One of the most enduring tech myths claims QWERTY was designed to slow typists down and prevent typewriter jams. While that's not accurate, it has sparked interest in alternative keyboard layouts promising greater efficiency.
Contents: Alternative Keyboards | Do They Work? | Configure an Alternate Keyboard | To Alternate or Not
The rationale is straightforward: On QWERTY, fingers travel far for common letters like vowels, which aren't on the home row. Alternative layouts place frequent keys there, reducing movement, boosting speed, and minimizing fatigue.
A dedicated community designs and uses these layouts, but Dvorak and Colemak stand out for widespread adoption.
Invented in 2006, Colemak gained rapid popularity by changing just 17 keys from QWERTY while maximizing home row usage—74% of keystrokes, slightly outperforming Dvorak.
Deeper in the ecosystem, you'll find layouts like:
Workman (newer but gaining traction)
QWPR (only 11 changes from QWERTY)
Rigorous studies are scarce—the topic doesn't draw much academic focus. Alternatives reduce finger travel and favor inward rolls for smoother typing. World records exist for both QWERTY and Dvorak, and research yields mixed results. Speed and comfort gains are mostly anecdotal, but plentiful.
No data disproves their benefits either. Adaptation takes effort, but for those seeking typing gains, the risk is low. Stick to QWERTY for compatibility—hunt-and-peck on shared machines is frustrating.
Switching requires no new hardware—just software settings.
Dvorak
Built into Windows (Control Panel > Language > Options > Add Input Method), macOS (Apple's guide available), and Linux (GUI or CLI).
Colemak
Download from colemak.com (Windows, macOS, Linux). Install, enable in settings. Try Tarmak for gradual transition.
As a long-time user, I've switched to Colemak as my default. I retain QWERTY proficiency, and my speed has noticeably improved—though practice plays a role.
Most should stay with QWERTY; retraining may not justify modest gains. For minimal disruption, choose Colemak. For a true shift, Dvorak is classic and pre-installed. Many other thoughtful layouts exist.
