learn Colemak

i wud like to know the best and easiest way to master touch typing using the colemak layout. i tried downloading the free software fr colemak.com on my windows vista-32bit laptop but a warning popped up, asking me to rewrite all my passwords in numerics as after installation all my saved passwods will be deleted. So i did not install yet.

I’ve two user accounts,only one as administrator- I’d to use this account for the colemak layout but leave the other as qwerty based.

pls give me a good and executable guide. thank you..

It’s going pretty good. I’ll do it this month!

Some apps require relearning (VIM), but otherwise it’s smooth

I stasted about a week ago today. I’m not doing too badly! Typing in it now. Loving the new backspace!

i am still using colemak and my average typing speed is 51 wpm on typeracer. that is almost equivalent to my best a qwerty; i miss qwerty not. colemak is so efficient.

every once in a while remnants of qwerty movements bog me down but a quick delete, delete and all is well.

another problem lies in my tendency to mentally get ahead of my fingers. i start typing words then jump ahead a few letters, neglecting to type the ones in between, i then realize my mistake and quickly go back and fix them, but the flow is then broken.

everything takes practice.

i’m not doing this any time in the foreseeable future, so i’m moving it to the “given up” page. i just can’t find a good time to drop my productivity so drastically during the adaptation period, plus i often use other computers and am concerned (not sure how validly) about not being able to switch them to Colemak.

i may revisit this some time in the future, particularly if i start experiencing repetitive stress type pain.

After almost 2 months of typing exclusively in Colemak, I’m at a respectable 67 wpm. Furthermore, I’ve pretty much lost all ability to touch type in Qwerty, so I ain’t going back! So I’m checking this goal off of my list as completed.

Was it worth it? I think so. I can type on a normal (non-ergonomic) keyboard at length without experiencing wrist pain. I’m not quite up to my old Qwerty typing speed, but I think I will get there eventually. Some minor annoyances: whenever anyone wants to use my computer, I have to remember to switch to them to Qwerty, and then switch back to Colemak when they are done with it. Also, when I need to type at someone else’s computer, I have to download and install the Colemak keyboard layout. Hopefully I can convince Apple to include a Colemak layout in the next version of Mac OS X.

If I were to do it all over, the one thing I would do different is try to maintain my Qwerty typing ability (as Ryan Heise did).

I finally cracked 60 wpm! (But just barely.) This morning, I took notes on my laptop in a meeting at work and didn’t feel like my typing slowed me down at all.

after using computers for many years one starts to notice the strain it places on the body. i feel like a hunched cave dweller.

along with the switch to colemak to improve the extended usability in computing, i also upgraded my computer setup to favor proper computing posture.

having a laptop as a primary device starts one on the incorrect path to bad posture. in order to correct this i purchased a well crafted laptop stand, an efficient wireless keyboard and mouse.

this puts the monitor at a proper viewing angle and the keyboard allows me to recline slightly, with an unhunched back. even without an expensive chair, i feel this sub $200 investment has significantly extended and improved my ability to compute.

i very rarely buy consumer goods; only if i truly need them. the majority of my time is spent behind this lcd screen. that fact in mind, i purchase well crafted items that have long lifetimes; you get what you pay for.

that said i purchased:
rain designs Mstand
apple wireless keyboard
apple wireless mightymouse

week 3. i am still using colemak full time. i can feel a big difference in comfort and stamina in long sessions; you really start to notice the efficiency of colemak.

i feel i can use it in everyday type proficiently, although not fast. i am still making a lot of mistakes that slow me down and are generally frustrating. they are remnants of qwerty muscle memory that will fade with time and practice.

to practice my precision i am going back through the atypetrainer lessons but this time i made progression much more specific. if i make an error then i cannot progress to the next level; i get 99 attempts at getting 7 lines perfectly correct, at over 30wpm. if i fail to do that then it sends me back to the previous lesson to practice.

no errors = faster typing.