What cool little thing have you discovered today?
- Thread starter DeathOfTime
- Start date
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A Youtube Video that finally explained something I never took the time to google. Why I keep seeing key boards without 10-Key pads. Turns out I was only partially right. I knew the keyboard would take up less space and using the mouse would be easier. I didn't know why. Also explains why the keyboards I looked up were rather more then I could afford. Kinda feels like the video might have been sponsored. I don't know why I feel that way. The information is still valid either way.
Another Youtube Video that has absolutely nothing to do with Porn. But might freak someone out all the same. WARNING: SFW
Another Youtube Video that has absolutely nothing to do with Porn. But might freak someone out all the same. WARNING: SFW
Celestialphoenix
Too Much Free Time
If you switch the buttons over, the mouse works perfectly well left handed.
Index finger instinctively does the left click on both hands.
Index finger instinctively does the left click on both hands.
I write with my left hand. If I remember it right, i tend to find it easier to do finer more precise movements with my right hand. I primarily use my right hand for most tasks. My left hand is relegated to what few tasks I find to be uncomfortable to perform with my right hand. Such as using any sort or writing instrument.
This extends to my use of computer parephials. When I took a course on a vocation named "Business and Clerical" I could barely type with any accuracy. Still is a serious issue actually. I have to slow down my typing to less then twenty words per minute to keep the mistakes to a minimum, and their are still a lot of errors I have to go back and fix. On Ten Key I was phenomenally fast. They weren't keeping score on that like they were typing though, so it is hard to compare my performance with others in the class. I tended to easily complete the most difficult timed 10-key exercises in less then half the time allotted. I breezed through the exercises that were set on the computer. I never learned to combine 10-key with typing, and performed poorly in tests were they were combine.
I could learn to use the mouse with my left hand. It would go against years of training that my reflexes(?muscle memory?) have received and would be completely alien to me. It would let me keep the number pad. Which I still think is a underutilized part of the keyboard. I have even started taking to assigning keys to it that I like and want to use. Mostly simply jetpacks. I have found assigning the keys to 4,5,7,8,9 to be a lot easier to remember and use then any other assignment. (I also assign the throw key to "Delete" or "End" depending on which one is harder to press on the current keyboard layout. The key tends to be free of binds and more appropriate to something I use so little) Just the pure challenge would make it worthwhile.
Thanks for your input. It has probably saved me $50 that I can now fritter away somewhere else (like on a new keyboard or mouse), and given me a idea that is extremely interesting and has lots of potential. This is one of those cases where thanks is not enough. I bow down to your post and immortalize it in quotes. (lacking any other appropriate option coming to mind) Edit: (just realized that makes this look like a quote sandwich. I should probably go get that sleep soon.)
Didn't really want to mess up the symmetry of this post. Felt I absolutely had to.
It is a serious challenge. All the issues I thought I would have didn't turn up. Totally different issues are in there place.
- As soon as I checked the box to reverse buttons in settings it did. I am used to having to press apply before a settings takes.
- I forgot the mouse has two extra buttons on the left side. They are impossible for me to reach right now on purpose. Pressing them on accident in a browser takes me back or forward a page depending on the one pressed and when.
- My fine muscle movement is all in my right hand. I am having to slow down my movements with this mouse to have any chance of hitting the right area of the screen. (might have to try switching to a different dpi)
- I am used to the mouse being on the right side. I am having to be really careful what I click on. my mind is trying to reverse location of buttons on the page to match the location of the mouse.
- I hold the button to long when clicking. I am trying to stay away from windows explorer do to this. I don't want to end up dragging a folder somewhere where it wasn't.
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I'm thinking over key assignments. I am having lots of trouble figuring out what keys to reassign default controls to. I am certain I will have to reassign most of them in most game. It is looking like the 10-key's 8,4,5,6 would take the place of w,a,s,d. That seems to be the most comfortable position for my hand now. Without have to shift the key board a few feet on a regular basis.
To avoid the effort of asking the mighty google, what are the different approaches left handed mouse users use? Is there a sight for pariphial enthusiasts, especially one that is dedicated to key inputs?
I am enjoying this setup. Those two buttons are proving to be a issue. I have lost one post so far to them. So I might need to look through my junkers for a replacement, and think over alternatives if I can't find another mouse.
