oh dear.

[egypturnash]

I'm typing this in Dvorak. My keys are still laid out in QWERTY. It appears that Powerbook keys are not too hard to lift off and replace, but I'm not brave enough to try it without a specialized tool. switching back to QWERTY-- I suspect the really hard bit will be retraining my muscle memory for Illustrator. I lean heavily on the keyboard shortcuts, and don't think of them as the letters any more - I couldn't tell you what keys to hit for some of the most frequently-used tools. It's a separate problem from learning to touch-type with Dvorak. I semi-touch-type with QWERTY: my hands flutter around the keyboard fairly quickly, but I really only use the first and second fingers of either hand, with the thumb for the space bar and pinky for the occasional stretch to do command-something with one hand. I'm finding that my long nails are a bit of a problem when trying to "properly" touch-type...

Comments

[ff00ff.livejournal.com]

You don't touch type? It's a little bit of a shock! I guess I just assume that everyone does these days. For me typing takes at least nine fingers. I imagine you must be good at multitasking. Imagine what you must be able to get done with only four or five fingers occupied with typing! Learning how to type in Dvorak is about as high on my list of things to do as chewing glass is. I had to take three different typing classes through my primary education. One in middle school and two in the two high schools I attended. After the Jr. High class I knew how to type. By the third typing class the instructor was telling me that she's never seen anyone type as quickly as I do. That was probably more of a complement than I deserved. Sometimes I see my brother typing and it sounds like he just slapped the keyboard but there is a sentence up on the screen.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I kindasorta touch type. I use the first and second fingers of both hands, floating around the keyboard, with the occasional use of thumb for spacebar and index finger for a shift. I never had to take a typing class, I just used my computer a lot. I need to be able to see the keyboard to type, though.

Learning to type with all four fingers on each hand is a little frustrating; I'm just not used to twitching my index and pinky fingers...

(I typed this in QWERTY, btw. I've been using a typing tutor program to learn Dvorak and so far I've gotten up to sentences involving 'the Cantonese stoat' - the home row of aoeu htns plus . and c...)

[dsch.livejournal.com]

I just rearranged a couple of the keys on my iBook based on that tutorial. (Not to Dvorak, but to the standard German layout, but whatever.) It actually is easy and safe to pop off the keys and switch them via the "push bottom of key, pull top of key" method.
...I probably shouldn't have tried that while the computer was still on, but whatever...It works fine.

[rhinoscillator.livejournal.com]

Wow. I just realized I've been using Dvorak for about ten years. I put stickers on my keys at first, but since I learned to touch type I just leave it unlabeled... to the consternation of anyone else who tries to use my machine. :D

Early on, my speed hit a plateau around 65 or 70 words per minute. I think it's because I'm unwilling to make any typos.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

um... how long did it take to hit that? 'cause I'm at single-digit speeds right now. It's painful!

I was tempted to go the sticker/printout-by-the-monitor route, but I could tell that having half the keys so temptingly close to the proper position would be maddening.

[rhinoscillator.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I don't quite remember. Within a week I was up to maybe 30, I think. And a couple months on I was typing pretty respectably. The silly thing is, I'd switched in order to ease the strain on my hands, right during a bout of tendonitis, and of course the relearning process actually caused more strain while my hands dealt with conflicting impulses from my brain...

The main trouble I have with typing Dvorak on a QWERTY keyboard is remembering where hotkeys are for various things. The convenience of having X/C/V under your left hand for cut/copy/paste is gone and, probably worst of all, it puts Paste (V) perilously close to Close Window (W). But I do prefer it by a mile.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can see the old habits causing stress!

The Mac has a hybrid layout available that switches to QWERTY when the Apple key's down, but that seems like asking for trouble to me. I'll miss the physical-over-logical grouping of cut/copy/paste.

[rhinoscillator.livejournal.com]

Ooh. I just tested myself (Google: "typing test"), and I'm up to about 80 wpm these days. Maybe it's the bass playing.

[phoenixtril.livejournal.com]

I don't think I could ever get used to DVORAK, largely due in part to the fact that other people share my main computer, and I've gotten so good at touchtyping on a QWERTY keyboard that I'd find it hard to go back. Just testing myself right now, I got 70 words per minute, and I just woke up ten minutes ago. I know I've regularly done over a hundred. Neat project, though, I didn't know those keyboards lit up or anything.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, light-up keyboards are standard on all the Powerbooks now. With a light sensor so it (and the LCD brightness) adjusts automagically.

I get about 60wpm on QWERTY. I need to see the keyboard, though. We'll see how I do once Dvorak starts to settle into my muscle memory...

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

I started typing Dvorak about six months ago, and I wrote four posts about my experiences:

Starting on Dvorak (http://www.livejournal.com/users/chipuni/400202.html)
One month of Dvorak (http://www.livejournal.com/users/chipuni/406607.html)
Two months of Dvorak (http://www.livejournal.com/users/chipuni/414949.html)
Three months of Dvorak (http://www.livejournal.com/users/chipuni/423838.html)

The last post has the secret of Dvorak: it forces you to type correctly. If you've been typing incorrectly, it will help you to keep your fingers in the right position.

After six months of typing on Dvorak, I'm typing about as fast as I did with Qwerty... but certainly not faster. On the other hand, it's a lot more comfortable: most of my typing is just on two rows.

Good luck switching over to Dvorak!