Thinkpads Forum

I want to rearrange my key caps to make my keyboard into a dvorak keyboard. How can I adjust the windows keymap accordingly?

See following link: Select a Dvorak Keyboard Layout

I've never seen that before...it looks insane, but I guess anything does that involves learning again. I'm reading that it's faster and involves less hand movement, definitely a plus...But can anyone here actually switch to dvorak after using a qwerty keyboard for so long?

Can you define "so long"?

I switched to a Dvorak keyboard when I was 30 years old, with 15 years of typing on Qwerty typewriters and keyboards.

After 1-2 weeks of tension headaches caused by the remapping of conditioned reflexes, I could touch type in Dvorak.

I just use the normal keyboard, and have changed the keyboard language to Dvorak via the control panel.

If you want to switch to Dvorak, I would simply print out a Dvorak keyboard layout on a piece of paper, and place it on or near the keyboard. Then look at the Dvorak layout when necessary. When I was first making the switch, every time I started to type my finger/s would automatically reach out for the qwerty key, then I would have to rein it back in, and purposefully reach for the Dvorak key. It was tedious. But after the break in period, no problems. The sound of a Dvorak typist is different than a qwerty typist. The fingers move in more of a strumming pattern, and you do not hear the staccato like keystrokes of a qwerty typist.

It does cause some inconveniences, such as when I use a keyboard outside of the office & home, I have to hunt & peck. Those instances do not occur frequently, but when they do it's annoying.

I do not regret the move to Dvorak in spite of the occasional inconvenience. I became somewhat of a faster typist in Dvorak, maybe a 10% wpm increase, but don't expect magic.

Good information larrys. The wpm change is entirely subjective, but since you've been at it for a while, I'll trust your judgement. QWERTY it is!

This site has some additional information on the Dvorak layout, and the author noted he had about a 25% increase in speed:

http://www.theworldofstuff.com/dvorak/

I never really tested my change in speed after the conversion...maybe I'll have to do that at some point

I've read somewhere before that the traditional keyboard layout that almost everyone uses had its roots in mechanical typewriter.

ie: A number of commonly used keys (eg: vowels, r/t/n) were purposely spread out, so as to slow down the typist's speed so that the (very early) mechanical typewriter won't jam!

I learned it but don't practice using it. I do feel as if i move less around the keyboard. Hotkeys are the only thing that really jumble me up as some of the regular operations are a bit more strange.

I felt that it was pretty quick to learn. Most of it is touch so the muscle memory seems to be all that's at work.

Best part is being able to switch from qwerty and realize it's in dvorak in a matter of 1-2 spelling errors and start using the other keyboard layout by instinct heh.