Celestialphoenix
Too Much Free Time
Don't laugh, but I've.... I've never had a mouse with side buttons before 
A of mice are ambidextrous (probably why I had no issues), though you can get left handed mice with side buttons. (just browsing on Amazon)
A of mice are ambidextrous (probably why I had no issues), though you can get left handed mice with side buttons. (just browsing on Amazon)
This is the only mouse I have ever had with extra buttons. It is kinda of neat in mouse driven games. Allows me to assign something like health and mana pots to them. I actually am not really that into the mouse. The extra buttons are nice. Not really a deal breaker loosing them. I was using a wireless keyboard and mouse up to this month. My mom needed that for her T.V. computer setup I put together for her. So I used this mouse. I had tried it previously and relegated it to a discard bin with all my extra keyboards.Don't laugh, but I've.... I've never had a mouse with side buttons before
A of mice are ambidextrous (probably why I had no issues), though you can get left handed mice with side buttons. (just browsing on Amazon)
It turns out it was my only working extra mouse. I have a mouse in pieces I could try and reassemble.
I have been looking up devices. Did some research and think I would prefer the cherry mx brown switches to all the other cherries, Tek Syndicate has a tolerable video on the differences in some switch types. I don't think I have used a mechanical keyboard in decades. Never actually sure what I am using. Pretty certain it isn't mechanical. It tends to be the cheapest thing I can get my hands on. I also found that there are left handed mice (poor mice. all the tests it must have to go through just to find out southpaw specific data). I am interested in the ergonomic ones. There doesn't really seam to be any "quality" options though. Just pricey ones.
I did see the left handed mice with extra buttons right before returning to here. I don't know if investing in all new mice is a good plan yet. Especially as I increased my computer count to two on this desk. I still haven't found a good peripheral to buy for the pi to replace its keyboard and mouse. My desk is getting so crowded. Even the shelves I took from my brother's room and placed on my desk aren't providing enough room. there must be some scientific law that saws "something will always fill a vacuum", as any free space I create quickly is filled by another item that it is extremely important that it goes there.
Edit:
I finally remembered. It was "Nature abhors a vacuum".
I was finally able to reasemble the mouse. I just had to stop trying to keep it from braking and just take the chance and slam the parts together. I think I spent an entire hour, total, on trying to get that thing back together.
I was rather lucky. After I switched out my wireless mouse for it my mom accidentally spilled liquid on it. I took it apart to dry it out. I haven't had issues with getting mice back together. It always worked in the past. This time it didn't. Once I was sure the mouse was thoroughly dry I tried to reassemble it. It wouldn't go back together for anything. That is how I ended up using the mouse with the two extra buttons.
Now that it is back together I will use it until I can get another good mouse. (it isn't going to be any time soon. I spent every penny I had this month and more. Mostly on getting my house ready for summer.)
Edit:
Thought about it some more. If my arms are supposed to be straight out from my shoulders. Then my strain issue might be a lot more do to the position and size of the keyboard then the position of the mouse.
When typing my hand are extremely close together on a standard keyboard. For them to be shoulder width apart my right hand would have to be about where my mouse is now, and they entire keyboard need moved to the left by at least six inches. I don't know how to measure it properly. It seems like my hands would need to be 21 inches apart to be properly positioned. That is a lot longer then my current keyboard.
I think it is the position of the keyboard that is the biggest issue. I keep it in a position where both hand can reach the touch type positions on the keyboard. I think for video games it might be better to move the key board to the left a ways. For typing it might be better to use a split keyboard or possibly two keyboards end to end if there is enough room.
Will definitely take more research.
Edit:
Found a site that has lots of tips and instructions for keyboard and mouse placement and user posture. It is proving to be a lot more thorough then other information sources have been.
I still need to do further research and strategy costs comparisons to see what they best setup for me would be. I am learning a lot of new stuff today.
Edit:
I went back to left handed mouse. This time I am trying it out without reversing the mouse buttons. It is going the same. This alternative was recommended somewhere. I just can't remember where.
I found using the number pad is much simpler for games that use the number row a lot. I used to assign those keys to q,w,e,r,a,s,d,f,z,x,c,v depending on how many keys bindings were available. It works really well for w,a,s,d movement as well. It might not work as well on games that use both. Those usually have alternative ways of accessing the number bar though.
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Today I learned that my current window manager lets me combine tags (tags in this context are comparable to virtual desktops). This in combination with the fact that tags are a per screen thing and that it makes each window fit using an easy to select layout will probably make my life easier
It doesn't work with every game. Like the tendency of some games to completely ignore the vsync settings. I think "Knights of Pen and Paper +1" was one of the ones that had this issue.My drivers let me limit my frame rate in games. I've known this, but others with AMD graphics may not.
It might have been fixed in more resent releases.
It only works on games that have true fullscreen iirc. But still, when it works it's awesome. When it doesn't, I use riva tuner. I wish the AA options worked more often though. :/
I keep finding cool things! Today I discovered(well, last night really), that I can shrink the size of a DVD rip by nearly half by re-encoding it in x265 with Handbrake. And, I don't lose much in the way of quality either!
H