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Dvorak keyboard layouts anyone?

post #1 of 14
1/22/08 at 8:11pm
Thread Starter 
I need to finish writing my thesis, but I also need to hold my 3 month-old son quite often, a task which makes typing on a QWERTY next to impossible. I'm thinking that a one-handed Dvorak keyboard layout is what I need if I am to accomplish both of these.
Anyone ever used Dvorak and/or one-handed Dvorak? How long will it take me to get up to speed?
Thanks,
Iain
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post #2 of 14
1/22/08 at 8:44pm
There's a layout that lets you keep QWERTY and enable the ability to type with only one hand. The buttons QWERTY can become POIUY with a press of a button. Unfortunately I can't remember what it was called.

I wanted to learn DVORAK, but I never dedicated myself to it. It will take a while to learn the keys. You can also try speech to text if you have a microphone.
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post #3 of 14
1/22/08 at 9:38pm
Thread Starter 
Ha, I think my baby will cause some interference with the speech to text.
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post #4 of 14
1/22/08 at 10:08pm
Your issue isn't Dvorak specifically, but one-handed typing right?

There are lots of devices that will let you type using chords with one hand.

They're all gonna have a learning curve though.

GAD
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post #5 of 14
1/23/08 at 2:33am
I taught myself Dvorak mainly over one summer, but it was really a year or two before I got up to speed. There's actually a thread about typing in Dvorak somewhere on head-fi and others share their experience with it.

I don't think that this is the right choice for you, as it's frustrating to learn, and requires a lot of patience and time to master. You'll probably have faster speeds typing on QWERTY using one hand than you will for your first few months using one-handed Dvorak. However, I haven't tried one-handed Dvorak myself, so you may pick it up quicker than I expect.
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post #6 of 14
1/23/08 at 3:51am
There are two interesting one-handed keyboards. Frog based on a modified Dvorak design and Matias based on qwerty. I was able to adjust to the Matias quicky (a few nights). I recommend looking at a Matias 508 keyboard to get the best of one and two handed designs.
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post #7 of 14
1/23/08 at 11:16am
Thread Starter 
Thanks! I have heard of the Frogpad, but I'll look into the Matias.
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post #8 of 14
1/23/08 at 11:44am
I can't even imagine unlearning Qwerty.
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post #9 of 14
1/23/08 at 5:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SR-71Panorama View Post
I can't even imagine unlearning Qwerty.
You don't...
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post #10 of 14
1/23/08 at 5:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by acidbasement View Post
Thanks! I have heard of the Frogpad, but I'll look into the Matias.
Yeah I looked at both at Macworld. I liked the hardware with the FrogPad, but the better price of the Matias (Froogle it) and the Frog sales pitch (Dvorak theory times 10!) was a little unsettlingly. I found the Matias to be very good for alpha-numerials, but not so good for punctuation, shortcuts, etc. Looking at the 508 myself so I can get the best of both for short and extended writing.



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post #11 of 14
1/23/08 at 10:59pm
Thread Starter 
Sold on the Matias! I like the idea that you can type either left or right-handed, and just hold down space to make each side of the keyboard the mirror image of the other. Should be a much quicker learning curve than DVORAK or Frogpad. Thanks for the tip blessingx!
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post #12 of 14
1/25/08 at 5:49am
I highly recommend everybody learning Dvorak if they have the time. It's far far FAR more comfortable than typing in QWERTY. Your fingers travel 1/8 the distance on average (or so I hear), and it just feels more... refined.

It took me about 2 weeks to learn to type in Dvorak at a reasonable conversational speed (maybe about 20 words per minute). Fast enough to be able to actually talk to people on AIM or whatever. I now type just as fast with either Dvorak or QWERTY, and switching between the two is pretty easy. This is the two-handed variety though.
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post #13 of 14
1/25/08 at 8:20pm
...why not just put the baby down?

EDIT: I meant in a chair, or a cradle or something - not in the inhumane way.
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post #14 of 14
2/4/08 at 1:36am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by indysmith View Post
...why not just put the baby down?

EDIT: I meant in a chair, or a cradle or something - not in the inhumane way.
He is actually just starting to allow us to put him down, now that he is 3.5 months old, but only for short periods. If we don't pay attention to him and/or keep him moving, he generally starts screaming pretty quickly. I have high hopes, though - just a few days ago he learned how to grab toys with his hands. This may be a turning point.
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