1. 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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

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