Last week I was contacted by the people at Microsoft to head down to my local Currys/Pc World and take the Great British Type Test. They are on the road to find out what type of typer everyone is and to show you the best type of keyboard for how you type.

When I headed down to the event I was a bit apprehensive as I know I can be quite a fast but messy typer. I am constantly looking at my screen to find hundreds of red squiggly lines everywhere which takes me just as long to look through as what it did to type. I also was aware that I used one hand a lot more than the other. I have no idea why but I think I just have a lazy hand! I found that I was a speedy typer, which I guessed. As I can type fast but I sometimes stumble over parts and I don't know how to touch type properly.

I sat down and was presented with the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop keyboard. It looked a little bit scary and it took a lot of getting used to. By the end I still wasn't convinced that it was the right keyboard for me. So I did a bit of playing with each of them to see what fit my typing style the best. It was amazing to see how a different keyboard affected the way I typed. I have always struggled a bit with the spacing sometimes on my Macbook but brushed it off by thinking that I was just a rubbish typer. In the end we realised that the best one for me was the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000.
The wireless keyboard was better than a wired one for me as it meant that I could keep my screen at a distance but still be able to type no matter how near or far I was. I find that I normally keep my macbook on a slight incline as it's easier to view the screen for things such as photo editing and writing. The keyboard itself comes packaged in a bight box with a USB stick to connect it to the computer and a mouse that is also wireless and feeds off the same USB. There is also 2 sets of batteries for the keyboard and the mouse and also some rubber stoppers to allow an incline on the keyboard if you wish. These just locked into place and are easy to remove if needed.
To set it up all I did was plug the USB stick into the side of my laptop, press any key on the keyboard to activate it and I was ready to type. It took some getting used to as I am normally using my laptop keyboard but it took me no time to get into the swing of things. Infact I'm typing using the keyboard at the moment!
The mouse is really good and reminds me that using a track pad can be really annoying at times! Especially when I am editing photos. I used to have a graphics tablet but it was frustrating to have to clear the space and set it up to edit a photo or two so I save that for when I have a whole batch to edit. It's quite heavy so I have no worry that it will get knocked easily.
Overall I love this keyboard. I am finding that I can type faster and I'm making less mistakes than I have done previously. Not only that but having a keyboard means I'm sitting at a table instead of slouching against a sofa or bed to type meaning that I am sitting properly too! Woo!
I am fortunate enough to be able to offer you guys a chance to win a keyboard of your own from Microsoft. All you have to do is enter via the rafflecopter below.
I can type pretty fast!
ReplyDeleteAshleigh
Pretty slow.
ReplyDeleteA slow one! lol xx
ReplyDeleteA one finger on each hand typer!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty decent typing. I'm not as fast as a trained typist with normal words, but when there is technical information they tend to slow down to my speed.
ReplyDeleteBecause I work online for a living my speed is pretty fast and I touch type on average around 150 words a minute.
ReplyDeleteone finger typer very slow but get there in the end :)
ReplyDeleteI can usually touch type but I have a recovering broken wrist at the moment which definately impedes typing speed, though I rekon the typing is good physio for stiff fingers.
ReplyDeleteSLOW & STEADY :)
ReplyDeleteI'm quite fast, all self taught and practice rather than touch typing though. Comes from years of admin work!
ReplyDeletefast but i don't know how fast. I dont type properly. I'm a speed demon on the number keys after working for a bank.
ReplyDeleteI can touch type.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could type quicker, especially as a computer science student!
ReplyDeleteReasonably quickly but could do better!
ReplyDeleteCan manage four fingered typing as long as I keep peeking at the keyboard!
ReplyDeletea two finger typer
ReplyDeletea fast :) i have to for work
ReplyDeleteFast but mistake-prone!
ReplyDeleteA two fingered plodder
ReplyDeleteLearnt to touch type when I was 17 and that was on an old fashioned typewriter - so pretty quick
ReplyDeletea touch typist, I'm pretty good but occassionally I find my fingers go faster than my brain
ReplyDeleteI learnt at school on a manual (it makes me sound ancient, I can assure you I'm not) and I can remember well when I started using an electronic typewriters; it felt too sensitive and that it was running away with me. Again both of those are totally different to the keyboards of today. Would love to win, thanks for a great giveaway.
ReplyDeleteSlow but I get there in the end
ReplyDeleteIm a touch typist can do 60 words a minute
ReplyDeleteI'm really fast, usually between 70 - 80 wpm! The computer struggles to keep up at times haha!
ReplyDeletesuper
ReplyDeleteI am a touch typer. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm quite fast, but have to be looking at the keyboard to type - I could never touch type as I get confused when I look away.
ReplyDeleteI just wish Microsoft made a wired version of the comfort 5000 + mouse kit. Whilst I enjoy the good old mouse to be wireless, I prefer my keyboards wired, as I hate running out of batteries mid type!
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
ReplyDeleteIm quite a competent typist- providing its a keyboard im used to.
ReplyDeleteTwo finger with lots of typing errors. This is annoying becuase my spelling is OK but you wouldn't believe it by looking at anything I type.
ReplyDeleteA two finger typer @Amezeylady
ReplyDeleteI love this
ReplyDeleteIm a touch typer
ReplyDeleteTouch typer
ReplyDeleteI get by. I'm not slow or fast.
ReplyDeleteA toucher typer
ReplyDeleteA slow one! lol xx
ReplyDeleteA fast non-touch typer
ReplyDeleteReasonably fast but I do need to look at the keyboard every so often.
ReplyDeleteSPEEDY TYPE! based on the answers I gave. I would say this is accurate, I am a very fast typer but I do need to look at the keyboard sometimes although I think this is just because I find it reassuring.
ReplyDeleteSLOW 1 FINGER TYPIST .... THAT OFTEN FORGETS ABOUTS CAPS LOCK (SORRY)
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty darn fast and I rock it with numbers since I do accounts all day! @criscurran
ReplyDeleteOk until I get a headache and then I get dyslexic fingers !
ReplyDeleteI touch type fairly fast so a comfortable keyboard is quite important
ReplyDeleteSpeedy type
ReplyDeletereally slow,but never typed when i was younger.
ReplyDeletePretty quick
ReplyDeletePretty fast
ReplyDeleteone finger
ReplyDeleteim uite fast but use all my fingers and often have to go back and correct myself
ReplyDeleteSometimes I can type quick, sometimes I type slower. I guess it depends on the importance of what I am writing. x
ReplyDeleteAverage speed, wish I was faster
ReplyDelete