January 16, 2001
I've got something important to say here. This is not funny. It's serious business. I'm going to preach to you. Stop tuning me out just because I said the word "preach." Trust me. This is gonna be good.Most of you (like, 99.99%) are wasting time when you type. Why? Because you type QWERTY (conventional keyboard layout), and QWERTY was designed to slow typists down. There is an alternative keyboard layout, though, that folks on Windows and Mac platforms can use. In fact, I use it on three different Windows machines and on my Mac. I've used it under something like seven different OS versions. It's called "Dvorak" (named after its mid-20th century inventor), and It Rocks My World.
So, here come the links: Start with Marcus Brooks Dvorak pages. He's got everything you need... info, instructions, testimonials, and links galore. You might also check out the official Dvorak International FAQ. And once you've got the drivers loaded (they come with Windows, are freely available for Mac, and you don't need any hardware changes), have a look at Dan Wood's ABCD (A Basic Course in Dvorak). You'll be very, very glad that you did.
In 1996 I decided to make the switch from QWERTY to Dvorak. It took me about two weeks, working on my typing every day (and NOT using QWERTY) to surpass my old QWERTY speed of 40 wpm using Dvorak. I quickly jumped up to around 80-120 wpm, and my wrists never hurt. Need more testimonials? Chalain (of Chalain's Science Corner) and Randy (of Randym Thoughts) are both Dvorak devotees. Ask them if I'm making this up.