Below you can watch a youtube video about the keyboard (looks a bit cheesy but gets the point across).
First a bit of theory: the basic premise of the Dvorak layout is that the home row (the one your hands rest upon) is more used than the other rows/keys. This makes your fingers travel less distance to the hard to reach keys because most of the time you'll be typing on the home row.
Result: more efficient typing.
One of the criticisms on the Dvorak keyboard is that there is no conclusive proof of its superiority. Now I can tell you it really is better than Qwerty typing, but then you'd have to believe me.
So I present two pieces of evidence:
- someone searched for an efficient keyboard arrangement using a genetic algorithm and found something similar to dvorak.
- the second evidence is my own: I took a picture of my keyboard after a few years of use.
On the left side you can see the picture of my TypeMatrix, which has an extra keyboard 'skin' which prevents dirt and dust to get between the keys.
Pay attention to the shiny bits, which is where the skin is worn from usage. As expected, the home row is heavily used, as is the backspace and enter and the space.
For people suffering from hand/wrist injuries the lessened travel distance is a benefit; for those hunt and peck typists it's also a golden opportunity to learn touch typing. I learned dvorak on a qwerty keyboard with a printout of the dvorak layout in front of me. Peeking at the keys didn't help me at all! In one month I could touch-type and I haven't looked back since.
Given the investments of many people in Qwerty typing, I'm not saying you should switch. If you spend entire days typing, you should at least consider it though.
Here are some links to explore further:
Dvorak zine, helping you to convert
US Dvorak layout in SVG format, you never know how big you need to print it :)
Mike
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