I spend a significant amount of time on the computer about every day of the week, and one thing I had never thought about was using a different keyboard layout. The QWERTY layout is the only keyboard layout almost all of us have ever used. We're all familiar with it, it's now become the way most of us communicate on a daily basis. While I've heard of other layouts, I've never thought much about them, assuming the QWERTY layout was the most efficient. However, I just read through an interesting article making a case for using a far more efficient layout, the Dvorak Keyboard.

The article breaks it's case down into seven reasons, providing a compelling argument. Typing began on the typewriter, which is where the QWERTY layout came about. The reason for it's key placement was to separate the keys enough which would minimize the hammers jamming and getting stuck together. Dr. Dvorak on the other hand, created his layout with the typist in mind. This alternate layout provides a significant increase in speed, placing 70% of keystrokes on the home row as opposed to the 32% of keystrokes that are on the home row in the QWERTY layout. The Dvorak layout also reduces the amount of mistakes. Among these are other points about improving our health and that, simply, it's cool.

That last reason might not be the most convincing, but a boost in efficiency and accuracy are always a welcome improvement to just about anything. While I may not be running out and buying a Dvorak keyboard right now, it definately got me thinking about something I hadn't put much thought into, and is definitely something that I will be checking out in the near future.