So it’s conceivable that I have too much time on my hands (not sure that it’s true but ultimately if I can’t experiment whilst I’m doing my degree then when can I?!?) but for some reason I found myself looking at Dvorak as an alternative keyboard layout.

Dvorak fans say that it is quicker (not yet it’s not!), strains the hands less and helps you have better sex. (that’s a lie BTW)

Dvorak studied letter frequencies and the physiology of people’s hands and created a layout to adhere to these principles:

• It is easier to type letters alternating between hands.
• For maximum speed and efficiency, the most common letters and digraphs should be the easiest to type. This means that they should be on the home row, which is where the fingers rest, and under the strongest fingers.
• Likewise, the least common letters should be on the bottom row, which is the hardest row to reach.
• The right hand should do more of the typing, because most people are right-handed.
• It is more difficult to type digraphs with adjacent fingers than non-adjacent fingers.
• Stroking should generally move from the edges of the board to the middle. An observation of this principle is that when tapping fingers on a table, it is easier going from little finger to index than vice versa. This motion on a keyboard is called inboard stroke flow.

Taken from Wikipedia.

Technorati Tags: Dvorak

Couple of immediate problems: a) I DON’T KNOW WHERE THE HELL ANYTHING IS!! b) Textpander can’t quite work out what’s going on - it makes a noise like it’s working but never delivers. c) typing now requires my full concentration - and if I let it slip I go back to querty instantly! Having said that, there is a nice logic to the layout and I’m getting used to some of the digraphs.

So like any good scientist I gathered base data. Some time spent on Siteuri to get my querty typing speed - I can type approximately 55wpm free typing, and 40wpm copying (with 3 errors).

I also found a wealth of info on wikipedia (where else) and a Dvorak typing tutor By Dan Wood of Sandvox fame.

So I’m going to try Dvorak for a while and see if I like it and then re-take the typing test, see how I’m doing and see if this is all they say it’s cracked up to be!

Or I’ll get board of typing So Damn Slowly™, and switch back. . . .

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 28th, 2006 at 10:01 am and is filed under Project Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.