Typing Speed on my Different Keyboards

Typing Speed

on my desktop computer I set a timer for one minute and I started typing what ever words popped into my mind. I tried not to go back can correct any mistakes, but I backed up and fixed 4 mistakes anyway, just because it's so automatic I was not able to stop myself.
At the end of one minute I had typed exactly 80 words. I was typing at a pretty good speed if practiced a few times not fixing mistakes, and a few times I paused for a second to think of something to type, I could probably hit 90 without much practice.

The reason I am checking my typing speed is because I read a review that someone did on a hand held keyboard that was shaped like a game controller. The person doing the review said that he was able to type 50 words per minute on it. That got me thinking, how many words a minute do I type? and how fast can I type on the different keyboards I have?

I have to charge up some batteries for the other hand held devices I have to get them going from the months of non use, but I will be checking very shortly.

The Droid with the pull out keyboard, I was able to type 50 words in a minute.

Droid on screen keyboard in horizontal position 31 words in a minute.

The Droid using the onscreen keyboard in vertical position, I was able to type 21 words in one minute, but I did not use the auto spell feature, this feature actually slows my typing down, because what happens is I type a letter then look to see if the word came up, then I type another letter and check again. This takes a lot more time that just typing the word on the keyboard because I know where all the keys are but the words appear in different orders at the top. It does help a lot with my spelling, which is atrocious, so it's a trade off, I get many more words spelled correctly, but it does take a little longer.

First try using my Palm Pilot when I have not picked up in a couple years, 24 words per minute.

Second try, I turned off the sound which was making me hesitate waiting for the little click after each letter is pressed. This brought my speed up to 27 words in a minute.

Other considerations:

The main thing I noticed when checking my typing is that I am able to basically type forever on my desktop, my fingers don't really get tired or anything.

On the Droid keyboard, it was a different matter, yesterday I typed 253 words and my thumbs and fingers were killing me and I had to stop, after I stopped typing they continued to hurt for about 3 more hours.  I am not sure if I would be able to get used to this or if it would always be this way. I noticed that I have to press pretty hard on the keyboard to get a response, and this tends to make my fingers tired pretty fast.

From using my Palm Pilot in the past I know that I am able to type for hours and hours and not suffer from any finger fatigue. Holding the little stylist is very comfortable and the keyboard works well, I have no trouble pressing the key I want and avoiding the keys I don't want.  Unlike the Droid onscreen keyboard which is very frustrating, always getting the wrong key and going back to make corrections on at least every other word.

This is a real surprise to me:

I like the Palm Pilot because there is a little sound when the keys are pressed by the stylist. I just looked around and the droid has a setting for sound on the keyboard and when you turn it on, it sounds like a real typewriter.  I have to say I am very surprised, but for me it is about 10 times more fun to use now. I went from not ever using it to thinking I may start really considering it as a viable option for typing. I am going to have to try it and see for a little while, but those typewriter sounds really do it for me. I would have never guessed that it would have made a difference like that, but it really does.

Now I have to go get my Optimus and check to see if it has typewriter sounds in it.
The Optimus does have sound, but it just makes a click like the Palm Pilot does. The Droid has a real electric typewriter sound to it.

I had one of the late model IBM Selectrics and the sound is very similar. The carriage return and the backspace keys are almost dead on, the regular typing is a little off, of course they were probably trying for a different model electric typewriter when they created the sounds.


Summary:

Typing for one minute then counting the words:

Desk top keyboard 80 words

Droid pull out keyboard 50 words

Droid on screen keyboard vertical 21 words

Droid on screen keyboard horizontal 31 words

Palm Pilot 27 words