Hmm, what exactly do you mean by "sprawl" typist? I've never really considered too many different typing styles, and wondered if some are easier on your body or not.
My wrists are straight when I type on a standard keyboard, placing my hands at an angle to each other. My fingers are "sprawled" across the three alphabetic rows, and I have no particular discipline regarding which finger (or even which hand) hits which key.
Because of my typing style, it is very difficult for me to type on a non-standard keyboard. For example, on any split keyboard, fingers either hand will often strike the center divider in an attempt to strike a key which is in fact on the opposite side of the divider.
However, I credit typing in this manner with a near-total lack of keyboard-related RSI after 20 years of active computer use. (I have had issues with using a mouse, due mostly to grip stress, but switching to a trackball cleared those up.)
I've met at least one other person who types this way (and I haven't asked that many people) so I figure it must be common enough, especially among those who grew up with access to a computer (like I did). I don't know how easy it is to learn if you first learned home row typing.
I also type this way. I never took a typing class and evolved directly from hunting and pecking, to hunt-and-peck without looking, to typing in the way you describe — if I extend my fingers, my thumbs and index fingers form a triangle.
I rarely type at the manic rate I see in home-row typists but have never had RSI symptoms in 18 years. I did cause myself temporary soreness by constantly using Ctrl-Z, Ctrl-X and Ctrl-C by holding Ctrl and doubling my left thumb under my palm. That was the one conscious adjustment (switching to my little finger for Ctrl) I have ever made, and once I started using Mac keyboards (Command instead of Ctrl), I switched back.
I'm interested in your editor choice. I've always used CUA editors (currently TextMate) and recreational Emacs. Also, I have no interest in the Dvorak layout since I already get by being wildly inefficient. My only doubt is whether I'm missing the flow state in vi that is accessible to home-row typists.
I use JOE, a WordStar/Borland-esque editor that is heavy on the Ctrl key, purely out of familiarity with the interface. However I also grew up typing on an Apple //e, on which Ctrl is where Caps Lock is these days, and I have reconfigured all my keyboards since to have Ctrl where Caps Lock is. This has the nice side effect of alleviating the thumb-under-palm problem that the modern Ctrl position creates.
My fingers are "sprawled" across the three alphabetic rows, and I have no particular discipline regarding which finger (or even which hand) hits which key.
I'm curious -- have you ever tried typing using two full keyboards, one for each hand? Your sprawl style seems like it might work well with such a setup. Before I got my kinesis ergo I was typing using two keyboards and I found it quite comfortable since I was able to place them apart from each other so that my arms stay nice and comfortable.
Hm, that sounds very interesting. I imagine it might work and I will try it next time I have a second keyboard handy. It may even make backspacing faster for me (currently I backspace using two fingers rapidly alternating – I find this faster and more accurate than relying on autorepeats – being able to use four fingers should be an improvement).
