The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout

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Who here uses it?

After about a decade of procrastination, I finally pulled all the keys out of my keyboard & switched my layout. I can't exactly say I have touch typing down yet, but in time I'll get there...

I'll stick with qwerty

Better the devil you know than the devil you do not know.

The fact that qwerty rules in spite of it being an inefficient layout is testimony to The Power of the Niche.

ruveyn

for me it would to hard to switch because i learned using computers with qwerty , also at work for example you cant switch the layout again

hey, it is difficult enough to go from the number pad layout to the touch buttons on the telephone layout, let alone learn something other than qwerty!

old dogs, and new trick and all.

Merle

I tried going over to Dvorak once... I lasted about a week. I felt like an idiot, typing with 2 fingers and blatantly looking at the keyboard...

If you learned how to touch type with qwerty, you can learn to touch type with Dvorak. It just takes some time.

ruveyn

I actually had no trouble at that, probably cause on a phone they're juot vertically inversed...

I'd like to learn it, but since it isn't widely used, it'd be a pain & annoyance to constantly switch when going to work.

Nah. My typing speed is already lightning fast on qwerty, and I don't have to see what I'm typing. No sense in fixing something that is not broke.

Anyways, the studies I've seen suggest that Dvorak probably isn't any more efficient than Qwerty, and almost certainly is not worth the retraining costs. I can boost my qwerty typing speed with the time I'd spend learning to get going in Dvorak.

I now use Dvorak at home after having used the ergonomically uncomfortable QWERTY for 12 years.

I learnt it during my holidays when I didn't have any important things to type out. I must say that the first 3 days were incredibly tortuous and my slow typing at less that 20 WPM felt excruciatingly slow. I used a free typing tutor called "Stamina" which allows you to practice in both Qwerty and Dvorak and records your speed + accuracy progress.

According to the progress report, I reached a max speed of 60 WPM on Dvorak after training (straight from scratch) for 25 hours.

My normal Qwerty speed was 80 WPM, so my 60 WPM is a bit slower. But given that I reached that speed after a relatively short time, I must say that I was very happy with the results.

My hands feel a lot more comfortable now as there's an increased tendency to alternate when typing, and I don't have to stretch my fingers as often coz the more commonly used letters are placed in the home row.

The only disadvantage so far since Uni started, is that many places outside of your home have restricted Control settings which only allow Qwerty (libraries, office, Uni computer labs), so it's a major hassle. I have a Dvorak Windows Auto Hot Key program on my USB key but those computers also block access to foreign programs which is most unfortunate.

There's 2 websites which will convert Qwerty --> Dvorak input, but it's not entirely user friendly. Hopefully people will be more aware of this layout in the future and cater to the needs of fellow Dvorak users...

I know qwerty Better than the alphabet, In phone books I get confused because I look for d after s, so no I won't switch

Just finished a book with a whole chapter on the development of the typewriter. It seems that Dvorak and Querty test out about the same (the original tests during WWII were flawed).

BAH I'M SO f*****g SICK OF YOU PEOPLE NOT GETTING YOUR f*****g FACTS STRAIGHT!

The 1950's study was the flawed one, & they over-tested their subjects causing both parties fatigue! The only f*****g reason everyone claims the 40's study was "flawed" & "wrong" was the fact that it was done by the Navy & Dvorak just happened to be in the f*****g Navy! Bah seriously all the information is right there in front of all you & you just shy away from the fear of change mentally validate it with some jackasses opinion about a study that was classified decades after it was completed!

Furthermore, Dvorak is NOT about speed! It's about ergonomics! Whenever I'm typing on QWERTY I feel like I'm trying to form some form of obscure knot in each fist! It also saves you days of your life! Remember all the time you spent learning QWERTY in gradeschool? Day after day, hours of building up your WPM on a typewriter or program! It takes you at MOST 30 hours to get to 60wpm on Dvorak! It even reduces &/or relieves repetitive stress syndrome! It's the freaking swiss army knife jackhammer ray gun of keyboard layouts!

atari2600a, just curious, how did you find out about the Dvorak Keyboard Layout?

I think the main problem is that Dvorak is not well known to many people, if they have even heard of it. I only know 2 people who have even heard of it.

It's a shame that Qwerty is the dominant layout even though it's more uncomfortable to type with.

Somebody needs to make a better online converter for Qwerty --> Dvorak.

I see a Niche...

Sorry, direct all further rants to

Edward Tenner- 'Our Own Devices' - re: chapter 8...

I stand corrected, but it still doesn't change the fact that the test was flawed...but hey, it's not that big a deal to me. Not to worry.

As many reporters know, once something gets online, even if it's wrong, it has a life of it's own.