What Is The Point Of The Qwerty Keyboard On Computers?

[Gizmo j]

I heard the reason the qwerty keyboard was created was because typewriters we're jamming because people were typing too fast so they made the qwerty layout to make people type slower.

But computer keyboards don't jam like typewriters, so why use the qwerty keyboard?

 

[nakedfrog]

Please, won't you join us for our next segment of "questions that you can easily find the answers for", with our host, Gizmo j?

 

[pete6032]

I heard the reason the qwerty keyboard was created was because typewriters we're jamming because people were typing too fast so they made the qwerty layout to make people type slower.

But computer keyboards don't jam like typewriters, so why use the qwerty keyboard?

How and I supposed to play FPS games on a keyboard where W, A, S, and D are not right next to each other?

 

[IronWing]

How and I supposed to play FPS games on a keyboard where W, A, S, and D are not right next to each other?

Your righthanded privilege is showing. Us south paws have to settle for the arrow keys.

 

[eelw]

I heard the reason the qwerty keyboard was created was because typewriters we're jamming because people were typing too fast so they made the qwerty layout to make people type slower.

But computer keyboards don't jam like typewriters, so why use the qwerty keyboard?

You’re free to change keyboard layout to Dvorak.

 

[nakedfrog]

You’re free to change keyboard layout to Dvorak.

And I seem to recall the data showing that it's basically not worth the effort.

 

[Captante]

 

[sdifox]

Your righthanded privilege is showing. Us south paws have to settle for the arrow keys.

I grew up playing games with the numpad

Hell I remember having a plastic joystick attahment for the numpad lol.

Ahahha it is still being made! Not the exact one.

 

[KMFJD]

input system

 

[BoomerD]

The DOLE purpose of QWERTY keyboards was to make Gizmo ask stupid questions. See how well it worked?

 

[Muse]

I learned to "touch-type" (i.e. no look, although I never got real good at not looking at the numbers, and there was no num-pad on those, of course) before there were even electric typewriters. A different layout would mean I'd have to forget what I learned on.

Those manual typewriters were a bitch if your coordination was even a little off. The hammer keys would jam against each other and you had to stop and pull them apart. Sometimes it was a lot harder than others to do that, depending on which keys you pressed, how hard too. I hated that. Then, you had to deal with typewriter ribbon, changing it, you'd get the ink on your fingers. Every line change you had to do manually, swinging the carriage across. Even so, I liked typing. It was faster than using a pen once you got near 40 wpm.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Random fun fact, the way the keys are staggered between each row (ex: and not just a grid) is not really about ergonomics but because it would have been physically hard to design a typewriter that way due to each key being connected to an arm going towards the front so it has to pass beside the arm for the other keys. It just stayed that way when they made electric typewriters and eventually computers as people were used to it.

 

[lxskllr]

Starting from scratch with no previous knowledge, is there a better way to layout a keyboard? I can't type, so one thing is as good as another to me. I just do a somewhat speedy hunt/peck, so once a layout is memorized, I don't think layout would make much of a difference.

 

[Mermaidman]

With each subsequent generation, our ancestors became more proficient with QWERTY and genetically passed that trait onto us.

 

[eelw]

With each subsequent generation, our ancestors became more proficient with QWERTY and genetically passed that trait onto us.

Lol it’s thumb typing you mean

 

[MtnMan]

Wonder how many the OP uses to post these questions, one or two?

 

[Captante]

Wonder how many the OP uses to post these questions, one or two?

Left pinky. Exclusively.

 

[mv2devnull]

But computer keyboards don't jam like typewriters, so why use the qwerty keyboard?

Jam on keyboard feels icky. But why a keyboard? Don't you have iMouse?

 

[sdifox]

You can set different key layouts in windows. And then get a kb with removable cap and re map accordingly. QWERTY is just so ingrained in my muscle memory I have no interest in learning another key map.

 

[Meghan54]

You can set different key layouts in windows. And then get a kb with removable cap and re map accordingly. QWERTY is just so ingrained in my muscle memory I have no interest in learning another key map.

Fact. I learned touch typing in 1968. Hated my mother for making me take that bleeding class…was only guy in it.
Turned out she was right. Sure made some parts of life easier.

 

[sdifox]

Fact. I learned touch typing in 1968. Hated my mother for making me take that bleeding class…was only guy in it.
Turned out she was right. Sure made some parts of life easier.

I have been on computer since early 80s and no typing class

 

[nakedfrog]

I have been on computer since 80s and no typing class

Where I went to public school in Utah in the 80s, typing classes were a prerequisite for the computer classes in middle school
So I learned on an electric typewriter.

 

[sdifox]

Where I went to public school in Utah in the 80s, typing classes were a prerequisite for the computer classes in middle school
So I learned on an electric typewriter.

Computer class for middle school in the 80s? Wow talk about rich district.

 

[Captante]

I have been on computer since early 80s and no typing class

Same here but most folks who DID take classes back in the day can type one heck of a lot faster than my high-speed "hunt and peck" lol.

 

[Captante]

Computer class for middle school in the 80s? Wow talk about rich district.

My Junior HS had a computer-class (sans computers since PC's didn't really exist yet) and we also had an after-school computer club which made use of the "mainframe" in our HS via one of those crappy "cradle" modems. The only "monitor" was a dot-matrix printer!

Hunt the Wumpus - (text-based computer-adventure game ~ 1975)

To be fair this WAS Greenwich CT so yes a "rich" American school system if ever there was one!