Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!hub.ucsb.edu!dougp
From: dougp@voodoo.ucsb.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: Dvorak keyboards
Message-ID: <5832@hub.ucsb.edu>
Date: 17 Jun 90 05:31:14 GMT
Sender: news@hub.ucsb.edu
Organization: UC, Santa Barbara. Physics Computer Services
Lines: 34

-Message-Text-Follows-
In article <1990Jun15.163327.14822@csmil.umich.edu>, chymes@fribourg.csmil.umich.edu (Charles Hymes) writes...
>I might want a Dvorak keyboard.
>Does anybody use one? Are they any good? What are the ups and downs of using one?
>Where can I get one?
> 
>Charlweed

If you have an Amiga, then you already have one. Try putting 
system/setmap usa2
in your startup sequence. The dissadvantages are that some brain-damaged
software sidestepps the accepted practice of using the OS, and 
translates the key codes directly to charactors ignoring the currently
selected keymap. Terminal programs are notorious for this transgression,
I have found that A-Talk III works correctly with keymaps though.

As far as use goes, I can't claim that I am getting much of an
improvement out of it, but that is mostly because I must program
IBM PC's at work, and those monstrosities are incapable of handling
anything so simple as remaping the keyboard. Basicly, I have found that
the keymap I revert to is dependant on what I am doing. If I am BBSing,
my typing reverts to dvorak, If I am writing C code, I revert to qwerty.
Also I have to watch the screen as I type, or the wrong sequence of
letters will be typed.

My opinion is that if you can avoid using querty entirely, go for the
dvorak, otherwise it will only slow you down. I use dvorak because I
am an idealist and won't use kludges unless I absolutely must.

Douglas peale

Note: Spelling errors are not caused by my mixing of dvorak and querty,
they are because I refused to learn how to spell. (spelling did not
folow a logical algorithm, Webster should have been shot :-)