What’s the Reason Behind the Adoption of the QWERTY Keyboard Layout?
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Anyone who has tried to use an alphabetical keyboard is well-acquainted with the seemingly illogical QWERTY layout. The debate persists on why this design emerged and why, after nearly 150 years, a more efficient alternative has yet to be widely adopted.
The QWERTY layout, named after the first six letters of the Latin alphabet, was patented in 1878 by Christopher Latham Sholes and remains the standard keyboard layout today.
Despite our familiarity with QWERTY, its letter arrangement needs an apparent order. However, there is a method to the madness.
The History of QWERTY
The first practical typewriter, invented by Sholes in 1867, replaced the more enormous and cumbersome typography. The initial 28-key, alphabetical iteration evolved into the QWERTY format on the Sholes & Glidden Typewriter in 1874. Eventually, the Remington Standard Typewriter No. 2, released in 1886, solidified the QWERTY format with some modifications.
QWERTY’s success grew as Remington became the sole producer, with over 100,000 QWERTY-based typewriters in use across the US by 1890. The Typewriter Trust, formed in 1893, standardized the QWERTY format as typewriter companies adopted it.
Theories on QWERTY’s Function
One theory suggests that QWERTY’s order was intended to slow down typing and prevent key jamming. Common letter pairings were deliberately separated to minimize jamming.
However, an opposing theory proposes that the layout originated accidentally while attempting to make typing faster and more efficient for those translating Morse code. Placing similar Morse-coded letters together would speed up ordering.
Another theory suggests Remington’s involvement in production standardized the format. Companies using Remington-trained typists would naturally stock Remington typewriters by training typists on the QWERTY system, creating an autonomous system.
Alternative Keyboard Layouts
Despite QWERTY’s dominance, alternatives have been proposed. August Dvorak’s keyboard, developed in the 1930s, aims to increase words per minute (WPM) by redistributing commonly used letters. However, debates persist on its efficiency.
The Colemak keyboard has gained popularity, claiming improvements on both QWERTY and Dvorak. The KALQ layout, optimized for touchscreen use, boasts increased typing speed for tablet users.
As technology advances, the future of keyboard layouts remains uncertain. Whether QWERTY will endure or yield more efficient alternatives depends on our ability to adapt and break from traditional habits.
Read the original article on IFL Science.
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