Typing speed and accuracy

[beav31is]

I had a typing class in junior high school where I learned to type 10 words per minute. It was basically just saying a letter and pushing the button repeatedly. Because I use computers a lot, I can type about 70, or 100 for short times (fingers get tired).

Accuracy, at 70 wpm its about 99%, at 100 95%. But thats not important because I can use backspace fast without taking my eyes off the screen.

[Links Shadow]

I have never used any typing programs or taken any classes in school either but I can readily type at around 40 wpm with probably about 85% accuracy.  I have never had a need to be able to type faster than I do so the only time I get practice is when I am actually writing something.

[beav31is]

40 wpm is more than enough for most people, but you might want to work on that 85% (1 in 7 letters is a typo).

[Paul_kcn]

Most people that spend their entire lives on computers (Like me !) Learn to type rather quickly...ive never really taken any tests o.o But I think I can type 100+ wpm..? Dunno.

[PeacefulWarrior]

I am self taught and I taught myself wrong.  I "hunt and peck" but do so at a fairly quick rate (45-55 WPM with 85% accuracy).  MY wife laughs at me because she is an excellent typist and, like most of the good typists I know, learned to type in formal classes at school.

I don't know of any programs, if I did I should probably enroll![]

[jilola]

I used to be able to bang out 250 chars per minute average when I was still doing typing for extra cash. Mind you the 250 was on a mechanical typewriter. The test was 30 minutes regular text with 10 errors maxinum to pass. The final speed was the average over 30 min of total hits minus errors.
Alas the days of glory are long gone and I'd be hard pressed to reach a hundred and touch typing is but a memory.

The way I learned was by fixing a cardboard cover over the keyboard to prevent peeking and started to type simple texts, childrens reading primers etc. Be honest withthe practise and strive for a constant even rhythm. Rhythm is especially important on mechanical machines to prevent the hammers from getting tangled up.

The trick to reaching high speeds is to stop reading the text as you type. Just recognize the letter and press the key. Once you get the key positions and fingerings hammered into your brain stem or whatever the place is you don't even consciously have to recognize the letters. All it takes is about a 50-100 hours of steady and careful practise.

2cents & L&L
jouni

[Squeek]

After 8 years of typing teachers trying to get me to type using all 10 fingers, and after 8 years of me continuing to ignore them, I have prefected my technique on the "Two finger typing".  You use two fingers (Index and Middle) to hit all the keys.  Occasionally, I will use the ring finger to hit some of the end keys, and the Pinky hits the shift and Enter keys.  It's basically both my designs rubbed together.  It works for me, and gets me 100+ wpm.

I always got an A in typing, and I NEVER didn't look at the keyboard (I always looked and I occasionally still do.  I don't have to though.)

~Squeek

[goingslow]

I dont know if you have junior colleges there or "continuing education" type of schools but here they offer very reasonably priced classes on typing.  

I learned in highschool, which has actually come in handy.

[Risu no Kairu]

Well, I used to hunt and peck, but my freshman year of high school (I'll be a senior this August), they made me take a keyboarding class. At the end of the year, I was typing at just under 50wpm. Notice I didn't say accurate words per minute. We used a multitude of typing tutor program thingers. Every time I made an error, I would go back and correct it, and I still typed just under 50. That was a  few years ago, so I think I type a little bit faster now. Sometimes I type faster depending on whether or not I want to type a message faster than someone else on the other end of a chat room.

[sahlyn]

I did a google search for "touch typing"; here are the sites that stood out most.

http://www.senselang.com
A free downloadable typing program.

http://www.typingmaster.com
Looks more professional than the former, but isn't free (does have a free demo)

I can't be bothered at the moment, but some time in the future I'll work with one of these programs, for I'm sure I leave you all for dead in the field of bad typing[]

[sahlyn]

Ok, I've checked out both programs, and recommend the demo from the second link much more than the other one.

The senselang one is extremely boring, and you'd have to be very motivated to practice for very long.

