10/23/2002 1:30:29 PM, "Gerstein, Sam" <Sam.Gerstein_at_Streamserve.Com> wrote:
>
>Well, a couple o things- first, I believe the idea that qwerty keyboards
>were designed to slow down typists is a common misconception (one I held
>myself at one point); in actuality it was designed to separate frequently
>used keys so they don't jam together (on a mechanical typewriter).
Oddly enough, the reason they are laid out such that they won't jam is because ... wait for it ... it slows down the typist!
That wasn't intended as sarcasm, oddly enough. I started learning about things like the typewriter because I discovered a few years ago (quite a few, as a matter of fact *LOL*)
that Samuel Langhorn Clemens is one of the branches in my family tree, so I started learning about him and the things he was interested in.
Back to the subject, as OT as it is: there have been studies done about QWERTY and Dvorak key layouts, and apparently someone who knows both will show a marked speed improvement
when using the Dvorak layout. (I'll look around for those studies, if people want citations...)
Sorry for the interruption...now back to our favorite PDA!
Keith McComb
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