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kinghami3

Future Turbo Monkey
Jun 1, 2004
2,239
0
Ballard 4 life.
It has to do with typewriters and keys getting stuck together. I haven't been watching Fox so I can't answer your second question.
 
Jan 29, 2005
216
0
A keyboard is setup in the QWERTY format for ease of use. the most commonly used letters are in the middle where your fingers rest. The farther you have to reach the less common the letter is
 

dfinn

Turbo Monkey
Jul 24, 2003
2,129
0
SL, UT
dropsdon'tlikem said:
A keyboard is setup in the QWERTY format for ease of use. the most commonly used letters are in the middle where your fingers rest. The farther you have to reach the less common the letter is
I don't think that's quite true. The keyboard is setup the way it is now to slow people down. It used to be setup in a different way and people were typing so fast that it was binding up keyboards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qwerty
 

dfinn

Turbo Monkey
Jul 24, 2003
2,129
0
SL, UT
kinghami3 said:
Booyah! I was right. Eat it, fool. :cool:
easy spanky, i was saying the theory about easy of use was incorrect, not yours. And I'm not hungry, I just finished dinner.
 

blt2ride

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2005
2,332
0
Chatsworth
I hate to be a Mr. know-it-all here, but I know the answer to the "keyboard" question. It's actually quite interesting. It seems that the orginal type writers were set up in alfa-order. However, the older typewriters weren't very good, and when people would type really fast they would break. In order to slow peoples' typing down, they mixed up the keys. If you've ever noticed, you do most of your typing with your left hand...when most people are right handed.

What can I say, I'm full of useless information...I read a book on it.

EDIT: Someone beat me to it...sorry.
 

kinghami3

Future Turbo Monkey
Jun 1, 2004
2,239
0
Ballard 4 life.
blt2ride said:
I hate to be a Mr. know-it-all here, but I know the answer to the "keyboard" question. It's actually quite interesting. It seems that the orginal type writers were set up in alfa-order. However, the older typewriters weren't very good, and when people would type really fast they would break. In order to slow peoples' typing down, they mixed up the keys. If you've ever noticed, you do most of your typing with your left hand...when most people are right handed.

What can I say, I'm full of useless information...I read a book on it.
The question is answered already. You have to be on top of the game, and have many leather bound books in your collection.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
I think you could switch the keyboard on PC's to the faster DVORAK layout. It used to be an option (I think), but almost everyone learns QWERTY, so it remains.

I tried it for a few days, but I am so used to QWERTY, I still used it today.
 

dfinn

Turbo Monkey
Jul 24, 2003
2,129
0
SL, UT
It is definitely still an option. I think the main reason people don't use them is for the exact reason you stated, resistance to change. I've never used one (or even seen one in person) but I hear they really are faster if you learn to use it.
 

kinghami3

Future Turbo Monkey
Jun 1, 2004
2,239
0
Ballard 4 life.
Another problem with DVORAK would be that you would have a fairly hard time learning where the keys were, as most keyboards are printed in QWERT only. QWERTY is here to stay though, I have a hard enough time typing fast as it is.
 

Kopiklokoli

Monkey
Jul 31, 2004
151
0
Nor Cal, of course
Imagine what happened to all the people who used typewriters frequently, it must have really screwed them up. I know that if they suddenly rearranged the keys on my keyboard I would be done for.
 

mcA896

Turbo Monkey
Aug 15, 2003
1,160
0
Cape Cod, MA
bluebug32 said:
stop asking so many damn questions and go ride your bike
i cant. i fear that if i do, i will break something else, then i just need to spend even more money so it will be sell-able.:p
 

mcA896

Turbo Monkey
Aug 15, 2003
1,160
0
Cape Cod, MA
Question, do you actually type in "<snip>" yourself? because when i quote someone, and delete part of their quote, it never puts in "<snip>".