Dvorak Headcount

[Menisk]

Just curious to see how many other head-fiers have made the shift to Dvorak. I finally made the shift about a year ago after many failed attempts.

For those of you looking at this with no clue of what I'm talking about, have a look here: Dvorak Simplified Keyboard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[shigzeo]

dvorak works very well for english, but not so well for some other languages. i have skipped it

 

[EnOYiN]

I have tried it for quite a while, however, since I am a 'IT-guy' I can't really get used to dvorak because I need to use a lot of qwerty keyboards. Too bad really because the layout of dvorak is obviously way better.

 

[mark2410]

well ive tried to before, even rearranged a laptop keayboard and a desktop one too but....

i wasnt going to tear apart my main keyboard and i just never got enough use on the dvorak. like i dont touch type anyway i still like to look at the keyboard even thought my fingers hide all the keys i hit.

if i could buy keyboards arranged in drorak then i prob would

 

[tattoou2]

I have also tried it, but went back to qwerty after a few months. I just couldn't get comfortable with it.

 

[tintin47]

I am going to wait until there is a layout that is actually better, because there seem to be a lot of conflicting opinions on dvorak. I would like one designed during the computer age, for computers.

I for one hate that the "a" key is still relegated to the relatively uncoordinated pinky finger. The original reason for doing that was to slow people down so they didn't mess up the typewriters. Considering that the issue of typewriters is probably how much of the layout was established, I will wait for a computer targeted one.

 

[Samgotit]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f11/an...-users-259093/


http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f90/dv...anyone-288513/

 

[MCC]

I'd switch to Dvorak if I could without hurting my QWERTY performance. I only know one person that can do both well but she's a total genius (ACT 36).

I use other computers very often in my field so it doesn't make sense for me to switch.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I agree with the concept, but the problem is that QWERTY is everywhere. Even if you get used to Dvorak on a home machine, you're constantly confronted with QWERTY everywhere else. I don't think I could get Dvorak on the iPhone, either.

 

[MusicallySilent]

Im in the same boat is Erik. I tried it a few times and while it seems nice, I have a friend who transferred over and is basically screwed when he tries to type in qwerty to the point he added a page to his site that you type in qwerty and it translates to dvorak.

I don't think it is worth the trouble when i have a qwerty phone and have to often use keyboards in qwerty layout. I can type more than fast enough in qwerty (initially he did it to slow himself down so he would use the computer less) so I don't see the point.

 

[Arlekiin]

I Know Kung-fu also I know DVORAK.

2 Years ago I switched for the sole reason of doing something in a different way and expanding my skills.
Similar to learning to read a new language etc.

However now I want to say how long it took me to fully convert. I did it in 1 months time. I just switched my layout into DVORAK and started to type.

It was hard at first then I rearranged my keys on my keyboard and soon realised that it was a mistake as soon as I had done that I started to peek and my performance decreased dramatically. So I got a new keyboard (I broke my delicate slim keyboard while trying to rearrange its keys to their former positions).

In conclusion,

Now I have been a Disciple of DVORAK for a long time and I do not understand how QWERTY has survived for so long? Its just stupid to have a keyboard layout like that still laying around. DVORAK is so much faster not to mention the decrease in finger-strain...

Anyhow DVORAK ROCKS and non-believers should convert now....its totally worth the effort.

ALSO: I type in both DVORAK and QWERTY and I am fluent in both. Initially my skill in QWERTY suffered abit but it returned in few months time. Now as I use mostly DVORAK it takes me 5 minutes to rearrange my focus if I type in QWERTY and after that time its ok.
However it is also true that I could never blind-type with QWERTY I had to glance abit this was one of the reasons I turned to DVORAK. I wanted to type without being held back by layout and my limitations in typing skill.
A is in very good position on DORAK it makes sense there. QWERTY in other hand is a stagnant stay of typewriter layout. DVORAK is very good for computers there is even dvorak for programmers but I use the default one.

And as I mentioned above do not rearrange your keys if you start to learn DVORAK it will be less painful that way you will be semi-fluent in 1 week if you don't. If you do you will be stuttering even after few weeks.

 

[hembergler]

When would one actually need those extra words per minute? Perhaps I'm the only one, but I think much more slowly than I type; I can't think of an occasion when I'd need to type any faster.

 

[Menisk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hembergler /img/forum/go_quote.gif When would one actually need those extra words per minute? Perhaps I'm the only one, but I think much more slowly than I type; I can't think of an occasion when I'd need to type any faster.

For me it's just that I find it so much more comfortable because I'm not moving about the keyboard as much. It's much less fatiguing. Also I find myself enjoying the extra speed a great deal when I'm doing assignments, chatting on MSN etc.

 

[Arlekiin]

yes the extra speed as such is not needed too often but as Menisk says the key word here is EFORTLESSNESS with dvorak its a breeze to type and from time to time the speed can be helpful aswell.
But after moving to dvorak typing on qwerty feels abit like having an epilepsy attack compared to dvorak's breezlike chill.

 

[ericj]

I am skeptical of the dvorak layout for three reasons.

1: The arguments used to prop it up are largely based on a false premise about the purpose of the QWERTY layout. It was not, as is popularly proposed, designed to slow down typists. It was designed to avoid keybar clashes in mechanical typewriters.

2: Almost all of the 'scientific' evidence supporting it's purported superiority is provided by it's creator.

3: While all the world's fastist typists use it, all of them also say they aren't substantially slower on QWERTY.