Do you guys think it's a good idea to get used to programming with a keyboard without a numpad?
At work I use one with a numpad, but as soon as I use a keyboard without one, like in laptops, it slows me down considerably.
So does it make sense to get used to programming on the left side of the keyboard even if you have a numpad?
I develop on a laptop, and I do just fine. I couldn't live without two monitors.
This all depends on you. I haven't touched my numpad in years, maybe decades. If you find yourself working a lot with keyboards that don't have a numeric keypad it probably makes sense to learn to be productive with that configuration.
I coded on a laptop (ok, multiple laptops, I wear them out too fast) for multiple years. Being without a numpad, I have become quite efficient with the not-numpad numbers, and I rarely use the numpad itself (even though it is at my disposal on my desktop). Being able to enter numbers without moving my right hand is definitely an advantage, in my opinion.
Now, when you're entering lists of numbers in excel, that's an entirely different matter.
If your work is number-centric, a keyboard with a numpad is an ideal situation, as you focus all your work on one hand dedicated to it.
However, as a programmer, you tend to use much more alphabetical or symbol keys, and jumping to the numpad can be almost as painful as jumping to your mouse while you are typing.
Although I admit myself guilty of still using the numpad while I code.
I wasn't good at typing on the keyboard numbers until I started programming. Many of the often used keys are located so muscle memory comes naturally