A laptop keyboard works like any other: same layout, same home row, same fingers. But flat keys, a missing keypad and a screen attached to the keyboard change a few habits. Here is how to type well on one.
A light touch on flat keys
Laptop keys are flat and only travel a short distance.
- Press just enough for the key to register. Hammering every key down to the bottom tires your fingers and makes more noise, but it does not make you faster.
- Keep your fingers curved and close to the keys: with so little travel, small movements are enough.
- The bumps on F and J are still there on almost every laptop. Use them to find the home row without looking.
Numbers without a keypad
Most smaller laptops have no numeric keypad, so numbers are typed on the number row above the letters. It is worth learning properly: each finger takes the digits above its home key.
- The Fn key, usually at the bottom left, unlocks a second function printed on some keys: volume, brightness and often Home, End, Page Up and Page Down on the arrow keys.
- On some models, a small keypad is printed on the right-hand letter keys and switched on with Fn or Num Lock. It helps now and then, but the number row is faster once you know it.
- Larger laptops often have a full keypad. It pushes the letters to the left, so sit facing the G and H keys, not the middle of the laptop.
Raise the screen
On a laptop, screen and keyboard are joined: when the keyboard is at the right height, the screen is too low and you end up looking down.
- For short sessions, sit back, relax your shoulders and tilt the screen so you can see it without hunching.
- For long sessions, raise the laptop on a stand or a pile of books until the top of the screen is at eye level, and plug in an external keyboard and mouse. It is the most effective change you can make.
The touchpad under your palms
The touchpad sits right where your palms fall, and a light brush can move the cursor in the middle of a word.
- Keep your wrists floating above the touchpad instead of resting on it.
- Laptops have palm rejection, which ignores touches while you type. If the cursor still jumps, lower the touchpad sensitivity in the settings, or switch the touchpad off while you use a mouse.
Not on the sofa, not in bed
Typing with the laptop on your knees, on the sofa or in bed is comfortable for a few minutes. After that, your head drops forward, your neck carries its weight and your wrists bend. For anything longer than a quick message, sit at a table.
Check your speed
On the laptop keyboard or an external one, your speed usually ends up much the same once your hands are used to the keys. Take a test on each and compare.