Why do we still use the QWERTY keyboard

[dustypuss]

Why do we still use the QWERTY keyboards the configuration was layed out to stop the little hammers on typewriters getting jammed? But as PC etc don’t have little hammers anymore why still use it.

[furrypusscat]

Why change something that works and cause unneccessary confusion to all that are used to it.

[2sp_]

You can get alternative keyboards, but most folk learned to type with Qwerty and stick to it.

[2sp_]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY

[albaqwerty]

I just wish folk would stop picking on me :-D

[furrypusscat]

Are you feeling depressed alba?

[friedgreentomato]

lol

[McMouse]

Sound a bit keyed up alba.

[MarkRae]

If you've ever tried to use a Dvorak keyboard, you'd know why everyone is sticking to QWERTY!

[ChuckFickens]

You're welcome to use a different one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard

[McMouse]

Some of my old programmers and developers would 're-map' their keyboards as they claimed it made life easier.

[MarkRae]

^^ That's just 'geek chic', though, like the 'hard-core' users who still do everything through CLI...

[albaqwerty]

nothing wrong with qwerty, really easy to spell :-D

It's a bit like asking 'why aren't keyboards set out in ABC etc'

[ChuckFickens]

Exchange, although getting better, still annoys me occasionally because some of the fairly basic tasks only being available in the shell!

And don't even get me started on key management servers..... GUI, what GUI?

[dustypuss]

So-why aren't keyboards set out in ABC

[ChuckFickens]

See original question....

"the configuration was layed out to stop the little hammers on typewriters getting jammed? "

[MarkRae]

Bet you're still using the MS-DOS Executive... ;-)

[albaqwerty]

Because it would take too long for folk to type, The qwerty keyboard has most sense, imo, of it's layout.

I refer to your first answer, there are millions of people who have learned to type using the qwerty layout and there are quite a few teachers too. :-D

[Kiki-frog]

So are you the QWERTY heiress then, alba?

[ChuckFickens]

Just upgraded to V3.0 though :)

"The qwerty keyboard has most sense, imo, of it's layout."

No it doesn't really, it only seems to because it's what you are used to. The Dvorak layout makes more sense because the most commenly used keys are all on the home row if you look at the worn keys on the below pic you can see this...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dvorak_usage_pattern.png
(Ok it's a qwerty keyboard, but it's been used by a dvorak touch typer)

If you compare that to the wear on your qwerty keyboard you'll see the worn keys are all over the place
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefsull/2737156042/