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Dvorak Switching Discussion

edd5190

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If you have switched to Dvorak, (and apparently listen to everything Macky says) how long did it take for you to get as fast as you were with QWERTY?

8-22-2007, 6 weeks of Dvorak:
Dvorak: 73 wpm
LH Dvorak: 19 wpm
 
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pjk

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I looked at that. I think if I would have started with Dvorak when I started typing 7 years ago, I would have stuck with it. But why switch now? It is like you get used to Dvorak now, then when you go to the public library you have to go back to Qwerty. That would be awesome if you could type around 80-90WPM with both. There's a challenge for you.
 

CorwinShiu

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hehe i switched too. I just like being an odd ball =)

but i guess i can type 40-50 wpm, but i have to look down. i was typing at 80 wpm qwerty though. My mavis beacon doesn't support dvorak, so i've just been gaining speed by typing online.

I have to say, i've been making much less errors on dvorak...
 

gillesvdp

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I have heard from...Erik :D that the Dvorak is some sort of "optimal" keyboard".
But for which language is it optimal ?

Because the letters used in English and in Franch for example are much different.

(For example, the W is worth 10 points in the French scrabble whereas it is just a 1 point letter in the English version.)
 

Johannes91

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I don't know why Dvorak isn't universal.
English isn't the only language out there, just as Gilles pointed out. I don't see any reason to switch, qwerty is fine. Actually, I'd like to have a keyboard optimized for Perl and C...
 

pjk

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My question for you guys is, why switch? I don't think it is going to make a big difference. Of course, if you want to be unique, that is your choice.
 

dougreed

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Oh wow. I can't believe I missed this thread :)

I have been using Dvorak for more than a few years now. It has _clear_ advantages over Qwerty. I don't think it's correct to claim that Qwerty is "good by accident" -- actually, it's quite bad, whether by accident or by design :)

FWIW, I program in C/C++ daily. I use vim extensively. I'm also no stranger to regexes. Dvorak hasn't hindered me in any of these areas except for Vim, which I fixed with a pretty lavish .vimrc (which anyone can have if they're interested in it).

I would encourage everyone here that is interested in Dvorak to give it a shot. I've converted lots of people at UT already. It's definitely worth it, and it's really never too late. The hassle of switching to QWERTY when you go to the library isn't really that much of a hassle... I can still sustain 70-80wpm in QWERTY once I get back into the zone, and I can sustain over 110wpm in Dvorak comfortably.

Doug
 

edd5190

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Lol, after about a month I'm averaging 50 wpm with Dvorak, faster than I ever got with QWERTY, and I've been using QWERTY for the past 5+ years:) So, yes, it is never too late to switch. Also, I've been experimenting with Left Hand Dvorak, designed by August Dvorak himself, at the request of a soldier who lost his right hand in world war 2. After several months, he averaged 50+ wpm with one hand. But, after maybe a week I'm only at 13 wpm, but I'm getting better everyday. I'll edit my first post whenever I improve my speed with Dvorak and Left hand Dvorak.
 

dougreed

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I've given a bit of thought to learning left-handed dvorak just so I can keep my right hand on my mouse... then I realized I do so much in screen anyway that not keeping both hands on the keyboard actually hinders my ability to navigate :)

Doug
 
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