EU+US Anyone else use a Dvorak Keyboard?

Flamer

2014 and 2016 Twink Cup Champion
Does anyone else use a Dvorak keyboard to play WoW, specifically in PvP for 19 twinks?

I'm considering switching to one for use outside of WoW and am wondering if anyone has experience playing WoW with a Dvorak keyboard since, if I were to make the transition, it would be nice for this to be a global change so that I can use one type of keyboard consistently.
[doublepost=1527363913,1527361287][/doublepost]Someone messaged me asking what a Dvorak keyboard is so here's an illustration:

dvorak.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vet
For overall typing purposes, it reduces finger travel for keystrokes and arranges the keys in a way that the most commonly used letters are more easily accessible, so I can see the benefit there. I've tried one a few times before but the QWERTY layout is so ingrained into using computers that it felt like learning a new language.

For WoW though, I'm not sure it really matters much because the letters of the keys themselves are generally irrelevant to your binds, and I would assume most people bind according to feel and ease of access rather than any commitment to specific letters.
 
I agree with Apnea. The QWERTY English keyboard makes you do something like 70% of the typing with your left hand.

It's also possible to go back and forth. My cousin did that for years, using a single keyboard and OS software to switch between Dvorak and standard. Multi-instrumentalists can do this, too: mentally mapping multiple instruments (fingerings) to the same musical scales. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that my cousin is both a CS guy and musician.

I suspect our non-English community is used to it, given that they have French/Spanish/German/etc keyboards, and then have to type English. I don't know if they just mentally switch over, or actually have the OS switch it.
 
Last edited:
I suspect our non-English community is used to it, given that they have French/Spanish/German/etc keyboards, and then have to type English. I don't know if they just mentally switch over, or actually have the OS switch it.

Foreign keyboards are barely any different (the ones using the Latin alphabet, that is). You have a special key here and there but the general layout is mostly the same (except Germans have Y and Z switched around for some reason) or some languages outright use the English keyboard and type special letters using a key combination (like in Polish using ALT+AEOLZXCNS for ĄĘÓŁŻŹĆŃŚ).
 
Foreign keyboards are barely any different (the ones using the Latin alphabet, that is). You have a special key here and there but the general layout is mostly the same (except Germans have Y and Z switched around for some reason) or some languages outright use the English keyboard and type special letters using a key combination (like in Polish using ALT+AEOLZXCNS for ĄĘÓŁŻŹĆŃŚ).
Yeah, I'd seen a 'German' keyboard in Switzerland, and as you said, it was mostly the same with a few differences. I don't know about Spanish or French. Probably like you said, though.
 
Foreign keyboards are barely any different (the ones using the Latin alphabet, that is). You have a special key here and there but the general layout is mostly the same (except Germans have Y and Z switched around for some reason) or some languages outright use the English keyboard and type special letters using a key combination (like in Polish using ALT+AEOLZXCNS for ĄĘÓŁŻŹĆŃŚ).
I guess you never heard of AZERTY, which majority of French speakers use.
500px-Belgian_keyboard_layout.png
 
Well, there are trade-offs. You probably know that QWERTY was purposely developed to be the slowest possible keyboard configuration. And even if you get up to speed, the higher demand for contortions and reaching needed for QWERTY may increase the rate of Repetitive Stress Injuries.

What if you started with Dvorak? Nothing to unlearn, then. Another issue is error rate, which is supposedly higher with the QWERTY.

On the other hand, in the computer era...I find that "70% typing with the left hand" is not necessarily bad, since I'm often doing something with the mouse, especially selecting text or an object, followed by some keystroke(s).

Frequently, that's ctrl/command x/c/v for cut/copy and paste. That's so easy with QWERTY, with almost the minimum reach to x/c/v. (Looks like AZERTY would work for me!)

After trying Dvorak many years ago, and considering the nature of my work, I decided I don't spend enough time typing long missives to warrant the effort. For some people, it's probably the better solution. Plus it discourages people from using your computer!
 
This is a German one
1920px-German-Keyboard-Layout-T2-Version1-large.png

iam fine with this, but ive never try another
 
i was about to buy "New Poker II" keyboard, it has dip switches on the back to quickly change from any layout including Dvorak or even a custom made layout. was about to buy blank key caps for it so i woldn't get confused when switching layouts.
i have tried to learn Dvorak but it was no big deal, so i stick to Azerty/Qwerty cuz they are used the moste.
Not realy worth the time to switch from layouts, it only get you confused and might end up slower typing.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top