User Contributed Dictionary
Extensive Definition
Typing is the process of inputting text into a
device, such as a typewriter, computer, or a calculator, by pressing keys
on a keyboard.
It can be distinguished from other means of input, such as the use
of pointing
devices like the computer
mouse, and text input via speech
recognition.
User
interface features such as spell
checker, autocomplete and autoreplace serve to
facilitate and speed up typing and to prevent or correct errors the
typist may make.
Technique
Touch typing
The basic technique stands in contrast to hunt
and peck typing as the typist keeps their eyes on the source copy
at all times. Touch typing also involves the use of the home row method,
where typists keep their wrists up, rather than resting them on a
desk or keyboard
as this can cause carpal
tunnel syndrome. To avoid this, typists using this method
should place their feet flat on the floor in front of them, keeping
their elbows close to their sides with their forearms slanted
slightly upward to the keyboard.
A highly trained touch-typist on a Dvorak
keyboard is the second-fastest method of text entry available
as of
2007 . (The fastest text entry method involves a highly trained
typist on a stenotype
keyboard).
Hunt and peck
Hunt and peck (aka two-fingered typing or peck and run) is a common form of typing, in which the typist must find and press each key individually. This is almost always considerably slower than touch typing. Instead of relying on the memorized position of keys, the typist must find each key by sight. Use of this method may also prevent the typist from being able to see what has been typed without glancing away from the keys. Although good accuracy may be achieved, any typing errors that are made may not be noticed immediately, if at all. There is also the disadvantage that because fewer fingers are used, they are forced to move a much greater distance.There are many idiosyncratic typing styles in
between "hunt and peck" and touch typing; for example, many people
will type blindly, but use only two to five fingers, and not always
in a systematic fashion. Some people have developed advanced forms
of hunt and peck that don't require looking at keys, or losing too
much speed.
Buffering
Some people use a combination of touch typing and Hunt and peck by utilizing a buffering method. In the buffer method, the typist looks at the source copy, stores one or many sentences in his or her head, then looks at the keyboard and types out the buffer of sentences. Doing this allows the typist to eliminate frequent up and down motions with the head. It is particularly used in typing competitions, where the typist is not well versed in touch typing. It is not normally used in day-to-day contact with keyboards, only when time is of the essence.Thumbing
A rather new trend in typing, primarily used with devices such as PDAs with built-in keyboards, is thumbing or thumb typing. This can be accomplished using one (e.g. phone keypads, Palm Treo 650) or both thumbs (e.g. HTC TyTN, UMPC DialKeys, Nokia 68xx series). Similar to desktop keyboards and input devices, if a user overuses keys which need hard presses or/and have small and unergonomic layouts, it could cause thumb tendinitis or other repetitive strain injury.Words per minute is also a measure of a telegraph or amateur
radio operator's Morse code
speed. Since the codes for different letters differ in length, one
needs to specify a reference word. A commonly-used reference word
is "PARIS".
For the purposes of WPM measurement a word is
standardized to five characters or keystrokes. So, "fifth" counts
as one word, but "fifteenth" counts as two.
The benefits of a standardized measurement of
input speed are that it enables comparison across language and
hardware boundaries. The speed of an Afrikaans-speaking
operator in Cape Town can
be compared with a French-speaking
operator in Brussels.
Alphanumeric entry
In one study of average computer users, the
average rate for transcription was 33 words per minute, and only 19
words per minute for composition. In the same study, when the group
was divided into "fast", "moderate" and "slow" groups, the average
speeds were 40wpm, 35wpm, and 23wpm respectively. Two-finger
typists, sometimes also referred to as "Hunt-and-Peck" typists can
reach speeds of about 37wpm for memorized text, and 27wpm when
copying text.
An average typist reaches 50 to 70wpm, while
some positions can require 80 to 95 (usually the minimum required
for dispatch positions and other typing jobs), and some advanced
typists work at speeds above 120. As of 2005,
Barbara Blackburn is the fastest typist in the world, according
to
The Guinness Book of World Records. Using the Dvorak
Simplified Keyboard, she has maintained 150 wpm for 50 minutes,
170 wpm for shorter periods of time, and has been clocked at a peak
speed of 212 wpm. Blackburn failed her typing class in high school,
first encountered the Dvorak keyboard in 1938, quickly learned to
achieve very high speeds, and occasionally toured giving
speed-typing demonstrations during her secretarial career.
Using a personalized interface, physicist Stephen
Hawking, who suffers from
Lou Gehrig's disease, managed to type 15 wpm with a switch and
adapted software created by Walt
Woltosz. Due to a slowdown of his motor skills, his interface
was upgraded with an infrared camera that detects
eye blinks. Actual wpm are unknown.
A less common form of finding the speed of a
typist, the acronym CPM is used to identify the number of
characters typed per minute. This is a common measurement for
typing programs, or typing tutors, as it can give a more accurate
measure of a person's typing speed without having to type for a
prolonged period of time. Also used occasionally for associating
the speed of a reader with the amount they have read.
The CPM (characters per minute) measurement can
be associated with older models of printers, but this is often not
the case. The most common term associated with the speed of
printers today is PPM (pages per minute).
Numeric entry
The Numeric Entry or 10 key speed is a measure of
one's ability to manipulate the numeric keypad found on most
keyboards. It is used to measure speed for jobs such as data entry of
number information on items such as bills and checks. It is
measured in 'Keystrokes per hour', or KPH.
Much like alphanumeric keyboards, people start
using a numeric keyboard with 1-finger hunt-and-peck, but the
fastest data entry professionals use a kind of touch-typing using 3
or 4 or 5 fingers.
References
External links
keyboarding in Arabic: نسخ (جهاز النسخ)
keyboarding in German: Tastschreiben
keyboarding in Spanish: Mecanografía
keyboarding in French: Dactylographie
keyboarding in Indonesian: Mengetik
keyboarding in Japanese: タイピング
keyboarding in Portuguese: Datilografia
keyboarding in Finnish: Konekirjoitus
keyboarding in Yiddish: טייפן