I dislike having to press shift to use the [+] symbol.
Either stretch your pinkeys past their limits, or move your entire durn hand and then re-seat them in the home row position (if you use it).
Plus I'm continuously using [+] but not [=]. [=] is a lot less commonly used than [+], but why do you have to use shift to use the plus symbol?
Keep the current setup? Nay, twould be better to use shift for the lesser used equals and have plus as default! Switch it round I say, switch it round!-- DesertFox, Jan 31 2006 Dvorak keyboard http://www.jmusheneaux.com/6000ba.htmDvorak keyboard [Lasko, Feb 01 2006] Frogpad keyboard http://www.frogpad....rmation/general.aspFor those discussing re-arranged keyboard layouts [neutrinos_shadow, Feb 02 2006] Should be simple enough to do with a weensy program that alters the input from the keyboard.-- shapu, Jan 31 2006 One of several irrationalities in the standard keyboard. Similarly, do you use the forward slash (/) more than the question mark/
Or why is it that the rarely required hash mark gets a spot of its own but the exclamation mark requires the use of shift? Or the square bracket & the ampersand?-- hidden truths, Jan 31 2006 I use = more than I use +. I'd dislike having to press shift to use the = symbol.-- half, Jan 31 2006 Yeah, me too. I rarely use + but use = a lot.
I wouldn't mind if @ were unshifted, though.-- bristolz, Feb 01 2006 Ah, keyboards... how quaint.
I mostly use handwriting recognition, saves all these types of problems.
(just realised - 'types' of problems - ha ha ha, whatever)
(As an aside, the voice recognition I have doesn't like my voice. Must be designed for a nasal American drawl...)-- neutrinos_shadow, Feb 01 2006 Using ink (handwriting recognition) for as much writing as I do is a flatout nightmare.-- bristolz, Feb 01 2006 Baked: All it took me was a screw driver to pop that sucker off and flip it around - duh.-- redsimple, Feb 01 2006 I do a bit of coding. During such activity, I most definitely use = and / much more than + and ?.-- Freefall, Feb 01 2006 // Similarly, do you use the forward slash (/) more than the question mark/ // Good point.-- Shz, Feb 01 2006 [=] Far more sensible - You use + far more than = in any equation.(Which, I guess, it's called "An Equation")!
I'm pretty certain it's not too difficult to write your own keyboard map... I'll have a look in the morning.-- Dub, Feb 01 2006 I hardly ever use +-- bristolz, Feb 01 2006 Baked: Its called a Dvorak keyboard.-- Lasko, Feb 01 2006 Uh, last time I checked, = was unshifted and + was shifted in the Dvorak Keyboard...same as QWERTY... unless I'm using some really screwed version of Dvorak.-- -----, Feb 01 2006 You're reluctant to give a croissant?-- Cuit_au_Four, Feb 01 2006 I thought this would be about swapping the meaning of = and +, e.g. 3=4+7. That would be pointless and confuse everyone and therefore be much more fun.-- wagster, Feb 01 2006 ...has no equals button. Why not?-- Minimal, Feb 01 2006 Use a freeware program called KeyTweak. it remaps your keyboard anyway you want. You might find something even faster than Dvorak.-- phundug, Feb 01 2006 I drive a 5 speed and have to /shift /all the time.-- xandram, Feb 01 2006 I looked into KeyTweak, thinking I could bone this as baked. However, keyTweak remaps entire keys, including their shifted states. So if you remap [/], [?] goes along with it.
// [=] Far more sensible - You use + far more than = in any equation.(Which, I guess, it's called "An Equation")! //Hey look at that. I just used [/] four times, and I haven't used [?] once yet.I use [=] at least once in every equation. I frequently create equations without any use of [+]. Examples:4 * 2 = 8 2^4=16 12/3=4 I could go on. I use [=] at least as much as [+].-- Freefall, Feb 01 2006 Speaking of shift key problems, I've been noticing how many people here make bracket pairs like this: [}. Shift keys don't mix well with fast typing.-- wagster, Feb 01 2006 //...has no equals button. Why not?// No idea - seems like quite an oversight. I always end up putting my left index finger on the = while working in excel, with my right hand bouncing from the keypad to the mouse. Of course getting back and forth from the = to the Tab is a problem so I use the arrow keys instead.-- Worldgineer, Feb 01 2006 f'rinstance: I was just working on some code in a ~1300 line stored procedure. In that procedure I used "=" 587 times and I used "+" 150 times. Seems like there's a clear winner.
That particular procedure does a lot more string concatenation than I normally do, so the "+" count is probably higher than my usual.-- half, Feb 01 2006 [Wagster] I wouldn't mind a key that produced matching brackets, then moved the cursor between them. Sort of OS-based keyboard macros.-- Dub, Feb 01 2006 [=] is needed for when an idea is so bad you've got to "minus" it twice.-- phundug, Feb 01 2006 I suspect it may have something to do with computer programmers inventing the modern keyboard, who use [=] a lot, often for purposes not exactly related to equations. Ditto the issue with [?] and [/]. On the other hand, that would also suggest that [<] and [>] should be un-shifted, but I guess periods and commas are so common that even the programmers had to grant their easier usage. For that matter, though, even in code I use ["] more than ['], so that one should be switched too.
Frankly, it's all just irrational. I'd like to buy a TypeMatrix keyboard, which has a totally new layout for the keys, but it's expensive. A chording keyboard or two would be cool too.
As to why the numeric keypad has no equals sign, it's because the numpad isn't intended to write prose with--you're supposed to type an equation, hit "enter", and get a result back from whatever program you're running. Or, alternatively, move to the next cell of the spreadsheet you are working on. That way if you're entering a bunch of numerical data, you can just flail one hand on the numpad instead of reaching for the normal [enter] key all the time.-- 5th Earth, Feb 01 2006 TypeMatrix layout is marginally different from QWERTY. I wouldn't call it a totally new layout. It certainly doesn't address the keys mentioned in this idea.-- bristolz, Feb 01 2006 // Or, alternatively, move to the next cell of the spreadsheet you are working on.//
Perhaps it's Excel to blame, but you need the = sign to do anything useful with numbers.
I haven't heard of TypeMatrix, but I'm picturing a keyboard with 9 or 24 keys that you press in dot-matrix-like patterns.-- Worldgineer, Feb 01 2006 [Worldgineer] - something like this, perhaps <link>-- neutrinos_shadow, Feb 02 2006 I'm curious if = outnumbering + in a program is a complete anomoly or if I rely on counters too much.
Hell. I did a quick sample & I am completely wrong (at least in my own programming). = far outnumbered +-- Zimmy, Feb 02 2006 I like both + & = but rarely use either the ` or ~ on the key at the other end of the number row. Why not swap ` with + so both + and = can be hit unshifted and ` would be closer to the ' and " key.-- Cube, Feb 02 2006 Maybe on your fancy 'normal' keyboard [Ian]. This one has no numeric pad.
[Freefall], I'm sure that I use sentences with questions at least 4 times as much as quotations.
Also it should be pointed out that the summary line does specify that this is for halfbakers. I can see very little need for an [=] here.
Also, this just reminded me. One computer I used for a short period had the " and the @ mixed up, but only on the halfbakery. Never figured out why.-- hidden truths, Feb 02 2006 random, halfbakery