This all assumes, of course, that you are a full-touch typist, none of that
hunt-and-peck nonsense.

Ah, that probably explains why I prefer the mouse!


--
Biff
Microsoft Excel MVP


"Chip Pearson" wrote in message
...
Any keyboard input, no matter how "arcane" or "irrational" runs circles
around the mouse for speed and efficiency, especially so if you use the
accelerator keystrokes for menu item access and the context key for a
right-click of the mouse. I can type probably 20 characters in the same
time that it takes to move my hand off the keyboard, move it to the mouse,
drag the mouse, find the button, click the button, and move my hand back
to the keyboard. If you don't have a Natural or similar ergonomic
keyboard, get one. It might take a few weeks to get used to it, but the
payoff in comfort and ease of use is more than worth it. Get rid of the
worthless key such as F1, CAPS LOCK, SCL LOCK, and NUMLOCK and it is even
better.

I've been using Natural keyboards since they came out in about 1993 or
1994. (I've gone through probably 15 or 20 keyboards on various machines
over the years.) I cannot and will not use a standard keyboard. When I go
to a client site, I either bring my own keyboard or buy one there. (The
best keyboard I ever used was an MS Natural MultiMedia with USB ports on
the back. Alas, MS has discontinued it and now offers only the Natural
4000 and Natural Elite, neither of which measures up to earlier
offerings.)

but why should "paste" be CTRL-V

You can't blame MS for that one. CTRL V originated on the Macintosh before
Windows was anything more than curiosity. And since the "V" key is next to
"X" and "C", it does make some sense to group the Cut/Copy/Paste commands
on adjacent keys. MS wanted either (1) to make it easy for Mac users to
use Windows or, (2) stole the Mac UI, depending on your version of
history, and so copied many Mac keyboard assignments.

After a while, muscle memory takes over and your fingers just move to
right keys before you even think about exactly what keys you are using.
This all assumes, of course, that you are a full-touch typist, none of
that hunt-and-peck nonsense.


--
Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Pearson Software Consulting
www.cpearson.com
(email on the web site)

"James Silverton" wrote in message
...
Ron wrote on Sat, 8 Sep 2007 23:06:29 -0400:

RC If you want to shun the keyboarding techniques on
RC principle, that's your prerogative.

??
RC This is my opinion:
RC The mouse is easier for exploring menu structures to find
RC the commands I'm interested in, but slow and inaccurate
RC for speed work. Once I know where they are....if I have
RC to repeat the same command many times (or even a
RC few)...I'll generally use the keyboard shortcuts or
RC navigate with the keyboard using the underlined menu
RC characters.
??
?? Are you kidding or so immersed in the later 20th century
?? that you are prepared to learn arcane irrational key
?? strokes?
??


Sorry, I'll admit that I sound a bit bad tempered there but, even if I do
know a number of them, arbitrary key strokes are things that sometimes
irk me. I can admit CTRL-C for "copy", CTRL-X perhaps for "extract" but
why should "paste" be CTRL-V, cancel be ALT-Z and ALT-X be "convert hex
unicode to symbol"? The original programmers for Excel and Word must
really have loved Word Star :-)

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not