Piano Guidance
Piano Guidance
Photo: Huy Phan
DVORAK A lot of tests and demonstrations have shown that DVORAK is a lot better than QWERTY. Estimates are that you can be more than 60 per cent faster typing on a DVORAK keyboard.
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Read More »It’s true; QWERTY is everywhere. It’s on your phone, your laptop, your PC, even your Smart TV keyboard uses a QWERTY layout. Why do we use the QWERTY layout though? It might not even be the fastest way around a keyboard. We use it because we’re habituated to it. We have been using it since the time we used our first computer or phone. In fact, QWERTY was created the mid-1800s and was used in early typewriters. It soon became a way of life, and there was strong emphasis on training people using that layout. We’re still using it to this day, despite decades of developments in technology. The QWERTY layout isn’t very efficient. It doesn’t line up most commonly used characters close enough. If you pay close attention to your hands as you type, you should notice your fingers travel across the keyboard to punch the keys in. This is inefficient and it’s responsible for a large part of the stress on our fingers. If revisions and improvements were made through time, we might have been using a much simpler, efficient layout today. It’s never too late though. There is a newer, more efficient layout. In fact, there are many more. The most popular keyboard layout of late is DVORAK. It’s drastically different from the QWERTY keyboard. One look at it and it should be obvious that’s it is very different. Take for example, the symbols and punctuation signs, have been moved to the top-left end of the keyboard. The vowels are all clubbed to the left side of the keyboard too. DVORAK however isn’t the most efficient. Make no mistake, it is better than QWERTY but it’s not the best. For one, switching to a new layout requires a lot of unlearning and getting used to it. Once you do that, you depend entirely on the new layout. A lot of tests and demonstrations have shown that DVORAK is a lot better than QWERTY. Estimates are that you can be more than 60 per cent faster typing on a DVORAK keyboard. The layout that takes the crown however is called Colemak. Colemak is relatively newer, and it’s easier to adapt as well. The layout resembles existing QWERTY layouts, but it makes improvements where it matters. One of the issues of switching layouts means existing keyboard shortcuts don’t work anymore. You need to train your brain to adapt to the new layout or reassign shortcuts to the existing layouts. Fortunately, the most common shortcuts stay the way there are with Colemak. The Z X C V B keys don’t move from their current location. The commonly used shortcuts still work.
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Learn More »In fact, most of the changes take place in the centre and top character key rows. There is an additional alphabet on the middle row on the far right, and the colon / semi-colon keys move to the top row instead. Another interesting change is switching the Caps Lock with the Backspace. The backspace being accessible by your left hand’s pinky is a lot more useful than having to reach to the top right of your keyboard. Changing the layout first involves making some changes to your OS, maybe your keyboard and then training yourself to get used to the new layout. This can take a month or two to really get the hang of it. It’s easy to get some grasp of the keys in the first few hours and day but to be proficient, it will take some time. The rewards are worth it. Colemak users have recorded typing speeds of over 150 words per minute, some even 200, whereas most QWERTY typists manage to cross 100 words per minute speeds. The other benefits include lesser finger and wrist pain, since your fingers don’t move much between key strokes, or up and down the keyboard. The stronger fingers are used more often than the pinky and ring finger too. There are several ways of changing the keyboard layout. The first and most obvious way is by removing your existing key caps and placing them in their new locations. Do this carefully and at your own risk, using the clips provided with your keyboard, and by being very careful not to damage them in the process. Also, don’t attempt this on non-mechanical keyboards since most of them don’t let you replace keycaps. Refer to the Colemak layout to correctly place the keys. That’s not all, you need to change the layout on your operating system. Linux offers a simpler way to do this, but if you’re using Windows, you’ll need to use some third-party tools. If you’re using a membrane keyboard or a model where you cannot replace the keycaps, you could purchase stickers to place on the keys. You can make your own if you would like, using some cello tape and paper. There are also some keyboard protectors available that have the Colemak layout printed on them. In the long run, it’s a good idea to purchase a good mechanical keyboard with replaceable keycaps.
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Read More »Once you have your key caps situation figured, Windows users will need to install Autohotkey. There are scripts available that let you replace every QWERTY Keyboard keystroke with a Colemak one. This is a makeshift arrangement since Windows does not officially support Colemak layout yet. There are plenty of typing tutor web sites that help train with the new layout. Understand that there is a steep learning curve to relearn what you learnt years maybe decades ago. At first, you’re likely going to be much slower than you were with QWERTY keyboards, but in a few months, you might be just as fast as QWERTY. Once you cross this hurdle, you should be venturing into much higher speeds. The other benefits of using Colemak such as reduced stress and fatigue should also be noticeable. If you’re not yet ready to make the leap, using Colemak on the phone could be a start. It’s simpler there since there are keyboard apps that let you choose the Colemak layout. Take Microsoft’s Swiftkey for example. You can install it from the Google Play Store and choose the Colemak layout. You should be able to go a few weeks before you can choose to make the change on your laptop or PC.
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