Dvorak keyboard

Anyone else heard of it (or using it right now)? It's a keyboard layout, much different from the Qwerty layout, that has the more common letters on the home row and the less common ones in the harder-to-reach places like the bottom row. Apparently it's faster and puts less strain on your hands than the Qwerty layout.

Here's a great website about it: http://www.dvzine.org/
You can click on "The Zine" at the top, then "Webcomic Edition" for an amusing explanation of Dvorak.

I first heard about Dvorak when I was doing NaNoWriMo and one person linked to the above website, saying it was faster and more efficient than typing with Qwerty. I'm a fast typist anyway, but I checked it out, and now I'm working on teaching myself the Dvorak layout.

Here's my favorite part:

Quote :

I consider typing Dvorak on my machine a security measure. I use Dvorak at work and if someone tries to type on my computer they get a bunch of gibberish!

Hmmm... While I think this is a little cool... There are few problems.

One, old typewriters were set up much the same way, with the most used keys grouped together, but the keys began to stick from so much use. Which is how they came up with the Qwery system. With the keyboards we have now, the keys that aren't used much are separating the others and making it harder for multiple keys, even on newer laptops to stick and render the keyboard unusable.

Plus, I think it'd be hard to get used too. xD
But then again, it's a neat idea.

It is hard to get used to, but once you learn it, it's really fast.
I've never heard of keys sticking on computers, though. I suppose it doesn't happen as much with computers as it did with typewriters. You do have a point with keys on typewriters sticking, though... that's a BIT more common. XD

Sometimes my keys stick. Then again, I guess it all depends on how much you spend typing and how fast your fingers are. Mine are probably moderate compared too some, but I spend the majority of my time typing at least SOMETHING. Not only writing and other things, but just browsing the internet.

With that style of keyboard, it would probably work best for people who either don't spend every waking moment on their computer, or don't spend hours at a time typing, because honestly, the daily wear and tear on a computer can effect the keyboard more than how the keys are laid out. I guess it just depends on your lifestyle.

It's an interesting concept though. I'd be willing to try typing on one just for kicks myself.

You don't really need to get a new keyboard. You can just change the input layout on your computer's preferences/control panel under Regional/Languages or something like that.~
I know that you go to the Control Panel, then "Clock, Language and Region", then "change keyboards or other input methods" for Windows, but I have no idea how to change it on a Mac. And it's super easy to change back, too.