QWERTY or Dvorak keyboard?

[Azuremen]

I just started using a Dvorak setup (and learning) and I am wondering if any one else on the forum uses Dvorak for typing?

For those of you that aren't familiar, Dvorak layouts look like this -

Also in that picture are 2 variants - I'm using the top most one for two hands.

Wiki for more info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard

The main reason why I am learning is just to see if I can get use to it, though I also want to see if it faster.

So what are your thoughts on the Dvorak setup?

 

[Flerbizky]

I just started using a Dvorak setup (and learning) and I am wondering if any one else on the forum uses Dvorak for typing?

For those of you that aren't familiar, Dvorak layouts look like this -

Also in that picture are 2 variants - I'm using the top most one for two hands.

Wiki for more info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard

The main reason why I am learning is just to see if I can get use to it, though I also want to see if it faster.

So what are your thoughts on the Dvorak setup?

I agree that Dvorak is much better in theory than Qwerty - But I've been using this layout for so long, so I don't think I'll be (much) faster.. Can't teach an old dog an all that ;-)

So - How are YOU liking it so far ?... Don't think I ever met anyone using Dvorak ....

 

[Azuremen]

Given that I have been on it for about a day, pretty good. I can touch type, though it is still slow compared to my QWERTY speeds (74 WPM)

The big issue I am having is reverting to QWERTY when I try to type fast. Though, this layout does feel fairly natural. Other issue is hot keys, so CTRL + C means hitting the "I" key on a QWERTY layout.

 

[Sage]

I tried learning DVORAK for a while, but gave up mainly because of time constraints. Someday I will learn though – maybe this summer.

 

[ceiling_fan]

I've recently tried Dvorak, but I don't have the patience to actually learn it.

 

[ferrari_chris]

I have enough troble mastering my QWERTY keyboard, thank you very much.

And I have enough confusion in my life.

And learning to use a DVORAK keyboard would only make me geekier - and everyone says I'm too g33ky ATM 'cos I work wif computers, y0!



Sorry.

 

[kikie]

Azerty

This is the first time I ever heard of a Dvorak layout.

 

[G.T]

QWERTY, only because I take forever to learn new keyboards.

 

[Bram Turismo]

This is the first time I ever heard of a Dvorak layout.

Me as well. However, a few years ago, I was still using Azerty keyboards but since I've changed to Norwegian keyboards (Qwerty keyboards with small changes in token places like .,/: etc.) I began to type a LOT faster. Qwerty it is for me

 

[DustDriver]

I'm using a AZERTY keyboard, but people from my class say that QWERTY is better for coding, since the tokens are placed better.

I have no problem switching between QWERTY and AZERTY layout.
For some games i use the QWERTY layout on my AZERTY keyboard

 

[Gen.]

DVORAK is bloody pointless.

Why do I need another set of jumbled letters to learn.

 

[Blake]

I use QWERTY, and I type slowly enough oh that. I couldn't learn new key placement. It’d kill me.

 

[Jimmy Enslashay]

Why do I need another set of jumbled letters to learn.

Exactly.

In theory, it'd be a lot easier to use, but using a QWERTY keyboard is like riding a bike..

..with slightly less sweating involved.

 

[livemusic]

QWERTY for me. Never heard of Dvorak or Azerty before...

 

[Sureboss]

Exactly.

In theory, it'd be a lot easier to use, but using a QWERTY keyboard is like riding a bike..

..with slightly less sweating involved.

Depends upon the activity.....

So why in theory is it easier to use?

 

[Metar]

I'm trying to learn Dvorak for quite a while - I stop using it for a week or so every once in a while. I noticed it sped up my coding-work in MatLab because of superior placing of the common special characters.

I can type very quickly in QWERTY (one of the fastest in my area), and while Dvorak is pretty slow at the moment, I'm doing reasonably well.

 

[TopHat]

I use QWERTY, because it is the only kind of keyboard you can buy in the US from regular retailers, and the fact that Schools don't teach you about anything else.


I love QWERTY, because I type reasonably fast on it.

 

[F1GTR]

I use QWERTY. Something called muscle memory.

 

[Duke]

Yeah, if I was learning from scratch, I'd probably pick a Dvorak to learn. But 30 years of using a QWERTY layout would take 30 years to overcome.

 

[Azuremen]

I use QWERTY, because it is the only kind of keyboard you can buy in the US from regular retailers, and the fact that Schools don't teach you about anything else.


I love QWERTY, because I type reasonably fast on it.

You don't have to buy a Dvorak to get one. Took me about 15 - 20 minutes to take apart a cheap Dell keyboard and put it back together.

The Dvorak layout is suppose to be better by using a more natural key flow when typing. QWERTY was designed to prevent type writer jams back in the 19th century, so its not necessarily the most natural layout. Teaching myself Dvorak is not interfering with my qwerty usage at work, so I'm probably gonna use Dvorak at home and QWERTY at work.

 

[Metar]

It takes exactly 5 seconds to do the switch, on ANY Windows 2000 or higher... Instead of modifying, and potentially damaging, my old Northgate OmniKey, I just printed the layout, and keep it below my keyboard. That way, I'm forcing myself to remember it, too.

 

[Keef]

What the heck is a QWERTY? Does that come standard on an HP laptop? I use what this thing has.

 

[Metar]

QWERTY is the standart keyboard on most computers. Comes from the 6 letters on the top-left side of the screen. Built to be inefficient, since it was designed to prevent typing-machines from jamming when the typists got too quick. PCs don't jam, but they're still using it.

 

[TopHat]

Yeah, but it also spreads the work evenly between the two hand, so you don't get as many cramps.

 

[Keef]

That's nuts how obvious the name is. I actually said "Woah" out loud when I looked down and saw QWERTY right in front of my face.

I don't understand how the layout is inefficient. The only problem I ever have is my finger running into each other during a few rare words.

EDIT: Any keyboard setup would spread the work. All you have to do is say that the right side is for your right hand and the left is for your left hand

 

[Metar]

The Dvorak keyboard, however, was designed specifically for the fastest, most efficient typing. Look at this setup: A, O, E, U, I are all on one side, while the most-used regular letters are on the other. Basically, you type much more in a Left-right-left-right order, rather than using a single hand for a lot of words.

Keef - it's not extremely inefficient - just less efficient. It was specifically built to slow people down.


Switching between Dvorak and QWERTY is easier than switching between QWERTY and the German QWERTZ. Accepting that Ctrl+Z is somewhere else is more difficult then realizing everything is somewhere else.

 

[Azuremen]

Look at the wiki article on it, Keef. It explains some of the differences and reasoning behind the Dvorak and QWERTY. Gingiba does a pretty good job of summing them up though.

I am doing alot of switching between the two here at work, simply because I need the typing speed I have on QWERTY right now. But I fiddle with Dvorak when typing speed is not as much of an issue, such as when I am messing with small amounts of code. Since I can touch type on the Dvorak layout now, I can use my QWERTY here at work for it, which looks confusing to some poeple, as I hit the 'k' key to type 't' and such.

 

[CDailey]

QWERTY here. I've never used a Dvorak layout or even heard of AZERTY before.

 

[Azuremen]

Azerty and such are used in other countries, with Azerty being the french standard I believe. The differences arise from the frequency of letters in the language, with the A and Q switching places for AZERTY, because Q is used quite a bit in French.

 

[Metar]

Qu'est-ce que ce? Le AZERTY?

Yep. Makes sense to me.