6th March 2001

Coming from the "Fingers on Home Row" Department, Lockergnomie Benjamin Lee points out a problem that shouldn't exist any longer. Have you ever been using your computer keyboard only to find that two (or more) keys get stuck together when you hit them simultaneously? Yeah, it hasn't happened since we were using typewriters, right? So why are we still using the QWERTY layout? According to MIT, "Contrary to popular opinion, the QWERTY design was not actually invented to slow typists down. Rather, the layout was intended to place common two-letter combinations on opposite sides of the keyboard." If only there were another way. Well, there is! It's called Dvorak, and Windows supports it. Open the "Keyboard" applet sitting in your Control Panel. Flip to the "Language" or "Input Locales" tab and edit the properties for your layout. In the drop-down list, select Dvorak and you'll be ready to rock and roll. If you need help getting started with this alternative skill, I strongly suggest visiting THISISTRUE.COM and reading Randy Cassingham's Dvorak Primer.