Dvorak keyboard layout
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Have any of you used this keyboard layout long enough to say that it's better than qwerty? I've heard all the hype but wondered if it was really all that great. How hard is it to learn if you are using multiple computers (obviously some that can't be changed). My keyboard now has all the keys the same size so it would be easy to change over, but a real PITA to learn to type all over again. Although, with as many spelling mistakes that I make, it probably wouldn't be that much slower. For those of you who have tried it, how long did it take to get comfortable with it? Is it hard to switch between the two keyboards? For those of you who switched back to qwerty, why?
Brad If you think you can, you will. If you think you can't, you won't. Either way, you're right.
It took me around three weeks to get fluent at Dvorak, with the help of http://learn.dvorak.nl/[^] and the sort. I'm not sure if I can type faster with Dvorak than with Qwerty, but I think I there are less typos, and it doesn't stress my fingers as much typing for extended periods. I think the main reason that I feel a positive change is that I had to learn Dvorak without doing anything to my QWERTY keyboard, which means that I had to learn this keyboard layout touch-typing all along. I never learnt QWERTY the right way, which meant a lot of typos and backspaces. On downside for me now is that I can hardly use QWERTY anymore. I guess if you don't practice it deliberately, it will just fade from your reflexes.
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And even then they call it "pound"
Sort of a cross between Lawrence of Arabia and Dilbert.[^]
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A Dead ringer for Kate Winslett[^]That puzzled me while in Canada where they irritatingly call it the "pound" sign. I thought, what in the Fiend's wildest nightmares could have lead these people to confuse # with £? After a little research, I discovered that # used to be used to signify pounds in weight. It kinda makes sense I guess but it is still weird hearing the automated call systems ask me to press the "pound" key.
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Have any of you used this keyboard layout long enough to say that it's better than qwerty? I've heard all the hype but wondered if it was really all that great. How hard is it to learn if you are using multiple computers (obviously some that can't be changed). My keyboard now has all the keys the same size so it would be easy to change over, but a real PITA to learn to type all over again. Although, with as many spelling mistakes that I make, it probably wouldn't be that much slower. For those of you who have tried it, how long did it take to get comfortable with it? Is it hard to switch between the two keyboards? For those of you who switched back to qwerty, why?
Brad If you think you can, you will. If you think you can't, you won't. Either way, you're right.
I spent a lot of time at some point learning Dvorak. I even peeled apart(1) and reorganized my keyboard to that end, and got somewhat proficient at typing Dvorak. But then I realized that just about every keyboard that I will ever encounter that I do not own will be qwerty, and I'm not about to peel apart a brand new laptop that I bought just for a Dvorak keyboard, let alone, say a work laptop that I don't own. So I re-learned qwerty, which ended up being a somewhat painful exercise, because I had grown used to Dvorak at that point, and had to re-learn what I already knew. I don't regret going back to qwerty. I don't think it's better, but it is so universal that I don't see myself as having much of a choice. 1) If you rearrange a Microsoft Natural Keyboard, you will notice that all the keys are wobbly, because each key is slanted to fit the row that it is in.
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Have any of you used this keyboard layout long enough to say that it's better than qwerty? I've heard all the hype but wondered if it was really all that great. How hard is it to learn if you are using multiple computers (obviously some that can't be changed). My keyboard now has all the keys the same size so it would be easy to change over, but a real PITA to learn to type all over again. Although, with as many spelling mistakes that I make, it probably wouldn't be that much slower. For those of you who have tried it, how long did it take to get comfortable with it? Is it hard to switch between the two keyboards? For those of you who switched back to qwerty, why?
Brad If you think you can, you will. If you think you can't, you won't. Either way, you're right.
Ahh ... now this is one I haven't seen discussed since about 1995! I think if I tried to switch now (after close to 40 years of typing) I would probably snap a finger or something! I don't care if some say it's "better" - at least I can type on any machine I run into!
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Have any of you used this keyboard layout long enough to say that it's better than qwerty? I've heard all the hype but wondered if it was really all that great. How hard is it to learn if you are using multiple computers (obviously some that can't be changed). My keyboard now has all the keys the same size so it would be easy to change over, but a real PITA to learn to type all over again. Although, with as many spelling mistakes that I make, it probably wouldn't be that much slower. For those of you who have tried it, how long did it take to get comfortable with it? Is it hard to switch between the two keyboards? For those of you who switched back to qwerty, why?
Brad If you think you can, you will. If you think you can't, you won't. Either way, you're right.
Remember it's not just a single layout... There are variants for single handed use (right or left handed) Use mouse & keyboard without dropping your mouse...
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Have any of you used this keyboard layout long enough to say that it's better than qwerty? I've heard all the hype but wondered if it was really all that great. How hard is it to learn if you are using multiple computers (obviously some that can't be changed). My keyboard now has all the keys the same size so it would be easy to change over, but a real PITA to learn to type all over again. Although, with as many spelling mistakes that I make, it probably wouldn't be that much slower. For those of you who have tried it, how long did it take to get comfortable with it? Is it hard to switch between the two keyboards? For those of you who switched back to qwerty, why?
Brad If you think you can, you will. If you think you can't, you won't. Either way, you're right.
Learning Dvorak (or almost Dvorak) was easy. What was not and took some time was to be really fluent with it. And by some time, I would say a few month. But I never stopped entirely to use my old keyboard as well (so may be there was some confusion). One of the reasons I am happy with my new keyboard is that I am very regularly typing in French, and there are a whole lot of characters that would be difficult to access, or almost impossible. Now, I know them perfectly, and even better because I never purchased a new keyboard. So it is almost Dvorak because it is the French version of it (bépo), but same principle. I do find that I can still type very fast on a French keyboard, with a few more typos and backspaces than before. I am probably still a bit faster than with the Dvorak. But I miss some characters, and find it a bit more tiring for my hands when I really do a lot of typing. As for the fact that keyboards usually are not Dvorak, there is a small open source app that I have on my USB key that easily allows me to convert the keyboard strikes to Dvorak. And I can still easily enough use other keyboards if needed. I am happy enough with it, but I am not sure I would recommand it for someone using it everyday. Unless Dvorak keyboards start being systematically taught to the young, I don't think we are anywhere close to a switch from QWERTY (or AZERTY in my case).