And so you can. In a Preferences pane titled, strangely enough, “Note Input.”
Between this and what looks like exhaustive key customization under “Key Commands,” a user could set up their system so that note entry acts exactly like Finale’s “Speedy Entry.” That would extend to the definition for each number pad duration definition.
This would be a game-changer for all the Finale users concerned about learning an entirely new work flow. In my estimation, at least 30 percent of the work involved in engraving a score is getting the right notation in the right spots. I have 30 years of muscle memory embedded in my body, where right hand hovers over the number keypad and left hand plays pitches on a MIDI keyboard. (I even purchased an auxiliary number keypad for a PowerBook 165 back in the day to help with this.)
YMMV on the workflow percentage.