QWERTY vs. Dvorak - Which do you use?
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Does the phrase 'I had to google Dvorak' answer your question?
You need a 'huh, what?' option on your poll.
You need a 'huh, what?' option on your poll.
If it helps, if you'd said 'an ergonomic keyboard', I would have known what you meant 
(though those aren't always, or even often, Dvorak, if I'm looking at it right...)They aren't hugely widespread over here. ETA: Actually had a look at the place my hubby buys all his parts. While they do ergonomic keyboards, they don't do Dvorak ones. I think. The pictures are quite small...
(though those aren't always, or even often, Dvorak, if I'm looking at it right...)They aren't hugely widespread over here. ETA: Actually had a look at the place my hubby buys all his parts. While they do ergonomic keyboards, they don't do Dvorak ones. I think. The pictures are quite small...Your powers of deduction are superb.
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I know. I once pointed at the sun and said, "Bright." The people around me marveled, and one of the more clever of them promptly invented sunglasses. True story.
In any case, I was directing you to the appropriate answer. QWERTY is actually French for "Huh, what?" Also a true story.
An ergonomic keyboard is laid out so that you don't have to bend your wrists to get at the keys. They keys can be in any arrangement.'an ergonomic keyboard', I would have known what you meant
QWERTY keyboards have their keys placed to avoid jamming an old-fashioned typewriter.
Dvorak keyboards have their keys placed so that the most commonly pressed keys (in English) are on your home row.
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I use a nine-finger method of my own invention.
The forefinger of my left hand is disabled: I broke the hand when I was ten, it was set badly, the finger cannot bend down, and never grew. So I kind of improvise.
The forefinger of my left hand is disabled: I broke the hand when I was ten, it was set badly, the finger cannot bend down, and never grew. So I kind of improvise.
I remember seeing them on Tomorrow's World about twenty years or more ago. I'm not sure shops even sell them over here (The main PC sellers turn up nothing on a search for dvorak. Yes I'm bored this morning, although to be fair, I do a lot of ordering from these places anyway)...I've certainly never seen one.
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I remember seeing them on Tomorrow's World about twenty years or more ago. I'm not sure shops even sell them over here (after double checking the small pictures
You can change the input in your OS to Dvorak without actually owning a Dvorak keyboard. If you can touch-type in Dvorak, this isn't disorienting unless you actually look down.
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I use both. I set up a little icon on the Language bar in my Windows toolbar to switch between QWERTY and Dvorak at a click; easy peasy, and no need for a separate physical keyboard. (I use both just because I didn't bother learning some of the less-used symbols, and didn't want to put little stickers on my keys to tell me where they were).
I learnt Dvorak using an early version of this. I found it a simple and effective way to learn.
I learnt Dvorak using an early version of this. I found it a simple and effective way to learn.
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I use QWERTY. I'm so used to where all the keys are and type fast on this layout...switching to Dvorak might be useful for me in some way, but I can't quite think that it's worth it to go back to a 1wpm typing speed for the next year while I try to retrain my fingers where all the keys are.
We're doing it the same way!
So, is Dvorak actually the upgrade that the internet makes it out to be? I'm just now learning to type in it, so I'm still not sure.
I type faster when using Dvorak, and it takes much longer for my hands to start hurting from a long typing session using Dvorak than it does when using QWERTY. I switch between my desktop (Dvorak) and my hubby's work laptop (QWERTY) most days, and the difference is noticeable.
It'll vary, of course, but most of the anecdotal evidence I have seems to back up that it makes enough of a difference to a lot of people to be worth the initial slowing down in typing speed. I think there's still a section on the Forward Motion writing boards for people who are switching, which has a lot of personal experiences on it that you might find interesting.
It'll vary, of course, but most of the anecdotal evidence I have seems to back up that it makes enough of a difference to a lot of people to be worth the initial slowing down in typing speed. I think there's still a section on the Forward Motion writing boards for people who are switching, which has a lot of personal experiences on it that you might find interesting.
