The dvorak keyboard History The dvorak layout Testing it The first typewriter Dealing with typing problems The second release The dvorak layout The « home row » system Fingers accuracy Hand alternation Testing it Learning dvorak My experience Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

I. History QWERTY was the first popular keyboard AZERTY is just a derivated QWERTY Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

1) The first typewriter => Frequent JAMS First prototype : Christopher SHOLES in 1868 Typebars felt slowly back by gravity... => Frequent JAMS Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

2) Dealing with typing problems No mechanical improvments C. Sholes tried to force typers to slow down Rearranged experimentally the keys Separated keys frequently typed in sequence WH, AT, IS, etc. Put all the letters of « TYPEWRITER » in the upper row Removed the « 1 », substituable by « l » Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

3) The second release In 1878, with many improvements Mounted springs on the typebars, which were much quicker No more jamming problems A more logical keys layout A shift key allowing upper and lower Sholes'manufacturer, Remington Refused to alter the layout Thinking it would reduce the selling In 1900 100,000 typewriters/year sold Everybody memorized the QWERTY layout Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

II. The dvorak layout ≠ Invented in 1936 by August Dvorak Based on research and logic, for typists ≠ QWERTY, random and experimental Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

Reduces fingers movements by a factor of 3 1) The « home row » system Dvorak's middle line : Qwerty's middle line : Dvorak's home row Qwerty's home row Includes 70% of the letters of a regular english text Contains nearly all the vowels Allows to type 3,000 words Includes 31% of the letters Contains one vowel and one symbol Allows to type 300 words Reduces fingers movements by a factor of 3 Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

2) Fingers accuracy Indexes and middle fingers are the most accurate In the center : most popular letters In the corners : less used letters, and symbols Q: 0.095% J: 0.150% W: 2.36% V: 0.978% Z: 0.074% Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

3) Hand alternation All the vowels are for the left hand An example with left hand letters underlined QWERTY: A better keyboard was reserved for typists. => 9 alternations DVORAK: A better keyboard was reserved for typists. => 22 alternations Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

DVORAK is easier to learn III. Testing it 1) Learning dvorak A. Dvorak tried to train people who had never typed With QWERTY : => 56 hours to type 40 words/minute With DVORAK : => 18 hours to type 40 words/minute Learning QWERTY's typists to type with DVORAK => 52 hours to acheive their previous QWERTY speeds DVORAK is easier to learn Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

III. Testing it 2) My experience Used home-made stickers on the keys Took about a half-month to learn Very frustrating at the beginning The speed : Non-typists probably do not type faster But it's much more comfortable Typing with AZERTY is just quite irritating I do not forget AZERTY and QWERTY Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL

DVORAK You type faster More accurately More comfortably It's easier to learn Any questions ? Tuesday, 18 December Gilles BEDEL