The typingMaster one is cool. keeping in mind that the purpose is to improve your typing, some of the games on it can actually be fun. And there are plenty of lessons on the demo, so it's not necessary to purchase the full version unless you really want to.

Hope this helps some people.

[Robert Bruce]

G'day folks!

For a writer, touch typing speed is bread and butter.

Typing speed = productivity.  

I have to repaint most of the letters on my keyboard once a year, re I wear them out.

I have seen two fingered typists who can type over 60wpm, but the amount of energy and concentration is ridiculous.

The importance of smooth touch typing cannot be underestimated for a writer. You gaze at the screen in a deeply relaxed semi-tranced state, totally focused on the flow of ideas and words, fingers gently moving over the keyboard, ideas flowing smoothly onto the screen.

I learned to touch type on an old program called PC FastType. This is simple and very good DOS based and uncluttered.  It was freeware. I have been trying to find it for a couple of years so I could make it available on my website, and to give to friends, but can't locate it. If anyone comes across it, please send me a copy or the url.

On a good day I type at about 140wpm with reasonable accuracy, 99%,  but probably average 90wpm with 100% accuracy. I've seen legal secretaries type at 250, which is quite amazing to see, so I still have room for improvement.

The only time you really need full speed is when you are writing from the heart, or copying something. Normal writing/creating involves lots of pauses for thinking.

The keyboard you use is important.  I like the original MS Natural, the big one they first brought out.  I killed mine a year ago (spilt beer over it) and am still looking for another original natural. The one I have now is probably the second version of the MS Natural. Its not quite as big, but better than the small MS Natural they now sell in shops.

MS Natural keyboards are way better than the standard 101, as you rest your hands on them and this takes the strain off your neck and makes for more comfortable typing. So if you have neck or back or wrist problems, MS Natural is the way to go.  It takes a few days to get used to them, but you soon learn to love them.

Did you know that the qwerty keyboard was designed to slow down the typist, so the keys in the old mechanical typewriters would not get tangled.  Dvorak keyboards have a much more logical layout and can more than double your typing speed. I plan to change over one day soon.

Take care, Robert.

[Rob]

You sure it wasn't FasType???

http://www.fastypesoftware.com/

[]

Rob

ps Logitech!!!!!!

[Squeek]

Two fingered typing is so the way to go

Once you use it for 10 years you start to develop the speed and accuracy needed for internet chatting and the like.  I dunno.  It's easy for me.  and I rarely make mistakes.

~Squeek

[no_leaf_clover]

lol squeek.. i used to be two finger all the way! in fact, i never learned the correct technique, so i've evolved to use my left hand straight across the keyboard and the right hand comes in diagonally from the side.. i use all 10 fingers now but if you watch me it looks *really* messed up, like my hands are severely deformed.

virtually all my typos are mental, ie i type a different word than i meant to, but the word i typed by accident is still spelled correctly. i leave out words a lot too, and when it comes to using numbers, i suck. i have to stare at the keyboard and hunt and peck for the numbers, and which is a pain in the butt.

when i was in middle school, they tried to teach me the proper technique, and they took all kinds of points off of my grades, etc., but i never was able to go back and start over. i thought they were missing the point of the class anyway, because i could type faster than anyone there, even if i looked like i had deformed hands [}:)]

[beavis]

timeless "touch typing should be manditory. Computers are everywhere."

Typing wont be used much longer. There are already programs that convert speech to text. They will become more accurate as artificial intelligence gets smarter and computers get faster, which is happening at an exponential rate. They arent worth using now because they misunderstand what you say every few words, but they will be the normal way of using a computer in 5-10 years.

[Links Shadow]

I don't know beavis, how many years now have people been writing things by hand with a pen and paper, even with the advent of the computer.  I realize that technology revolutionizes the way society works but people always go back to what works, and is familiar to them.  I am not saying that you are wrong about whether or not verbal word processing will become more efficient, but I think that people will continue to write things by hand and use touch typing more that orating it for quite some time.  The human mind likes things simple and familiar.

Respectfully,
Links Shadow

[Squeek]

The "you talk, it types" system was flawed from day 1.  I used it once just to mess around, and not only was it abou 500x slower than me just typing, it makes SO many mistakes.

