Why the QWERTY Keyboard Beat Dvorak's

Referred to as the QWERTY layout due to the order of the first row of keys, the arrangement of a keyboard's keys is known to most. Why are the keys in this order though? Explanations usually state the commonly used keys were spaced apart to prevent them from jamming together during the typewriter era. Although true, there's more to QWERTY's success than that. Critics argue that the layout is inefficient, and suggest the little-known Dvorak layout is far superior.

The standard keyboard layout used for the last century has its roots in Christopher Sholes' typewriter. The first typewriter concept was actually patented by Henry Mill in 1714. Although Mill created the original concept of a printing press that could provide ad-hoc printing based on button presses, he never built the machine. The production of the first working “typewriter” is credited to several people at several points: Leopold von Neipperg in 1760, Louis Jacquet in 1780, and Pietro Conti in 1823. All created crude interpretations of what we think of today as the typewriter. Most were intended for other uses, with many being machines for the blind to transcribe their thoughts.

None of these machines were practical for everyday use but that changed when Sholes became involved. The previous machines were either huge in size, or printed just one line of continuous text. Sholes typewriter printed on letter sized paper and had the ability to include line-breaks. Starting in 1876 Sholes worked to improve his typewriter and bring it mainstream. His typewriter was the first to use the QWERTY layout. He devised the layout after encountering issues with the machine jamming. By placing commonly used letters far apart, he reduced the chance neighboring keys would be pressed sequentially causing the typebars to jam together. As a side effect the typewriter became much less efficient.

In addition to avoiding jamming, the QWERTY layout had influence from less practical sources. In an effort to provide a better marketing demonstration, the “R” key was moved to the top row, allowing a salesman to quickly type the word “typewriter” with one row of keys; and that’s where the “R” remains today.

The QWERTY layout was naturally ported over to keyboards with their introduction. It allowed typists to easily move to the more modern technology, without having to learn all over again. QWERTY had the “first mover advantage,” a business term meaning the first to market gains an advantage over competitors, regardless of who actually has the best product. The layout was inefficient by design, and with advances in manufacturing technology the layout was no longer technically needed. With virtually 100% market share QWERTY dominated the market, however.

Introducing Dvorak

August Dvorak, an educational psychologist, set out to find a more usable keyboard layout in the 1930’s. Backed with actual research, rather than what was essentially random placement, Dvorak’s layout seemed far superior. After careful analysis of physiology of the hand, and analysis of letter frequency in the English language, Dvorak made these conclusions:

• Letters should be typed by alternating between hands.
• Most people are right-handed, so the right hand should do the most typing.
• For maximum speed and efficiency, the most common letters and digraphs should be the easiest to type (a digraph is pair of characters used to write one distinct sound, think “th” or “ou”). The easiest place to type on the keyboard is the home row (middle row).
• The least common letters should be on the bottom row, which is the hardest row to reach.
• Digraphs should not be typed with adjacent fingers.
• Key presses should move from the outside of the keyboard towards the middle. For the average person, when tapping fingers on a flat surface, it is easier to go from the little finger to index finger than vice-versa.

The original Dvorak layout was available as a factory-supplied option on the original IBM Selectric typewriter. Beyond that, the layout essentially faded into obscurity. Studies have shown that the Dvorak layout is easier to learn, reduces stress on the hand helping prevent carpal-tunnel syndrome, and is more accurate than QWERTY. As promising as it sounded, none of these advantages were enough to lead to it becoming widely adopted.

Why Dvorak Failed

Critics disagree on if Dvorak really is more suitable. It’s hard to find a neutral test group to compare it to QWERTY; how many people do you know that haven’t already learned to type on a QWERTY keyboard? What critics do agree on is that the Dvorak’s layout has certainly failed to become mainstream.

The reasons for it’s failed adoption vary. As previously mentioned, the first mover advantage of QWERTY is almost impossible to overcome. Even if Dvorak’s layout is better, learning it will result in already efficient typists becoming less productive during the adoption process. When it was first introduced there was no way to convert existing typewriters to the layout, making its adoption expensive. The IBM Selectric typewriter was one of the very few typewriters that could easily be switched between layouts, but when presented with the option of the standard QWERTY layout or the unheard of Dvorak layout, the choice was obvious for buyers.

Dvorak’s layout was also tailored specifically for right-handed people who wrote English words. Adaptations of his layout were created for others, but this complicated adoption by having different keyboards depending on a user being left or right handed and what language they were typing. What is commonly referred to today as the Dvorak layout, or more formally the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout, is a neutral version for use by both right and left handed individuals. It is still optimized for the English langauge, however.

Modern computers have given Dvorak’s layout a second wind. Windows, Mac OS, and Linux all have the ability to remap a standard keyboard to the Dvorak layout. Although the keys would be labeled wrong, one could enjoy the change of pace. The adventurous could even physically swap the keys with a little effort. For the hardcore, Dvorak keyboards are offered for sale and have a cult-like following.

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