What do you think of the dvorak keyboard layout?

I think this keyboard layout is better in nearly every way, but it sucks that the general population has failed to adopt it as the superior and mandatory layout. If you haven't heard of the Dvorak keyboard or don't know what it is exactly, here is a link to enlighten yourself:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard

I would definitely switch to this layout and retrain myself if I didn't have to use public computers... But sadly, I currently do.

What are your thoughts/opinions?

Establishment sucks. 4
Humans hate change that inconveniences them. 14
I was previously unaware of any other keyboard layout besides "QWERTY" 22
Alternate opinion (please discuss below). 4
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Comments ( 27 )
  • misca

    Playing games with WSAD would be quite hard with that layout :(

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    • I am quite certain that there is an alternate method that would allow playing computer games to be just as easy as the "QWERTY" layout is. It would probably be the same keys, just different letters.

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      • misca

        I know, just kidding :)

        Haven't really tried DVORAK layout. Might have a keyboard or two with that layout at university somewhere. Going to check it out.

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  • dinz

    I'm assuming the layout has been optimised for English. My keyboard (at home) is based on the QWERTZ layout. However I am a fluent typer on the QWERTY layout too.

    I could try the layout - looks quite interesting.

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    • Yes, the original Dvorak design was optimized for English, but there are variances on the design for other languages that follow the same principles. If you do re-train yourself, I would be interested to know what kind of observations you come up with. Thanks.

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      • dinz

        I tried a learning program via some site. And WOW I love how the common keys are the homekeys. After an hour or so - I could almost perfectly touchtype words and sentences that are based on them.

        One thing that amazed me is the minimised movement of your fingers when you use this layout. I really hope this layout becomes mainstream and widely accepted in the near future.

        Thanks for introducing it to me.

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        • You are very welcome! Thanks for sharing your observations too.

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  • Angel_in_a_Glass_Dress

    Why am i getting notices to this when my replies are all missing?

    anyway "Alternate opinion (please discuss below)."

    i have nothing against it but i'm comfortable as i am.

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    • Do you have this story favorited?

      I deleted them, as well as my own replies to your comments. I respect your opinion and didn't want to continue the argument any further.

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      • Angel_in_a_Glass_Dress

        no i don't have any stories on favorite. i just had a notice to this.

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  • it looks good i would like to try it, i make lots of mistakes of qwerty

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    • If you do try it, let me know what kind of observations you come up with!

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      • okay i will

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  • dontpissmeoff

    it's a bitch getting a hold of one, but i'd try it out

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    • dontpissmeoff

      actually, i'm going to try swapping the keys out on my keyboard

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      • Lol.

        There is actually a way to switch to the Dvorak layout internally on most computers. I don't know how, but I'm sure if you did some research you could find something on it.

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        • dontpissmeoff

          i swapped the keys out and changed it in windows, i just like my keys labeled. i'm sticking to qwerty for big work now

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  • wigsplitz

    I had never heard of this.

    All I can really say is, the metric system makes a hell of a lot more sense and is easier than standard, but you can see how well that attempt at change went over. This looks like a wayyyyy tougher sell than the metric system. Is typing speed that big of a concern that businesses would want to buy new equipment and re-train employees? I highly doubt that. I doubt most people who are used to QWERTY would go out and buy new keyboards, or even be interested in it.

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    • "Is typing speed that big of a concern that businesses would want to buy new equipment and re-train employees?"

      Maybe not, but it should be. If companies were smart, they actually WOULD re-train their employees because that would mean better efficiency. They wouldn't even have to buy new equipment, as most modern computers support an internal function to switch to the Dvorak layout.

      "I doubt most people who are used to QWERTY would go out and buy new keyboards, or even be interested in it."

      Most people don't even know that there is an alternate layout besides "QWERTY." If they did know and realized the benefits and superiority of the Dvorak layout, I think there would be many people who would make the switch.

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  • dom180

    I had never heard of it before now. Here is an interesting fact though; the qwerty layout was invented to SLOW DOWN typing. They tried to space the vowels to prevent quick typing because that leads to mistakes, which cost much more time in the long-run, back in the days of typewriters. In the modern age it seems more convenient to switch, but the whole population will never retrain while some people are only just getting to grips with the qwerty!

