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What is Dvorak All About?
Unless your keyboard looks like the keyboard
at the top of this page, you are probably using
a keyboard that was designed to SLOW YOU DOWN!!
That is right... the "standard" Q-W-E-R-T-Y keyboard
that most of us use was designed to be inefficient. We
can thank the typewriter for this curse. Typewriters
had a problem with keys jamming, so instead of making
better typewriters... manufacturers turned to a less
efficient keyboard layout (asdf) to stop jams. But don't
worry: There is good news! With the miracle of
computers, you can release your fingers from the shackles
and chains of hard typing by switching to the Dvorak Layout.
Switching to the Dvorak layout is painless and easy.
1st-Configuring you keyboard is easy. You don't need to go
out and buy any expensive keyboards or software. Your
computer probably already has everything necessary to
switch over. Click here to find out just how easy it is
to reconfigure
your keyboard. Come on; Click there-- I dare you!
2nd- Learning to type with the Dvorak Layout is also easy.
According to Jared Diamond, it takes a beginning
QWERTY typist 56 hours of typing to reach 40 wpm
(which is a respectable typing speed).... but it only takes
18 hours for a beginning Dvorak typist to reach 40 wpm.
That�s less than half the time! If you practice typing 35
minutes each day, it should only take you 1 month to
switch over to Dvorak... and believe me, it will be one of
the best investments of your time. It took me 20 hours, to
switch over from Qwerty to Dvorak, and I have been very
happy with the switch. Not only am I typing faster, and
more accurately-- I am also saving lots of wear and tear on
my fingers. (Your fingers have to move 20 times farther
on a QWERTY keyboard than a Dvorak keyboard
because Mr. Sholes decided he would hide all the
common keys on a QWERTY keyboard.)
Need Help? Find a Typing Tutor
I have a list of
Typing Tutors for any one who is interested. I have not tried them all, but I have searched the internet, and this is what I found. There are some Shareware tutors, if you don't want to invest any money. There is one that uses your internet browser as a tutor (that's right, you can even learn over the internet). There is also one or two that you can buy in the store, if you don't trust internet downloads.
What if I have to use a Qwerty Keyboard?
What if I learn to type dvorakly, but then have to
use a Qwerty keyboard? 1. Many Dvorak Typists don't
forget how to type on a Qwerty keyboard.... they just
prefer to type on a Dvorak board because it is faster
and easier on the fingers. 2. I have written a program
that will "translate" what you type into dvorak. You can
download
it for free from my page. I have also created a web converter that will translate what you type from Qwerty to Dvorak. If you have any questions or comments e-mail me at malibu_malv@geocities.com, or check out these other
dvorak sites.
Attention Everyone:
Whether you are thinking of switching to the Dvorak Layout or not... I HIGHLY recommend that you read The Curse of Qwerty by Jared Diamond. This was the article that convinced me to switch keyboard layouts, and it just might be the article that frees your fingers from the shackles and chains of inconvenient typing. . . (trust me, your fingers will thank you later!)
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