Thoughts on Changing to the Dvorak Keyboard: The Five Week Update
Five weeks ago I turned my back on 17 years of touch typing on a QWERTY keyboard, and switched to the Dvorak keyboard. Not only could I touch type, but I could do so very quickly and mindlessly. That is, I could look at someone in an interview and touch type what they were saying. The cognitive effort was nearly nil to do so, as my computer was an extension of my body through years of practice and ingrained habits. The QWERTY keyboard wasn't an artifact separate from me; it was part of me.
And, wow, did it hurt to shift away. Apart from two keys (A and M), every other key on the Dvorak keyboard is in a different place than the QWERTY one. Over the past five weeks I have had to re-learn how to spell.
On the History of QWERTY
The story I heard (and have repeated to others) regarding the QWERTY keyboard is that it was designed in the 1860s to slow typists down. Keyboards prior to QWERTY were alphabetical, and due to the use of mechanical typewriters with one letter per prong, a fast typist would cause the typewriter to jam. Hence QWERTY was designed and introduced to counteract this. And it worked. But whether you can definitively say that QWERTY was designed to SLOW DOWN the typist or to REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF JAMMING is unclear. Those underlying motivations are not the same, and I think that it doesn't really matter.
Read more at Wikipedia.
On Why You Might Change
Some of the reasons for changing that I heard were:
1. A QWERTY typist moves their fingers 16 miles in a day of typing, compared to 1 mile for a Dvorak typist.
2. More letters of words are on the home keys on Dvorak than QWERTY, eg, 72% of letters in words vs. 30% or so.
3. Reduced likelihood of RSI
4. The ability to type faster ... perhaps up to twice as fast.
On BlackBerry and its QWERTY Keyboard
When I changed across to Dvorak on my computer, I naturally assumed that I would also want a Dvorak keyboard on my BlackBerry. After 5 weeks, I think that is a fallacy, and that there is no problem maintaining a disparate approach. Here's why: on a computer keybaord, you use your fingers to type and thumbs for the space bar, but on the BlackBeery you use your thumbs to type and for the space bar. Therefore the ingrained patterns of typing on the one via fingers do not at all interfere with the ingrained patterns of typing on the other via thumbs. They can absolutely proceed apace side-by-side, without interfering with the other.
Was It Worth It?
It's too early to tell for me whether the transition was worth it. I need another month yet before the expected benefits could / might kick in. The act of typing has shifted, most definitely, for me from an invisible part of my work to a very front-brained activity. In the first week I was much more tired at the end of a work day, due to the additional cognitive load of trying to remember where the keys were, and as a consequence what finger to fire and whether it had to be moved or not before firing.
If the above benefits are actually realizable, then this two month experiment will pay off in truck loads over the next 30-40 years. If not, well, at least this old boy proved that he can still learn something new.
(And, it has been just as well that I haven't gone to any conferences with Eric. He can now type faster than me ... ouch!!)
Did you pull the keys and switch them or use stickers? I'm tempted to try it ... I think I might go the stickers route.
Tris
Posted by: Tris Hussey | October 17, 2007 at 01:51 PM
Tris, I pulled off the keys, but you lose the raised bump on the home keys. So I also purchased a Dvorak keyboard cover for my Apple keyboard ... http://www.kbcovers.com/servlet/Detail?no=43
Let me know how you go, but be aware that you face lots of weeks of very slow typing.
M.
Posted by: Michael Sampson | October 17, 2007 at 03:46 PM
Nice work Michael, David Allen and I have discussed this approach for years; I look forward to reading your next update.
Type on!
Posted by: Eric Mack | October 17, 2007 at 06:27 PM
When I learned Dvorak I used stickers on my keyboard at work and at home. I used a shareware typing tutorial that was able to teach Dvorak, (so long ago that I forgot the program's name and it was on Mac OS 7, so it probably no longer works) to get proficient rather quickly.
A year later, I had to replace one of the keyboards, and didn't bother putting new stickers on (they were homemade stickers, and quite a bit of work to put on).
This actually was like removing the training wheels for me as I was no longer touch typing occasionally. I was ALWAYS touch typing, without the crutch of the printed keys. My typing improved even more after that.
Posted by: Shawn Levasseur | October 20, 2007 at 02:54 AM
Pls see the very interesting discussion on this over at Mark's excellent blog ... http://www.productivity501.com/dvorak-keyboard/362/
Posted by: Michael Sampson | October 23, 2007 at 03:11 PM
My real problem is that I type in German and English, fairly equal amounts. Thus I would have to switch to Dvorak German, which has additional characters (Umlauts) --- my problem is the lack of trainers and support across various systems.
I'm hesitant, but do report back in a month and tell us about your results.
Posted by: Arjun Muralidharan | November 10, 2007 at 09:01 AM
Testifying for DVORAK.
Before, managed about 30 wpm on a best day, especially if you don't count errors.
I'm at around 80ish, with a far lower error count.
Took about a month to learn, 6 months to get up to 80.
"Mavis Bacon Teaches Typing" has a DVORAK model for learning.
Posted by: Alexander Stone | March 01, 2008 at 03:09 PM