Abstract: A study was conducted to compare user preferences and throughput performance on 3 prominent keyboards with 3 different kinds of key action mechanisms. Preference and throughput data were obtained from both skilled (>65 WPM) and occasional (30-50 WPM) typists. Both groups of typists indicated about equal preference for keyboards with snap-spring and elastomer key actions and much lower preference ratings for the keyboard with a low-resistance, linear spring key action mechanism. Fewer errors and faster typing throughput were obtained on keyboards with the elastomer key action than on the other two keyboards, equipped with snap- and linear-spring key action mechanisms. This facilitation was greater for the occasional typists than for the experts. The reverse interaction was obtained for electronic key click, which produced much larger increases in real throughput for experts than the occasional typists.

Keywords: Design; Empirical studies; Hardware development; Keyboard input; Typing

Originally published: Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 28th Annual Meeting, 1984, pp. 267-271

Republished: G. Perlman, G. K. Green, & M. S. Wogalter (Eds.) Human Factors Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction: Selections from Proceedings of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meetings, 1983-1994, Santa Monica, CA: HFES, 1995, pp. 14-18.