Striking Home

Winter 1996, Page 2

From The Mailbox

I found the Fall 1995 Striking Home very interesting - especially My Dvorak Story by Matt Gaylen and Dvorak in Australia.
It brought to mind various parts of my own "Dvorak Story".
How I wish I knew of some way to contact all the QWERTY typists in the world and issue a challenge for them to switch to the Dvorak keyboard! If a QWERTY typist for 42 years can meet the challenge of learning a new keyboard, why are you so "afraid" to try something new that is such a joy once it is learned! Not only did I meet the challenge in 1983 to learn a different keyboard, I typed both keyboards for five years-QWERTY at the office and Dvorak at home-until I retired in 1988, and went to Dvorak exclusively-never to go back to QWERTY!
After 42 years, QWERTY has been wiped out of my finger's memory and I have to hunt and peck if I want to use Keyboard #2 on my machine. It is Keyboard #1, Dvorak, all the way now!
Come on youngsters-you should be able to match the performance of a 68-year-young typist and meet the challenge to learn a superior keyboard-the Dvorak! It takes a fraction of the time that was needed to learn QWERTY and is a snap converting to Dvorak if you have mastered touch typing already!
I have two machines with the Dvorak keyboard: the first purchased in 1983 and the second in 1994!
That's "My Dvorak Story" Steve!
Marie McDonald
Denver, CO

I'm so excited because I'm touch-typing for the first time in my life-without looking too! All after just 10 hours of practice-thanks to the Dvorak keyboard (and the best Dvorak typing teacher in the business-Mavis Beacon!). For the moment, my speed is only 21 WPM, but remember, that's after just 10 hours-and I've never typed before-even in QWERTY!!!
Thank you for your important work.
Clark Reddick
Waltham, MA

Hi! I saw your letter in the October Computer Shopper. It's great to hear there are sane people out there!
I've just changed my keyboard over to Dvorak in Windows (not in DOS though, because I don't have the DOS Supplemental disk), and it's much better. I had to copy letters, cut and tape them to the keyboard, and that was a real drag. When ordering my computer I'd asked about a pre-configured Dvorak layout, but was told they knew nothing at Gateway about such a thing.
I'd like to see your newsletter and product list, for I'm interested in applying to join your group and in trying to spread the word here. My friends without PCs are all sold on it after seeing and using it here. The ones with PC's already are reluctant to bother with the new. The more information the better.
Mick Barrow
Yoshitake-machi, Japan

Hi. I'm interested in switching to the Dvorak layout but answer me this? How is this going to improve things for a French (or german or spanish) typist since diacriticals are easier to get on a French AZERTY layout than with the Dvorak layout.
Maybe you should remove "international" from your name. Thanks anyway.
Vincent Knobil
vknobil@dialup.francenet.fr

Vincent,
August Dvorak and William Dealey created the Dvorak layout after intensive study of both typing behavior and the English language. So far, no one has done similar work with non-English languages. Clearly, however, there is a demand for non-English Dvorak layouts.
You might want to ask our supporters from Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and elsewhere around the world what they think about the idea of dropping "International" from our name.

My Dvorak Story

By Susan Sultani

I started learning the Dvorak method of typing approximately 2 1/2 years ago. I had been having symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome for approximately seven years which had been increasing in severity with the passage of time. My job as a medical transcriptionist for a large local hospital required that I type a large volume of material at a rapid pace each day with little relief in the form of other non typing tasks. I experienced numbness, tingling, and sharp pains in my hands and wrists at the end of the day. These symptoms began to last further into the evening as the years passed and eventually started to affect the quality of my sleep. I felt that my days as a transcriptionist were limited, so I tried a number of "ergonomic solutions" which, unfortunately, did little to relieve my symptoms.
It was at this point that I met Brad, my Dvorak instructor, who asked if I would be interested in retraining on the Dvorak keyboard. He explained that I would be typing on the home row for up to 70 percent of the time and that many of the awkward wrist twisting and crossing over motions of the Qwerty keyboard would be eliminated. I felt that it was worth a try, in that perhaps it would help reduce the discomfort I was now constantly experiencing when typing. So, I began by retraining on the Dvorak keyboard.
Once my comfort level with the Dvorak keyboard was established and my speed began to increase, it was with pleasure that I came to the point of switching over to Dvorak full time-and I have never looked back. I found the Dvorak keyboard to be logical, easy to recall, and rapidly assimilated. There are no awkward, twisting motions to the wrists, so I am able to keep them in a neutral, comfortable position. I have found that this has calmed my carpal tunnel symptoms immensely. On a recent EMG and nerve conduction study performed by a neurologist, my condition was found to have improved, thus confirming my own symptomatic improvement.
In conclusion, I have found that typing on the Dvorak keyboard is very balanced and pleasurable, and that I no longer experience the mental fatigue at the end of a day of typing that I did with the Qwerty keyboard. One of the most impressive bonuses of all is the fact that I am able to type over 70 percent more using the Dvorak keyboard. My pace is non stressful and balanced, and I feel that I have yet to reach my limits.

Susan Sultani
Folsom, CA