Anyone from 2 fingers to touch type typing?

[Borddeleau54]

I have been typing with 2 fingers for more than 30 years and I just tried to learn touch type (all 10 fingers) and... it's a LOT harder than I thought. I wondered if any of you switched from 2 or 3 fingers typing to touch type?
And how long did it take you to be confortable with it?

Thanks!

 

[Sace]

I did that some years back. Admittedly I was quite young and had no where near 30 years of typing experience. But it took me af few weeks of training using one of the training applications for the purpose.

It's boring and repetitive but it works great.

 

[vkd]

I learned to type using a secretary girlfriend's typing book. There are software apps out there that do the same thing, I have used them for training, they are pretty great. They teach you key by key, starting with the home keys ASDF & JKL: and you learn how to branch out, which keys to match with which fingers. Those apps are the way to go, spend a bit of time on it, go through the lessons, it really is worth it. That two finger pecking method is not good for the long haul and you know it!

 

[Velin]

Yes. Use software that guides you on finger placement. Something else: after some practice with finger placement, get a cover/shroud that covers your hands and the keyboard. This is what our high school did way back in the day, it was a simple plastic cover and you practiced that way after getting down the basic finger placement. So it is important to first learn finger placement -- and then learn to do it without ever looking. You absolutely can do it.

A true typist can pound away at lightning speed while never, ever looking at the keyboard. I know I and many others can, I can even talk to people and face them while typing lightning fast at the same time. And you can reach this level of proficiency if you do just a little bit each day.

Then you can type on something like this (and yes, people use these, this is a fantastic keyboard):

 

[NUTNDUN]

I was a chicken picker for quite a while. I never really took any typing classes or computer classes in school. When I started working an office job over 12 years ago and forced myself to start using the home row. It took a couple weeks but it didn't take long to start being able to type quickly and proficiently. I have issues with arthritis sometimes so it does slow me down. I normally average 70 words per minute which I am happy with.