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The Dvorak Element of the Symmetric Group
Zoltán Szabó
Gatsby Unit, Tea Talk
August 15, 2014
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Topic: Typewriters → Efficient Touch Typing
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Historical Overview
First mechanical typewriters: ABCD. . .
Experienced typist: frequent jams ⇒
Manufacturers [Christopher Sholes, 1873]:
place co-occuring keys far (language specific),“slow” the typist down.
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Historical Overview
First mechanical typewriters: ABCD. . .
Experienced typist: frequent jams ⇒
Manufacturers [Christopher Sholes, 1873]:
place co-occuring keys far (language specific),“slow” the typist down.
= QWERTY design.
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Some Statistics: Accuracy, Students’ Age Distribution
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Speed: WPM = words per minute
Online typing test:
http://www.ratatype.com/typing-test/#wpm
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Motivation
Fastest English language typist:
Barbara Blackburn (2005),
150 wpm for 50 minutes,
peak typing speed: 212 wpm,
using Dvorak simplified keyboard.
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Motivation
Fastest English language typist:
Barbara Blackburn (2005),
150 wpm for 50 minutes,
peak typing speed: 212 wpm,
using Dvorak simplified keyboard.
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The Inventor(s)
August Dvorak:
professor of education (University of Washington, Seattle),advisor of an MSc thesis on typing errors,studied the Qwerty layout.
Joint work with William Dealey (his brother-in-law).
Conclusion: design a new keyboard layout.
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An Alternative: DSK (Dvorak Simplified Keyboard)
Having
reviewed slow-motion films of typists,studied
most used letters and letter combinations,physiology of the hand.
1932 = DSK Patent.
1936: Typewriting Behavior: Psychology Applied to
Teaching and Learning Typewriting (500 pages).
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Qwerty Defects: Hand Overload
Using fingers of the same hand without rest:slow, more uncertain typing.does not allow “play for position”.
Fastest and easiest strokes:home row,on opposite hands.
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Defects+: Unbalanced Finger Loads
Standard layout:
overwork certain fingers,underworks others.
It should be proportional to their strength, dexterity.
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Defects+: Excess Finger Movement
Fingers jump over the home row far too often.
Only 32% of all typing is done at the home row.
⇒ wasted motion, fatigue.
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Defects+: Awkward Strokes
Many high-frequency letter combinations:
unnecessarily complex,difficult to execute.
Example: “December”.
Results in
many errors,lower typing speed.
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Better Hand Alternation; Awkward Strokes → min
Home row:
vowels (40% of all typing) = left.
major consonants = right.
Off-home characters: minimize awkward strokes (speed: × 3).
⇒ Typists fingers travel: 30 km → 1.5 km/day.
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More Work on Home Row: Illustration
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Better Finger Loads
Numbers: 1-best, 8-weakest.
Finger loads according to relative finger capabilities.
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Historical Facts
1933: Dvorak started entering typists
trained on DSK,into the International Commercial Schools Contest.
1934-1941: 10× won their class events.
1935: 9 Dvorak typist = 20 medals.
Qwerty typists:
do not want to sit be placed next to Dvorak’s typist,disconcerting noise [too fast typing speed:)].
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Experimental Results
Easier to learn.
Easier to operate (less fatiguing ⇐ simpler strokes).
More accurate (50% fewer mistakes)
Faster:
several records,improves productivity by 35%-100%.
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“Contra”
Midst of the Great Depression (+Word War II).
“Unbiased” test by Earl Strong:
”I have developed a great deal of material
on how to get this increased production on
the part of typists on the standard keyboard.
Consequently, I am not in favor of purchasing
new (i.e., Dvorak) keyboards and retraining
typists on the new keyboard, and I am out to
exploit it to its very utmost in opposition to the
change to new keyboards. ” (1949)
U.S. General Services Administration, 1956later interestingly destroyed.
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“Contra-2”
Qwerty: became entrenched in tradition.
Network effect (economics):
New typists start with Qwerty: ∃ DSK?
Retraining requires: ≈ 1 month (lower productivity).
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Summary
Qwerty keyboard:
designed for mechanical typewriters.
An alternative (DSK): emphasis on
typist comfort,high productivity,ease of learning.
Available on all major platforms:
Linux, Mac OS X,even on Windows.
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Some Other Alternatives/Approaches
Many ergonomicly “deformed” keyboards:
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Some Other Alternatives/Approaches
Many ergonomicly “deformed” keyboards:
Typewriter is available on iPad:
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Thank you for the attention!
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Blank Keyboards
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Typewriting Behavior
60 pages: discuss keyboards,
15 pages: mention Dvorak’s simplified keyboard,
Rest is dedicated to:
study of behavior, language,learning patterns, fatigue, andother general concepts (useful to all typists).
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Historical Overview: First Touch Typist
Frank Edward McGurrin:
court stenographer (Salt Lake City, Utah),
decisive victory in a typing contest:
with touch typing,July 25, 1888 (Cincinnati).
won $500 USD (≈ $13,000 USD today).
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