Personally, I enjoy typing with my finger tips, I feel that I can be
more precise. I, too, thought that the switches were supposed to be
used as rockers when I first got my AG, but I never was able to
effectively type like that. So I stick with the traditional finger tip
typing.

DougS

PS--Welcome to the group. I hope you enjoy your Alphagrip. Its good to
see new users getting involved in the Google Group.

[Eiríkr]

Hey there --

I've never even considered using my fingertips to type on my AG -- I'm
not disparaging those who do, it's just that it simply never occurred
to me. Part of it might be hand size -- my hands aren't huge, but
they're not tiny either, and trying just now to type with my
fingertips is quite difficult, and even uncomfortable for how cramped
my knuckles become in scrunching my fingers up to type that way.

So I guess I'm with you -- I use my fingertips only on the ends of the
rocker bars (i.e. for the t e s a on the left and the n i o p on the
right), and the middle of my fingers for the backs (?) of the rocker
bars.

FWIW, I initially got my Alphagrip after getting some nasty signs of
RSI from overwork (I'm a translator, typing all the time). I
researched a number of different alternatives to the usual keyboard,
and the AG was the most affordable, the most interesting, the most
portable, and (in my own opinion) the most sensible. After using it
for a few months, my RSI symptoms disappeared, and since then I swap
back and forth between my AG and my usual keyboard, depending on mood
and use case (coding is easier for me on a regular keyboard due to the
need for lots of chording on the AG to input all the non-
alphanumerics, for instance).

Cheers,

-- Erik Anderson


On Dec 13 2008, 9:00 am, Bartholomew Simpson <barts185-