Our fingertips are direct extensions of our brains and are capable of functioning at the "speed of our thought", provided we remove certain roadblocks and bottlenecks. Things that slow us down can be purely mechanical or muscular, but, more often than not, it is bad habits and unwillingness to learn how to better "play the instrument" that prevent us from achieving a more enjoyable and efficient keyboard experience. Another common obstacle is poorly written software that forces the user to perform humiliating "assembly-line" actions instead of delegating the work to the machine.
Keyboards predate the mouse and other pointing devices so dear to the newer generations of computer users.
What I'll attempt to show is that mouse-centric view of the human-computer interface (which excludes all automation), is costing millions of users precious time, measured in months, if not years of waste. Best results are obtained by applying a clever mix of all available input devices, of course. But, one must first discover and learn what the devices are capable of.
Beware of the mouse: it takes no effort to learn to use from day one, but the price to pay is huge -- you cannot reduce the number of clicks or evolve your clicking skills, other than increasing the speed and precision, up to a limit. You remain roughly at your day one level, even after years of using it.
The keyboard is different: you can find ways to automate most operations, find shorter key combinations, or create an environment that suits you perfectly. If you are forced to use an application whose user interface gets in the way, don't accept it! There is probably a solution lurking in a keyboard macro or a commnad-line tool to help you reclaim your life! With the keyboard, you discover the automation and programmability of your daily work, the very essence of modern computers that is hidden from mouse-centric users.
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew...
Go often askew...
-- Robert Burns
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