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    • cymbeline

      You're almost right there, dom180. It was definitely to slow us down because each typewriter key was linked to a swinging arm with a hammer on the end which imprinted the letter on the paper. They were arranged in a sort of semi-circle like an orchestra. If two were seated close, they would get tangled as one hit and returned and the next one went up to hit and you then had to untangle them with your fingers. I don't think there's anyone old enough here to remember that but it happened all the time. I used to be in a typing pool. This was my life.

      It slowed down your typing speed. We had to work out how long to delay. It seemed to us that the man who designed the order of the letters did it almost randomly and if he'd done it according to which letters don't follow each other in our language (a 'k' rarely follows an 'x'), we'd have all been quicker because we wouldn't have had to wait a certain length of time on some words (especially "the". Look how close the letters are on your keyboard).

      I don't want to insult men but women would have designed the layout more practically. It's commendable to put Q and W together, but three vowels were next to each other on the top row as I remember. And g and h were together. It made us think men were stupid and it made us angry because we had to follow this stupid layout and we had no say.

      We don't want to think men are stupid. Just let men make decisions men are good at making and leave the rest of it to us.

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    • I'm glad to have informed you :)

      Indeed the "QWERTY" was designed to prevent fast typing and mainly jams. The most common letters are placed in such a way so as not to be right next to each other, because on typewriters hitting two keys that were right next to each other would cause a jam.

      People are too comfortable with the "QWERTY" layout. That's why they won't switch, they don't want to be inconvenienced by having to re-learn how to type on a keyboard layout they are not familiar with. Not because some are just getting accustomed to the "QWERTY" layout. The "QWERTY" layout has been around for quite some time, if someone wasn't used to it by now it's either because they are really young and thus are just learning a keyboard, they just aren't very good with computers, or they use a language other than English which also requires a different keyboard... There are variances of the Dvorak design for alternate languages though, which practice the same concepts.

      I am sure this has been the subject of some debate by officials, but for me, I don't think it's fair that kids are forced to learn an inferior keyboard layout in public education systems. Why not teach them in the Dvorak layout? Sure it could be argued that they would be at a disadvantage because about 99% of current computers use "QWERTY," but really that's just an excuse. "QWERTY" could be phased out just like any other thing that is obsolete or inferior.

      The Dvorak design should be mandated as the standard for modern keyboards. Maybe the first generation of kids would need to be "multilingual" in their keyboard knowledge (if that even just made sense?), but as the old layout was phased out, the newer generations would only be required to learn the Dvorak.

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  • Ihadtomakeyetanotheraccountffs

    Looks shit. The QWERTY layout is pretty much perfect as it has letters placed near to letters which are commonly used to together.

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    • The thing is, you can't judge the layout on appearances. That has absolutely no relevance to the argument here.

      The QWERTY layout was designed for typewriters to minimize jams and actually is not the most practical for speed and comfort, among other things... You are actually wrong about the QWERTY having common letters placed close together. That is exactly the opposite of what the QWERTY's design was originally for.

      The Dvorak keyboard was actually designed to be practical for faster typing, better ergonomics, reduced strain, and several other things. On THIS keyboard layout, the most common letters are placed on the home row.

      I highly advise you to do some more research on the benefits of the Dvorak keyboard compared to the QWERTY before you make another hasty judgement on it.

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      • DolphinAngel

        I would actually love to test that keyboard... Though I like the standard layout (for me it is qwertz) and I can type pretty fast with it... but would be interesting if the dvorak keyboard is better!

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        • qwertz? I have not heard of this one, but are you from the USA? What type of computer do you have?

          When I was researching this the other day, I learned that most computers support an option to switch to the Dvorak layout internally. For most people, it takes about a month to re-learn and it is advised that you don't use the QWERTY layout(or in your case qwertz) during this process in order to learn it properly. So if you're like me and you have to use public computers regularly (which have the QWERTY as default) it's probably not a very good idea. However, if you do decide to make the switch, I would be very interested to know what observations you come up with.

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          • DolphinAngel

            Well I come from germany and the only difference is that we also have äöü and z and y switched and some other minor changes (I don't know all differences but there are some^^)

            And changing the layout internally is just confusing if you can't type without looking at the keys^^ And even if you can I get confused by it^^

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