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From: john@nmt.edu (John Shipman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Dvorak keys vs. QWERT
Summary: Advantages other than speed
Message-ID: <1990Sep8.174830.12039@nmt.edu>
Date: 8 Sep 90 17:48:30 GMT
References: <7657@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> <1990Sep7.055025.16732@nmt.edu> <1990Sep7.180323.8467@intek01.uucp>
Organization: Zoological Data Processing
Lines: 33

Mark McWiggins (mark@intek01.uucp) writes:
+--
| I haven't tried Dvorak, but Donald Norman ("The Psychology
| of Everyday Things") claims that it's quite well documented
| that a conversion from QWERTY to Dvorak will increase speed
| by no more than 10% for the average user.  So it's probably
| not worth doing for the average QWERTY-comfortable touch-typist.
+--

I disagree with this assertion; I don't do that much typing,
and Dvorak gives me almost a twofold speed advantage.

I got a message from someone identified only as bpdsun1!rmf,
asking whether the Dvorak keyboard made any difference in
fatigue.  I tried to reply via e-mail, but my reply bounced.

My experience indicates that the Dvorak keyboard has two other
significant advantages besides raw speed.  First, it is less
fatiguing.  People watching me type have often remarked that
my fingers barely seem to move; this is probably because 70%
of Dvorak typing is done on the home row, vs. 32% with QWERTY,
according to Dvorak's measurements.

Another important advantage is a reduced error rate.  Stroking
is often awkward on the QWERTY keyboard, and awkwardness leads
to errors.

To me, using the QWERTY keyboard is like driving a clapped-out
'64 Rambler, and using the DSK is like driving a modern, highly
responsive sports car.  The feel is quite different.
-- 
John Shipman/Zoological Data Processing/Socorro, NM/john@jupiter.nmt.edu
``Let's go outside and commiserate with nature.''  --Dave Farber