How efficient is keyboard use?
Monday, 10. January 2005, 09:43:53
Tim Bray writes about keyboard shortcuts [1], he doesn't believe Apple's research [2] applies to him.
I find it hard to believe Apple's research applies to me as well. But it is probably true that learning and using keyboard shortcuts only makes sense for a few shortcuts that can be applied in all applications you are working with without thinking, and maybe a few more in the one application you use all the time.
In my experience, the keyboard can be very efficient in a specific Opera use mode: two-handed operation.
In the right hand, for fine control: the mouse. Click links, highlight text, doodle around while reading.
The left hand hovers above the left part of the keyboard, and is always ready to press Z and X (back and forward), Ctrl+Tab (cycle pages) and Space (page down, next page).
I have to say that in Opera, the mouse became a lot more efficient for me with the introduction of mouse gestures. I don't have to travel accross the screen anymore for some common functions. I only use three gestures regularly:
- back
- forward
- close page
The others? I don't use them often enough, so I have to think before using them. And just as Tog explains for keyboard shortcuts, that means the speed advantage is lost. Together with the scroll wheel, this means that mouse control is now about as efficient as two-handed control for me. But I still have two hands, so why should I not keep the left hovering above the keyboard?
There are cases when you have to perform repetitive tasks, and then it also makes sense to think about the way to perform the action with the keyboard. For me, this is for example using Shift+Down to select consecutive checkboxes in a long list of messages in a webmail interface, using Space to mark a few of them (as Spam, or for deletion). The fine control of poiting to each checkbox with the mouse is too annoying. This is a shortcut (spatial navigation) that is only possible in Opera, if you would use Tab in other applications you would have to go through all the links on a page as well.
[1] <http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2005/01/09/JeremyOut>
[2] <http://asktog.com/TOI/toi06KeyboardVMouse1.html>
I find it hard to believe Apple's research applies to me as well. But it is probably true that learning and using keyboard shortcuts only makes sense for a few shortcuts that can be applied in all applications you are working with without thinking, and maybe a few more in the one application you use all the time.
In my experience, the keyboard can be very efficient in a specific Opera use mode: two-handed operation.
In the right hand, for fine control: the mouse. Click links, highlight text, doodle around while reading.
The left hand hovers above the left part of the keyboard, and is always ready to press Z and X (back and forward), Ctrl+Tab (cycle pages) and Space (page down, next page).
I have to say that in Opera, the mouse became a lot more efficient for me with the introduction of mouse gestures. I don't have to travel accross the screen anymore for some common functions. I only use three gestures regularly:
- back
- forward
- close page
The others? I don't use them often enough, so I have to think before using them. And just as Tog explains for keyboard shortcuts, that means the speed advantage is lost. Together with the scroll wheel, this means that mouse control is now about as efficient as two-handed control for me. But I still have two hands, so why should I not keep the left hovering above the keyboard?
There are cases when you have to perform repetitive tasks, and then it also makes sense to think about the way to perform the action with the keyboard. For me, this is for example using Shift+Down to select consecutive checkboxes in a long list of messages in a webmail interface, using Space to mark a few of them (as Spam, or for deletion). The fine control of poiting to each checkbox with the mouse is too annoying. This is a shortcut (spatial navigation) that is only possible in Opera, if you would use Tab in other applications you would have to go through all the links on a page as well.
[1] <http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2005/01/09/JeremyOut>
[2] <http://asktog.com/TOI/toi06KeyboardVMouse1.html>
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