Which keyboard layout do you prefer?

[chanman]

I don't know whether I should use the US-International keyboard layout, which feels more familiar, or the Spanish layout. They both have everything I need, but I just don't know which one in the long run will be more comfortable for me.

The Spanish one is just a hassle, sometimes, remembering which keys are where, as I have a standard American QWERTY keyboard. I just have to remember where the ¿ and ¡ keys, and also the @ is different. I've gotten used to it by now.

The US-International feels much more familiar, but it's a hassle having to set my word processor to Spanish spell-check instead of it doing it automatically for me when I change to Spanish input.

Any feedback?

[Rusty]

I don't use a keyboard layout to type in Spanish. There's an 'Accents' pull-down menu just above the text input box. This contains all the special characters I need.

[Tomisimo]

I use the English (United States) and Spanish (International) keyboard layouts. In Windows, it's really easy to switch between the two (Alt + Shift), and once you get used to the layouts, it's surprisingly easy to use both of them. Similar to switching between languages. I can also type reasonably well on a Dvorak setup, although I haven't done that for years. Here on the forums (as Rusty mentions), you can also use the accents drop-down menu to insert the correct accents for Spanish. I use the Alt + NUM combinations for inputting accented vowels on computers I don't have control over.

[chileno]

I just use the ALT + number to obtain the ascii equivalent of what I need.


Alt +

160 = á
0193=Á
130 = é
144 = É
161 = í
0205=Í
162 = ó
0211=Ó
163 = ú
0218=Ú
129 = ü
154 = Ü
164 = ñ
165 = Ñ
168 = ¿
173 = ¡
166 = ª
167 = º
174 = «
175 = »
246 = ÷
171 = ½
172 = ¼
156 = £



I hope it helps.

[CrOtALiTo]

I never learnt to use them most in the a laptop.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

I never learnt to use them most in the a laptop.

I think it is different for a laptop, and I don't know how to do that combination. Do you want me to find out for you?

[CrOtALiTo]

I either.

I will.

When I have information or tips about it. Then I will tell you.

Awhile you teach me more tip's.

[sosia]

I use the spanish version. OPs, I'm in Spain

[Vikingo]

It almost gives me physical pain to read about people using ALT-codes for accented characters. I made this tiny program for Windows a few weeks ago. Just run (no installation) and press ctrl+space to bring up a menu with all relevant characters and their shortcuts. Kinda like the "Accents"-menu here.

[Fazor]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

I use the English (United States) and Spanish (International) keyboard layouts. In Windows, it's really easy to switch between the two (Alt + Shift), and once you get used to the layouts, it's surprisingly easy to use both of them.

¡Gracias! No creía ese, pero es muy fácil usar.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Vikingo

It almost gives me physical pain to read about people using ALT-codes for accented characters. I made this tiny program for Windows a few weeks ago. Just run (no installation) and press ctrl+space to bring up a menu with all relevant characters and their shortcuts. Kinda like the "Accents"-menu here.

:-)


I still (sometimes) use my commodore 128! :-) so, is no pain at all.

[laepelba]

Like Tomísimo, I use both the American English layout and the Spanish layout and alternate between the two if I'm doing a lot of typing in one language or the other. Using the pull down menu for the accents, etc. is fine if you are only typing a little bit ... but after a while gets tedious.

Also, if you begin to use the Spanish layout a lot, you'll get used to it where the keys are. If you Google "Spanish Keyboard Layout" or something similar, you will find diagrams of the layout. There are more differences than you mentioned ... many of what would be "shift+number-key" on the English keyboard is different, as well as most of the special characters.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Fazor

¡Gracias! No creía ese, pero es muy fácil usar.

I have installed the software and I will try it.

Later I tell you if the software work.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

International Spanish layout is compatible with Spanish and French. I also have a shortcut to Windows Character Map for when I need other kinds of characters.

[chanman]

Well, I've already installed and used both, and I already know the whole Alt+Shift thing (I type Chinese as well). What I really wanted help with was what people considered more comfortable as people used both (To be honest, a drop-down menu and Alt# combos are a real drag).

I think I'll be going with the US-International though. Much easier to pick up, and only a minor annoyance to choose the spell-check option for Spanish in my word processor, compared to the learning curve of finding various punctuation marks in the Spanish keyboard.

[Jessica]

Originally Posted by chileno

I just use the ALT + number to obtain the ascii equivalent of what I need.


Alt +

160 = á
0193=Á
130 = é
144 = É
161 = í
0205=Í
162 = ó
0211=Ó
163 = ú
0218=Ú
129 = ü
154 = Ü
164 = ñ
165 = Ñ
168 = ¿
173 = ¡
166 = ª
167 = º
174 = «
175 = »
246 = ÷
171 = ½
172 = ¼
156 = £



I hope it helps.

unfortuanately I have a laptop as well and even if I did have a regular computer I won't even know how you type in the number after ALT. the accent pull down box is what I use all the time, though I think it would be better if you could just click on it, instead of having to click on the pull down thing. Like the smilies.

[Vikingo]

Hi jchen, have you tried my program on your laptop? It should work as long as it's running Windows, but as I don't have a laptop, can you be my guinea pig? The link is repeated on post #11 at the top of this page. Ctrl+space and then e should give you an é, for example.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Vikingo

Hi jchen, have you tried my program on your laptop? It should work as long as it's running Windows, but as I don't have a laptop, can you be my guinea pig? The link is repeated on post #11 at the top of this page. Ctrl+space and then e should give you an é, for example.

I tried your program, and it is very good. :-)

Good job.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@jchen: try using the function (fn) key to lock the number pad and then use those numbers to introduce ASCII code.

[Vikingo]

Thank you Chileno . Did you try it on a laptop too?