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It's probably 99% of the users using QWERTY. I wouldn't mind learning to type on a DVORAK keyboard if I knew that that's everything that I would use from now on. But there's no point in learning that layout just to get confused when I use a different computer at work or somewhere else.
I knew a guy that had a DVORAK keyboard on his desktop at home. He bragged about how great it was and blah, blah, blah but man he couldn't type worth a damn on the keyboards on the school computers. I asked him why he subjected himself to such aggravation by causing muscle and nerve memory confusion trying to use work/school qwerty keyboards and some extremely uncommon dvorak at home.......it was like trying to talk common sense with a brick.
In fact, I just "downgraded" my new computer to Windows 7 from the factory-installed Windows 8.1. I gave it a try, figured out a few tricks to keep it from treating me like a brain damaged test monkey, tried modding the worst of it, but couldn't get past the fact that it just wasn't designed with the desktop user in mind.
I need to get things done, not spend my time keeping the operating system out of the way while I work. There's no room in my life for that--and it has nothing to do with not wanting to learn a new way of doing things. I use an Android phone, an iPad, two Macs, several Windows PCs and a Linux server every day. I'm very familiar with switching between assorted interfaces and using them effectively.
I know a lot of people don't like it, but my favorite part of Windows 8 was the "flat" UI. Other than its retention of the trademark Microsoft color scheme which looks like it was chosen by Play-Doh.
Another fun thing, (keeping in mind it was a factory-built, out-of-the-box Windows 8.1 machine) it gave me the new BSOD while I was running Windows Update for the first time. Strangely, that was another of the positive experiences of W8 for me. The BSOD has been greatly improved from previous incarnations of the OS.
For those who like it, great! It's just not for me.
I knew a guy that had a DVORAK keyboard on his desktop at home. He bragged about how great it was and blah, blah, blah but man he couldn't type worth a damn on the keyboards on the school computers. I asked him why he subjected himself to such aggravation by causing muscle and nerve memory confusion trying to use work/school qwerty keyboards and some extremely uncommon dvorak at home.......it was like trying to talk common sense with a brick.
When I was learning to type I was also taking programming classes, and using punch cards. I spend more time on the card puncher than in the typing lab. Those things which are in a different place got learned on that more than the typeing lab and it was soooo hard to unlearn them.
How you type is learned intuitively. If you have to look at the keys you don't know how. Switching to some completely different setup is going to confuse your fingers and your brain and you'll probably do worse on both.
Querty keyboards have been pronouced to be dying before, but guess who lived on. What we do need more of are the ergonomich types which don't put so much stress on fingers and wrists. They also take a small bit of getting used to but all the letters are in the same place.
It's those nitpicky things you rarely use which get put in different places which are annoying.
You should see my niece typing on her iPhone. No question she hits at least 60wpm...
I specifically got a phone with a slide out keyboard. I find it useable but anything beyond a few texts is too much. Of course for the plugged in juniors, its what your used to.
Can she type it in without looking at the keys, though? Since I got the cover for my keyboard I can't see the labels and go by memory and feel. I find I type faster and more accurately than before.
When I was learning to type I was also taking programming classes, and using punch cards. I spend more time on the card puncher than in the typing lab. Those things which are in a different place got learned on that more than the typeing lab and it was soooo hard to unlearn them.
How you type is learned intuitively. If you have to look at the keys you don't know how. Switching to some completely different setup is going to confuse your fingers and your brain and you'll probably do worse on both.
Querty keyboards have been pronouced to be dying before, but guess who lived on. What we do need more of are the ergonomich types which don't put so much stress on fingers and wrists. They also take a small bit of getting used to but all the letters are in the same place.
It's those nitpicky things you rarely use which get put in different places which are annoying.
Like them moving the 1 up to the top row?
Touch typing. We had a teacher who walked the room making sure we had our feet flat on the floor, our wrists not touching the table and our eyes on our copy -- copy to our left. I still cannot type from a copy to my right. Robotic, I suppose we could call it but it makes for good speed in typing and when you needed a job, the first thing they wanted to know was how fast can you type. 80-90 was acceptable. Over 100 guaranteed you a job. That was on manuals, of course. Electronic can't handle that. Actually, my speed picked up after I left high school and no longer had that dear woman watching, watching, to be sure I wasn't looking at the keyboard.
What I can do is "feel" a mistake and correct it without ever looking down at the keyboard. I don't always catch all of them but most I do.
I just got a new machine 2 days ago with Win 8 (upgraded to 8.1 last night for S&G). Guess what? It ain't all that hard, and actually looks like a modern operating system. After a a couple evenings, I'd hate to regress to Win 7. There are at least some similarities to an Android tablet interface.
Last edited by Toyman at Jewel Lake; 01-25-2014 at 09:48 PM..
I just got a new machine 2 days ago with Win 8 (upgraded to 8.1 last night for S&G). Guess what? It ain't all that hard, and actually looks like a modern operating system. After a a couple evenings, I'd hate to regress to Win 8. There are at least some similarities to an Android tablet interface.
I have to wonder...are that many people just afraid of change?
Here we go again. Change is good, blah, blah, blah, don't be afraid of change, blah, blah, blah.
If I want an Android tablet interface, I would buy a fu#$%#g Android tablet.
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No question she hits at least 60wpm...