The ideal method would be to convert thoughts into text.  You can think faster than you can ANYTHING.

~Squeek

[no_leaf_clover]

lol.. squeek if they came out with something like that, i would break it! i don't have ADD, but my mind's constantly jumping from thought to thought like that discovery channel show 'connections'.

[Adrian]

Greetings,

quote:Originally posted by beavis

timeless "touch typing should be manditory. Computers are everywhere."

Typing wont be used much longer. There are already programs that convert speech to text. They will become more accurate as artificial intelligence gets smarter and computers get faster, which is happening at an exponential rate. They arent worth using now because they misunderstand what you say every few words, but they will be the normal way of using a computer in 5-10 years.

Voice recognition is already extremely accurate as far as it goes. However, if you want to go back and edit your text, or indeed manipulate the text in any way, I don't think it can do it. So if you will be satisfied with a document first time, just the way it was dictated to the PC, then fine, voice recognition could be the wayto go. Otherwise the flexibility of the keyboard will be here for a long time. Voice recognition software has been of usable quality for at least five years, and yet it has never really taken off.

For those who would like to investigate further, the best software is reckoned to be a product called "Dragon Naturally Speaking" - it can do 160 wpm with accuracy.

http://www.dragonsys.com/naturallyspeaking/

With best regards,

Adrian.

[beavis]

squeek "The "you talk, it types" system was flawed from day 1. I used it once just to mess around, and not only was it abou 500x slower than me just typing, it makes SO many mistakes."

Computers will probably be 1000x faster in 10 years. That makes it twice as fast as typing, even with your exaggeration. It makes mistakes because it doesnt have enough intelligence. It needs more speed and better programs, which it will have in 5-10 years. Its common in computer programming to rewrite part of the program and make that part 100x faster. A smarter computer will be much more efficient.

[Links Shadow]

I recently found a program my parents bought for me when I was younger and thought would help me, but I never used it.  It is called "Mario Teaches Typing"  if you are looking for a somewhat entertaining typing tutorial program this would probably appeal to you.  It is a DOS program originally created back when Windows 3.1 was released.  God I loved that operating system I still have a computer that runs it.  Anyway I thought I would go ahead and let people know about this program.  If you are interested please PM or e-mail me.  It is a small program that is kind of entertaining.

Links Shadow

[Grigori]

My typing is horribly slow and for anything serious I use Dragon Naturally Speaking and I highly recommend it. You need to have a good microphone and sound card and you will despise the program for the first week but once you get the hang of it and your library of trained words is sufficiently large it's truly remarkable![]

Oh and editing is trivial, there are ways of moving about using your voice but using the mouse is faster. The only drawback that I've noticed is that I need to take breaks every hour or so. My voice gets a little horse and the recognition starts to degrade. Also you don't want to train it with a horse voice. Anyways it's really a great program!

[123easy]

2 things i dont like about speech to text

1 Who wants to sit there and talk for hours on end when typing is so much easyer

2 One of the reasons I like typing is becuase of privacy, if your sitting there talking to the computer about whatever everyone in the house can here you if they want and listen in

btw i cna type 100 WPM and am a self tought typist, im thinking bout learning devorak but i dont know if i wnat to learn a whole new system

[TheSeeker]

I have to call some people out.  I hate to tell you, but you can't type 100 words per minute.  Maybe in a 5 second timing that takes the average.  But if you do a one minute, timing, I guarantee it will not be that high.  I'm talking about a timing on an actual timing program.  I could type something like "The cat ran fast", you know, something with really short words all the way through but that doesn't really count.

I took 3 typing classes throughout high school (yeah, I'm a slacker), and I averaged about 55wpm which was the average for all the fast typers, between 50-60.   People at my work think I type extremely fast and I work at a IT company (and like I said 55 wpm).

The only person I've ever seen type faster is my sister at 75 wpm.  She is now a court reporter and uses a stenographer with which she can do like 300 wpm, but that is totally different.