What is the Dvorak keyboard layout? We explain it

The arrangement of keys according to the QWERTY or QWERTZ (English-language) pattern has been used worldwide for decades, but is not considered ideal. As a counter design, the Dvorak keyboard layout exists.

More efficient and convenient: the Dvorak keyboard layout is extremely well thought out.

The common keyboard layout is based on the first typewriters. For their key layout, letters that were used frequently were deliberately spaced far apart, as the technology often resulted in jammed keys.

The advantages of the Dvorak keyboard layout

As mankind quickly became accustomed to QWERTY, this arrangement was considered the standard by millions of users. However, in the 1930s, psychologist August Dvorak came up with the idea that a much more efficient layout was theoretically possible.

• Consequently, he developed a new key layout in which important letters were much closer together and easier for the fingers to reach.
• In addition, it was noted that the right hand should do more work, since most people are right-handed.
• Along with many other criteria such as the finger movement from the outside to the inside, the Dvorak keyboard layout actually offers much greater efficiency, according to users. Thus, more strokes per time are possible with less muscle work or effort for the fingers at the same time. Furthermore, learning the ten-finger technique with the Dvorak layout is said to be possible in a much shorter time than with QWERTY.

Nevertheless, the layout has not prevailed, as the reason for this is the so-called path dependency. The chosen path in the form of QWERTY is so deeply anchored in all hardware and software products, as well as in the minds of users, that a competing system has little chance of attacking this status.An overview of the Dvorak keyboard layout can be found, for example, on this Wikipedia page. Incidentally, although not particularly widespread, Dvorak keyboards are also available for purchase, such as here.