Well, I've been seeing a few posts mentioning Dvorak keyboards recently, and I had a few questions. I can touch type QWERTY, and want to learn Dvorak.
Is it worth it? (I'll still probably learn it, even if its not.)
Should I pop out my keys and rearrange them to help me with Dvorak until I can touch type it?
Anyone have any good Dvorak learning sites? (I was on DVzine, and it wasn't that bad)
Any tips in general on how to accomplish this?
Typing Dvorak
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legoboy
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Re: Typing Dvorak
I could touch type with QWERTY and switched to Dvorak. I think it's worth it since I'm faster than I ever was in QWERTY. Expect to loose some of your speed when you start. If you frequently switch between Dvorak and QWERTY on different computers you can train yourself to use Dvorak on yours and QWERTY on others. I wouldn't switch your keys around. Just print out the layout and tape it above your display so you don't look at your keyboard. Go about your daily routine and you should be fine and up to (maybe past) your QWERTY speed within a month. If you don't type much find a book or something to copy a few paragraphs from a day. Good luck!
Re: Typing Dvorak
Thanks. I forgot that we used a huge diagram of QWERTY when we learned to touch type. I'm probably going to print out one, like you said, and that should help a lot. I was also thinking of just going through a few of those online flash lessons just to get familiar with it.
Re: Typing Dvorak
Yes it's worth it!
I popped out my keys, and I have on every computer I've owned in the past 4 years. I assume it was easier, because I wasn't as tempted to give up, and it usually keeps other people from ever using your computer
Here's the site I used: http://learn.dvorak.nl/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; It's got a progressive system that introduces the different keys at whatever pace you want to set, so it's pretty flexible (It's fun to try in different languages as well!)
I don't know exactly what to say, but I'd love to answer questions, I'm a huge advocate! It took me like 2-3 months to reach/surpass my Qwerty speeds, and I probably just slowly progressed after that. For me it's really easy to switch back and forth now, but for the first 3 months I completely isolated myself in Dvorak. After that, I slowly re-introduced Qwerty and didn't have any problems achieving my old speeds while still keeping up with Dvorak. I think the best analogy would be to think of it like speaking different languages. I think on average, I type about 30 WPM faster in Dvorak, so I think it's totally worth it!
I popped out my keys, and I have on every computer I've owned in the past 4 years. I assume it was easier, because I wasn't as tempted to give up, and it usually keeps other people from ever using your computer
Here's the site I used: http://learn.dvorak.nl/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; It's got a progressive system that introduces the different keys at whatever pace you want to set, so it's pretty flexible (It's fun to try in different languages as well!)
I don't know exactly what to say, but I'd love to answer questions, I'm a huge advocate! It took me like 2-3 months to reach/surpass my Qwerty speeds, and I probably just slowly progressed after that. For me it's really easy to switch back and forth now, but for the first 3 months I completely isolated myself in Dvorak. After that, I slowly re-introduced Qwerty and didn't have any problems achieving my old speeds while still keeping up with Dvorak. I think the best analogy would be to think of it like speaking different languages. I think on average, I type about 30 WPM faster in Dvorak, so I think it's totally worth it!
Re: Typing Dvorak
I've got a completely blank keyboard and love it.
I still type Qwerty primarily, but occasionally for kicks 'n' giggles I'll use Dvorak.
I still type Qwerty primarily, but occasionally for kicks 'n' giggles I'll use Dvorak.
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dragonhead
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Re: Typing Dvorak
i learned on to touch dvorak on a qwerty keyboard... you learn really fast that way. i eventually rearranged the keys on my keyboard to fine tune my speed. i still touch type DV on a qwerty board, though i did rearrange the keys on my macbook. it does get a lot of funny looks. i originally did it because i was bored, but then i realized my problematic wrist quit bothering me. so i kept with it. i love it. it keeps my mischievous friends from messing with my computer. i can still type pretty well on qwerty as well, but i hardly ever use it.
