Shortcut Keyboards Best Suited for Left-Hand Devices

What is a Left-Hand Device?

A "left-hand device" is a dedicated device for operating keyboard shortcuts with the left hand while using a mouse or stylus with the right hand.

For example, by assigning commonly used keyboard shortcuts such as "copy (CTRL + C)" and "paste (CTRL + V)" to a single key, you can reduce the number of key presses and work more efficiently.

What Kinds of Uses are Left-Hand Devices Best For?

Left-hand devices are commonly used in the following situations:

1. Programming: Simplifies shortcut operations while coding
2. Design work: Quickly access shortcut keys in graphic software
3. Gaming: Speeds up complex in-game operations

Types of Left-Hand Devices

There are actually various types of left-hand devices:

1. Keyboard type
2. Button type
3. Gaming type

The simplest is the keyboard type, which looks like only a few keys have been taken from a mechanical keyboard, and you assign keys through software. Its simplicity allows it to be used for many purposes.
The button type, typified by the Stream Deck, is a device with buttons to which special functions are assigned.

The gaming type is a device in which the keyboard, buttons, and trackpad are integrated so that all operations can be performed with the left hand alone. These are specialized for gaming.

Shortcut Keyboards as Left-Hand Devices

From here, we’ll take a closer look at shortcut keyboards as left-hand devices.

Advantages of Using a Shortcut Keyboard as a Left-Hand Device

Let's look at the advantages of using a shortcut keyboard as a left-hand device:

1. Inexpensive
2. Compact
3. Highly compatible
4. Highly durable

The biggest advantage is the low price. Shortcut keyboards can be purchased for as little as around $20. Considering that most dedicated button and gaming types cost over $100, shortcut keyboards are ideal for those trying out left-hand devices for the first time.

Another major advantage is compactness. Many left-hand devices are surprisingly large, but shortcut keyboards can be as small as about 5 cm x 10 cm, which allows for greater freedom in desk layout.

High compatibility is another advantage of shortcut keyboards. They are just simple keyboards, so you can assign various functions, depending on your preferences. Additionally, their simple construction makes them highly durable.

Disadvantages of Using a Shortcut Keyboard as a Left-Hand Device

On the other hand, the drawback is that "there is a limit to the number of keys."
Because shortcut keyboards use relatively large keys and bases, there is a limit to how many keys can be added compared to button or gaming types (it would end up looking like a row of keyboards). This can be considered a weakness.

We have explained shortcut keyboards as left-hand devices.

Shortcut keyboards are inexpensive and flexible, so if you want to try or use a left-hand device, a shortcut keyboard is definitely worth trying.