Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-ncis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!ucsd!ucbvax!decwrl!labrea!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!sugar!ficc!jeffd
From: jeffd@ficc.uu.net (jeff daiell)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Alternative Keyboards
Message-ID: <2717@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 13 Jan 89 09:33:37 GMT
Organization: Ferranti International Controls
Lines: 33


Having spent 7.5 years as a medical secretary, and still making
much of my living via keyboard, this is a subject I've kept an eye
on for several years, and I've also wondered why the Dvorak wasn't
more popular.  For instance, if memory serves properly, at one time
it was used to establish 31 of the 33 world typing records (I don't
know how there came to be 33 different world typing records ... I
can only assume WPM over various lengths of time, highest accuracy 
%age, and the like), and I'm sure analogous gains could be made
in computer keying.   Also, the learning time on the Dvorak is
apparently only about 25-50% of the learning time on the standard
keyboard.

My only guess is that most people simply don't *know* about the
Dvorak and others.  But in this age of detachable keyboards, there
might be money to be made in aggressively marketing them, along with
an inexpensive training course to make it attractive to firms with
several keyboardists.  

If anyone wants to put up the capital, I'll supply the PR!  {|:-)]


Jeff Daiell


INDEPENDENCE FOR TEXAS!



    -- 
         "I'm just a soul whose intentions are good...
          O Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood."
  
                                --- The Animals