The QWERTY keyboard layout, designed in 1872 by Christopher Sholes, is confusing but survived due to widespread use. It was designed to make typing easier, not slower, and alternative layouts were presented but not widely adopted. The word “TYPEWRITER” can be typed using only the top row.
Modern computer keyboards include a confusing arrangement of letters. This arrangement is often referred to as “QWERTY” (pronounced kwer-tee) because it is the order of the first six letter keys at the upper left of the keyboard.
QWERTY made its debut in 1872 on a device marketed as a typewriter by inventor Christopher Sholes. Some believe the arrangement of the letters was designed to slow down typing speed in an effort to avoid jams. It is generally believed, however, that the layout was designed to place pairs of common letters on opposite sides of the keyboard, thus making typing easier. Alternative layouts were presented, such as the Dvorak version, but despite claims of superiority, the QWERTY keyboard survived. At this point, it seems too many people have learned the layout and are unwilling to relearn key positions even though greater efficiency has been promised.
An interesting note about the QWERTY layout is that all the letters of the word “TYPEWRITER” are on the top row. Some believe Sholes wanted to make it easier for sellers to show off his new invention, but that was probably just a coincidence.
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