For the point and click generation of software developers. Just when should keyboard shortcuts be included as a feature of an application? For very common tasks, such as opening and closing files, and/or for tasks performed less frequently, though several times when they are?
When you’re doing the same thing over and over - not even necessarily right after each other (e.g. Paste, Paste, Paste, Paste…) but just several times in close proximity — it’s a huge win to have a keyboard shortcut. E.g. “Find Next”, or deleting several non-adjacent items in a list. The key to understanding Tog’s argument about why the mouse is faster is that there’s a hidden delay where you stop to recall the actual keys to press for a shortcut. But with repetitive actions, you only suffer that penalty the first time. Even if you waste two seconds remembering that the shortcut for Find Next is Command-G, you save time (versus using the mouse) if you invoke it several times in a row.
Being fully conversant with all, or most, of an application’s keyboard shortcuts can save a lot time, and once you’re in the swing of things, certainly feels much faster than using a mouse.
As an aside this brings to mind a conversation I had with a creative director, some years ago, who was looking to hire a junior web designer. He was only interested in considering applicants who “knew all the keyboard shortcuts” of the various apps they would be working with.
How’s that for a case of keyboard shortcuts winning out?
