Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Dvorak

Result of hi-jacking this thread.

Paradigm shift. You know it; you love it.

Moving exclusively to a Dvorak keyboard is a paradigm shift. Learning to use Qwerty and Dvorak is a paradigm shift as well.

I imagine that a Dvorak will help increase word processing speed.

However, in the case of programming and such where symbols are used a great deal, the shift will that much more difficult. I do quite a bit of HTML and I don't care for the placement of < and > on the Dvorak keyboard. Since I only need one keyboard and will be sharing it with my other, the switchable sounds like a great boon. Perfect for my/our needs.

In the case of Mazrim, I don't think it will help much. Nothing like lugging around a keyboard to get work done. I don't see that as very efficient. Plus the symbol factor.

Look at your needs, do some research, and think about it before making the jump. Or just make the jump and take that chance. You never know until you try in a genuine manner.

I am looking forward to getting mine.

Anybody else?

I think it sounds cool. I think I'll get one when I get the chance.

I remember when I first decided to switch from 'hunt and peck' typing to the proper way, and how my typing slowed down for a while before it eventually sped up and surpassed my former typing speed. I figure switching to the Dvorak will have a similar effect.

The dvorak keyboard is mainly optimized for word processing, so its applications for programming are not as dramatic. Furthermore, I'd be curious to see a programmer type at 100+ wpm, because of all the formatting that is done with code. When typing a paragraph, you can type continuously from beginning to end. With a program, if you're observing proper style, you're going to indent a lot, some lines may consist of only a few characters, and also programmers use symbols too. Braces, brackets, plus minus, semicolon, things like that. (I'm a computer science major)
For those who are curious, the main thing that makes the dvorak keyboard so much easier to use is that the keys are reorganized such that the typist is using each hand consecutively. This is faster, and more ergonomic. It has been found that the dvorak keyboard makes people less susceptible to carpal-tunnel syndrome. If you take a look at your keyboard you'll learn that a lot of words favor one hand. Think about this forum...we type the word 'read' fairly often. If you notice, that word is typed with the left hand only.
A very quick and dirty examination of a dvorak keyboard shows that the vowels are on one side, and the consonants on the other. Obviously, some consonants are with the vowels, but for the most part you can say that the common consonants are on one side, with the vowels on the other. This is an attempt to keep you in a "left-right-left-right" rhythm with your hands, which is more efficient.
Finally, anybody can try the dvorak keyboard without investing in the keyboard itself. Windows has the option of changing the keyboard to ANY type of keyboard. The only problem with this is that you'll be looking at a QWERTY keyboard, and it'll come out in dvorak. So, what you can do is, change the windows settings, then print out a diagram of the dvorak keyboard, and fool with typing on the keyboard while looking at the diagram. That way you don't have to spend the money on the keyboard just to try it out.
To change your settings in windows, go to Start, then settings, then control panel. Double click on "keyboard". Go to the "Language" tab, and click "properties". In the dropdown list it'll say "United States-Dvorak" switch to that, and presto, you're good. Just make sure you remember how to get it back or else you'll be learning dvorak the hard way :-)

Jeff

As for switching back and forth between qwerty and Dvorak, it shouldn't be too much of a problem once you are familiar with the keyboard, as all you have to do to change the layout (in windows) is go to Start--> Settings--> Control Panel--> Keyboard--> Input Locals (could be called something else)--> double-click English US and change to English US-Dvorak. It may ask you for the drivers, so if you use different computers that may not have the drivers, copy them to disk (they are is one of the cab files on the windows cd). If anyone needs Dvorak drivers for DOS, let me know.

I've been using the Dvorak keyboard layout for a year or two. I find that it feels more natural, and I can definitely type faster. I have never used a keyboard that was designed as a Dvorak keyboard. I just switched around the keys, and made labels for those that can’t switch.

Just a few quick facts:
When typing on the Dvorak keyboard, you're fingers travel 1/3 of the distance they do on a qwerty keyboard to type the same thing. The vowels are on one side of the keyboard and the major consonants on the other, so that your hands are used more equally. When qwerty typewriters first came out, they allowed the salesperson to type ‘typewriter’ with the first line of the keyboard.

Also, it seems some people have answered this post while I was away and I haven’t yet read what they wrote. Hope I'm not repeating anything!

Lomas

Oops! Looks like JeffC beat me to it!

I do alot of programming and those braces, indentations becomes second nature after doing a few programs. I agree, you wouldn't be able to go 100+ wpm (maybe a little exageragion) if you program the "hacker" method but if you have you follow the Top-down design method, you find that filling in your final product becomes EXTREMELY fast.

(iam an Engineering Freshman. My specialty is assembler programming)

[This message has been edited by Elmo9 (edited March 08, 2001).]

I found a small picture of the dvorak keyboard and blew it up to fit an entire landscape sheet of paper. I colored the keys in black, which were the same. I had two separate colors for both rows of home keys. And then I used a variation of either color for the other left/right keys. I put it on my wall, always within my peripheral view. I suppose you can photoread it as well...just stare through it for five minutes. It was cool. It took about two weeks to get to the same speed that I was with qwerty. And then about two more weeks to where I am now, wherever that is. I think most of the appeal for me, though, is just the fact that I use a different keyboard from all the rest. Is different always better?

I've been noticing that I define myself, who I am, by how I differ with those immediately around me.

which makes me think...

Who would I be, were everyone exactly like me?