[Elecraft] OT-- ​ Re: Narrow Gaming Keyboard and Giant Mouse Pads - K-Pod

[Chester Alderman]

Hi Tim,

I, obviously, am not Niel, however I have been using Dvorak key layout boards for some 30 years and will share my experience with you.

With a standard QWERTY keyboard layout, I never could get my typing speed much over 45 wpm and since I developed an interest in operating CW at QRQ speeds, or in excess of 60 to 120 wpm, I had to find something better! It took me about four to six months to get my typing speed up to about 60 wpm, but much less time to exceed 100 wpm and I maxed out at about 130 wpm. Unfortunately at that time I was working as a computer specialist, providing computer support to PC users in the FDA. I got several quizzical stares when I began typing with two fingers on a QWERTY standard keyboard and numerous times had to explain how I could provide PC support and only type with two fingers! So my answer to your second question is in my experience I could never switch between a Dvorak board and a QWERTY board.

Other than the ability to correctly type over 100 wpm is the fact that Professor Dvorak had performed serious study into key placement, changing the high percentage of keystrokes from the left hand to where both the left and right hand had more equal percentage of keystrokes for typing common words of the English language; and he moved the highest percentage of keystrokes from the two outer fingers of each hand to the two inner fingers of each hand. There are reasons for this, but with a QWERTY keyboard one can type some 90 words of the English language without lifting your eight fingers off of the home keys and with a Dvorak key placement board one can type some 3000 words of the English language without lifting the eight fingers off of the home keys. Also because of less wrist movement with a Dvorak board, carpel (sp?) tunnel syndrome is eliminated. Since Dvorak keyboards have never been accepted (because of folks total dislike of change!!) by industry, these efficient keyboards are very difficult to find.

73,
Tom - W4BQF




-----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Tim Gennett
Sent: Friday, November 25, 2016 4:15 PM
To: Niel Skousen
Cc: Elecraft Mailer
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] ​ Re: Narrow Gaming Keyboard and Giant Mouse Pads - K-Pod

Just curious, Niel, how long did it take you to get use to the new keyboard layout?  And, is this the only keyboard you use, or are you using this at work and a more traditional QWERTY style at home?

Tim K9WX