Hacker News Reader

Comment by simias | Hacker News Reader

given the size of the unit it makes sense to have a numpad, no? What would you put instead?

I don't like having my hands off-center. I assume I'm not alone there. Among other things, it causes amplified wrist pain.

You're not alone. Why anyone would prefer an off center keyboard only to gain a numpad I'll never know.

Being left handed makes the numpad even dumber. It's placed on the wrong side of the keyboard.

I'm left-handed and I'll take a built-in numpad any day. I punch in enough long numbers day-to-day to really enjoy having it, even if it's on the "wrong" side of the keyboard (and so it is with virtually every other keyboard out there with a built-in numpad).

I also already normally type with my keyboard slightly off-center on my desktop, so an asymmetrical laptop keyboard ain't really all that big of a deal. Even if I didn't, and insisted on a perfectly-centered typing experience, having an off-center screen is something that I've yet to actually really notice.

Just put the keyboard in the centre, there's no rule that you need to make use of the whole surface.

Most offices don't allow people to put pictures or personal effects on their hotel desks anymore so perhaps one could have a little LCD panel there displaying pictures of one's loved ones, or the cat not eating salad.

You put nothing, why do you assume if there is space it needs to be more keys in there? I bet they can even improve the structural rigidity by not having the numpad.

i'd prefer wider more forgiving typing targets of the keys i use

Reply on news.ycombinator.com