Qwerty keyboards..

[shane39]

There was a show on Fry's English Delight called "The Trial of QWERTY" about this topic. (Link). It's still on torrent if you want to look for it.

 

It takes more hours to learn your way around a QWERTY keyboard than it takes to learn to fly a plane.

 

It also talks about the Dvorak Keyboard, but I've yet to see one or use one myself.

 

Interesting links Chris.

You say you have not seen a Dvorak keyboard.

Do you know any industry etc: who uses them?

 

On the subject of flying.I know a pilot (35 years experience) and he said a lot of pilots turn autopilot off at some point,just to give them something to do.Apparently flying can be rather boring.

I would imagine the hardest part of piloting a plane is (apart from take off/landing) learning all about weather systems etc:

[simonj]

I've been using keyboards for over 35 years and they're easy enough...on the other hand the "keyboard" on my satnav (TomTom) is set out ABC etc and I have trouble with it... go figure..

 

Same here. I was taught to touch-type when I joined the Navy in the late 70's. Spent hours every day for over 6 months with headphones on listening to a monotonous voice saying 'A' now, 'B' now, 'C' now etc etc. There was also a huge keyboard simulation on the wall at the front of the classroom on which the keys lit up as you had to strike them. Oh, and the letters on the teleprinter keyboard had all been scratched out and if you so much as looked down to get your fingers back in position a rap over the knuckles with a ruler was the norm

 

Never thought that being able to touch type would be much use to me outside of the RN. Little did I know how beneficial all those hours of training would be

[Jeffrey Shaw]

It also talks about the Dvorak Keyboard, but I've yet to see one or use one myself.

But I prefer the music composed by Dvorak to that composed by Qwerty.

[dosxuk]

You only have to look at the outrage feedback when Facebook decides to move a button / change an icon to realise how unlikely an alternative keyboard layout is to succeed.

[deedar]

I was always told that the QWERTY keyboard was devised to enable unskilled 19th century typewriter salesmen to quickly type the word "TYPEWRITER", when they were demonstrating them...all the letters being on the top row.

[shanes teeth]

I would have thought that these days it would be relativley easy for software to allow touch screen keyboards to be configured by individual users to suit themselves.

[anywebsite]

Qwerty is the standard. If as an individual I learned to use Dvorak I imagine it'd be quite annoying to go back to using qwerty, which I'd need to do almost daily until a majority of other people change.

[Forumosaurus]

I'd have a huge issue if somebody gave me a blank qwerty keyboard and asked me to put the letters in the right place.

 

But I just touch typed that. Weird isn't it? I heard it's down to muscle memory.

 

In fact, I just tried to imagine where the letter... 'J' for example is, on the keyboard, and I couldn't. But when I put my fingers down to write jam, I could.

 

Very odd.

[dosxuk]

In fact, I just tried to imagine where the letter... 'J' for example is, on the keyboard, and I couldn't. But when I put my fingers down to write jam, I could.

 

Very odd.

 

'J's easy - it's got a bump on the key :-)

[Forumosaurus]

lol it has but, works with any letter for me.

 

With me if I just picture a letter in my head and try and think of where it is, I can only remember where it is if I imagine typing a word starting with that letter.