I learned to type as a young child and do it completely wrong. People watching me type are always amazed that I can touch-type so well with my hands all out of position. 
I suspect this would make learning any keyboard layout that was based on having your hands positioned properly impossible for me.
I suspect this would make learning any keyboard layout that was based on having your hands positioned properly impossible for me.
You can change the input in your OS to Dvorak without actually owning a Dvorak keyboard. If you can touch-type in Dvorak, this isn't disorienting unless you actually look down.
This is me.I learned to type as a young child and do it completely wrong. People watching me type are always amazed that I can touch-type so well with my hands all out of position.
Now, see, I'd consider changing. Only, well, put it like this. Just learning the controls on a new game means large amounts of swearing. Learning a new way of typing where the letters I wanted to type are not represented on the keyboard...I'd have to invent new swearwords.
I've heard of Dvorak keyboards but I've never seen one, let alone used one.
I learned to touch type on a Qwerty keyboard 25 years ago. I spend my working day typing (I'm a secretary)) and then I go home and type some more when I write. My typing speed is something like 85 wpm and half the keys on my keyboard are blank, but it doesn't matter because I don't look down.
I'm trying to demonstrate that if I switched to a dvorak keyboard now it would look like I was typing a foreign language....
Shara
I learned to touch type on a Qwerty keyboard 25 years ago. I spend my working day typing (I'm a secretary)) and then I go home and type some more when I write. My typing speed is something like 85 wpm and half the keys on my keyboard are blank, but it doesn't matter because I don't look down.
I'm trying to demonstrate that if I switched to a dvorak keyboard now it would look like I was typing a foreign language....
Shara
The only time I hurt myself typing fast is if I'm typing from copy. When I'm composing, my pace is leisurely enough to avoid stress. Even when I type from my handwritten drafts, I stay slow enough, since I make lots of changes as I go along.
Plus I had a drill sergeant typing teacher back in the day. Look at the keys? YOU PULING WEAKLING! DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY! Question the sacred QWERTY? YOU ASKING ME TO TEAR YOU A NEW ONE, INFIDEL?!?
This stays with you through life.
Plus I had a drill sergeant typing teacher back in the day. Look at the keys? YOU PULING WEAKLING! DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY! Question the sacred QWERTY? YOU ASKING ME TO TEAR YOU A NEW ONE, INFIDEL?!?
This stays with you through life.
I use Qwerty, because they're cheap and usually come with the machines.
I can't say I've ever noticed it wearing on my hands. I have to be careful I'm sitting properly or my back hurts, and I need a wrist pad for my mouse... but typing has never left my hands hurting. I can see it might help if you had issues with your hands hurting though.
I can't say I've ever noticed it wearing on my hands. I have to be careful I'm sitting properly or my back hurts, and I need a wrist pad for my mouse... but typing has never left my hands hurting. I can see it might help if you had issues with your hands hurting though.
I've been using qwerty to even think about changing. I learned it long ago on an old computer where you had to type REALLY HARD to make the keys go.
same here, it learned to touch type at school, and my keyboard at home is so worn you can't see most of the letters anymore.
I type using what was once called "modified newspaper style", which means four fingers and one thumb. It's more than fast enough, and I can type seventy words per minute pretty much error free. But I can't write well nearly this fast.
Shoot, Nancy Kress, prolific as she is, types using one finger. http://nancykress.blogspot.com/2008/09/writers-elbow.html
I don't worry about how fast I type, I worry about how fast I write well, and I write well from seven to twelve words per minute. So QWERTY or Dvorak or alphabatized, which I've also used and like, doesn't really matter to me.
Shoot, Nancy Kress, prolific as she is, types using one finger. http://nancykress.blogspot.com/2008/09/writers-elbow.html
I don't worry about how fast I type, I worry about how fast I write well, and I write well from seven to twelve words per minute. So QWERTY or Dvorak or alphabatized, which I've also used and like, doesn't really matter to me.