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I need an answer!!!
PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:01 pm
by BigZam
Why are the keys on a keyboard not alphabetical?
PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:04 pm
by Nate
From what I understand...
When typewriters first came out, they WERE arranged alphabetically. The problem is, people would type so fast that the keys would get jammed together. So, as a precautionary measure, they made new typewriters that had keys spaced like they are today, to reduce jamming.
When computers first came out, people had been trained to type using this arrangement of letters, and so as to prevent people from having to learn to touch type all over again, they kept the keys the same.
If I'm wrong on this, please correct me. ^^
PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:06 pm
by PrincessZelda
So that the first line spells Qwerty.
PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:07 pm
by shooraijin
Nope, you're right. The modern typewriter layout (so-called QWERTY) was developed by Christopher Sholes in 1873 for exactly that purpose; see
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bltypewriter.htm
Others have tried to improve on it with things like the Dvorak layout, but that never caught on. Btw, in French-speaking countries, the keyboard is AZERTY.
Bakemono, please consider making a more useful subject line than "I need an answer!!!" -- that's difficult for people to scan and doesn't say anything about your request.
PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 3:07 pm
by Mr. SmartyPants
are you serious? Qwerty was an actual word? The whole time i thought it was something i made up!
PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 8:24 pm
by Chichiri
shooraijin wrote:Others have tried to improve on it with things like the Dvorak layout, but that never caught on.
Heh, if anyone is ever bored and your friend left his PC unattended: go to the regional and language options in the CP of the computer and change the keyboard layout from English to left handed Dvorak. Makes for a fun scene
.
PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:28 am
by BigZam
thanks guys. now i can get that extra credit!!!!
PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2005 12:17 pm
by agasfas
THat's quite interesting, I never knew that. Though I always wondered why the keys were arranged in such way.... That's pretty cool
PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 1:08 am
by ssj2gohan61
I saw on tech TV an alphabetical keyboard one time
PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 1:45 am
by bigsleepj
Reminds me of a lame joke I once read in the Reader's Digest, one of those "True Story Life's Like That" jokes told in the first person.
A 6 year old with a huge smile walks up to his teacher.
6 year old: Ma'am, I fixed your computer.
Teacher: Fixed it. I didn't know it was broken.
6 year old (smiling widely): It was. But I fixed it. The keys on your keyboard are all back in alphabetical order!