5
Ways to Make Your Keyboard Easier to Use
used
with permission from Microsoft at Home
How to use a keyboard might seem
academic, but there€s more to typing than just tapping the keys. For most
people, the keyboard is the primary computer input and control
device€that€s why it€s important to leverage the features and shortcuts
that keyboards offer. Read on for tips to maximize ease of use, comfort,
and efficiency.
1. Get to know
your keyboard
Whether your keyboard is just out of the box or it has seen
years of use, it may have features you don€t know about. Take a moment to
review the literature that came with your keyboard, visit the
manufacturer€s product website, and familiarize yourself with the layout
of the keys. Knowing your keyboard€s capabilities and limitations€and
where to find time-saving keys€can make it easier to use and can even
increase your productivity.
2.
Customize keyboard settings
After you€re familiar with your keyboard, customizing just
a few basic settings can further improve your efficiency and accuracy. For
instance, you can adjust:
- The pause before a character
starts repeating.
- The speed at which
characters repeat, which can help you avoid typing errors.
- The rate at which the cursor
blinks, which can enhance its visibility.
(You can make these changes
right now: Windows 7, Windows Vista)
3. Take shortcuts
Even if you're a genius with the
mouse, keyboard shortcuts can still save you time. They're called
shortcuts for a reason€they reduce multiple clicks to a single
combination of keys, like hitting a chord on a piano. They also economize
hand and arm motion.
Using keyboard shortcuts for the things you do
all the time, like saving or closing files, can make computing much easier
and faster. So whether you want to work more easily and efficiently in
Internet Explorer, streamline your Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010
experience, or key international characters into your emails, you€ll find
scores of shortcuts to speed you on your way. The table below offers only
a few common standard-keyboard shortcuts, many of which work across Office
applications€from Outlook to Access, from Visio to PowerPoint, from Word
to Excel. You can find a more complete list of built-in keyboard shortcuts
for a particular application by searching in Help for keyboard shortcuts.
(You can even peruse keyboard-shortcut lists: Windows 7, Windows Vista)
Press this |
To do this |
F1 |
Open Help |
F7 |
Check the spelling of
titles or words in any Office application with the Spelling &
Grammar checker |
Windows logo key |
Open the Start
menu |
Alt+F4 |
Quit a
program |
Alt+Tab |
Switch between open
programs or windows |
Ctrl+N |
Open a new (blank)
document |
Ctrl+A |
Select all content in a
document, window, or text box |
Ctrl+S |
Save the current file or
document (works in most programs) |
Ctrl+C |
Copy the
selection |
Ctrl+X |
Cut the
selection |
Ctrl+V |
Paste the
selection |
Ctrl+P |
Print a document or
webpage |
Ctrl+Z |
Undo an
action |
Ctrl+Y |
Redo an
action |
Ctrl+F |
Find text in a
document |
Ctrl+H |
Find and replace text in
a document |
Ctrl+B |
Boldface
text |
Ctrl+I |
Italicize
text |
Ctrl+U |
Underline
text |
Ctrl+G |
Go to a page, line, or
bookmark in a document |
Windows logo
key + F1 |
Display Windows Help and
Support |
Esc |
Cancel the current
task |
Application key |
Open a menu of commands
related to a selection in a program (equivalent to right-clicking
the selection) |
4. Make it easier to press multiple
keys
If pressing
Ctrl+Alt+Del seems an acrobatic feat, you can set up Sticky Keys. The
Sticky Keys feature lets you hit shortcut keys one at a time rather than
all at once. You can even set Sticky Keys to make a noise so you know it's
working.
You can set up Sticky Keys:
Windows 7, Windows Vista
(Tip: In Windows 7 and
Windows Vista, Sticky Keys has a keyboard shortcut€press Shift five times
in a row.)
5. Find a comfortable
keyboard
Keyboards
come in many shapes and sizes, and the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard your
coworker swears by might feel downright awkward compared to the Comfort
Curve 2000 you covet. Keyboards come in a variety of colors and key
styles, too, not to mention with and without wires. And some keyboards are
definitely louder than others. All Microsoft keyboards are carefully
designed to balance form and function with comfort. Test drive a keyboard
or two to find the right one for you.
Although using the right
keyboard can really make a difference, ergonomics also play a key role
when it comes to typing comfortably.
Tips for using your
keyboard ergonomically
It is essential to use good ergonomic
practices to help prevent or reduce soreness or injury to your wrists,
hands, and arms. It is particularly important if you€re in front of your
computer for long periods.
Here are some ergonomic tips for a
safer, more comfortable computer session:
- Position your keyboard at
elbow level, with your upper arms relaxed at your sides.
- Center your keyboard in
front of you. If it has a numeric keypad, use the Spacebar as the
centering point.
- While typing, use a light
touch and keep your wrists straight.
- When you're not typing,
relax your arms and hands.
- Take a short break every 15
to 20 minutes.
- Type with your hands and
wrists floating above the keyboard, so that you can use your whole arm
to reach for distant keys instead of stretching your fingers.
- Avoid resting your palms or
wrists on any surface while typing. If your keyboard has a palm rest,
use it only during breaks from typing.
How you use the keyboard is up
to you. But by taking the time to adjust a few settings and to follow the
guidelines above, typing on it can become easier, faster, and even
safer.
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