Where Does QWERTY Come From?

Hi guys, what's up? The QWERTY keyboard of course! Today in this article essay text adventure we will explore the QWERTY keyboard and its origins. I feel like we're beginning the journey to find a precious jewel in the forest. 😄

1. QWERTY Introduces Himself 😀🔠

QWERTY: "Thanks for the fantastic intro, now I'm going to take over from here! So, you ask, who invented me? Well, the brilliant inventor Christopher Sholes got the idea of ME in the 1870s. Why? Oh, that's sort of a long story. Our old friend Christopher Sholes wanted to invent something that could help people who use typewriters type faster. The typewriter Christopher Sholes invented became the most popular version, and the most efficient one. Ah, of course, I thought you'd never ask! Why QWERTY, not ABCDEF? Well, QWERTY's not the most logical arrangement for the letters, but our buddy Christopher Sholes is SMART! He knew that ABCDEF are the most-used letters in the alphabet. So, I'm sure you wouldn't want to keep typing in the same place on your keyboard - that would pretty much probably make you jumble your words every time you try to type a word... And as for my rivals, you say? Well, ah... You just remembered me about my archenemy, QWERTZ. Thanks for ruining my day. I'll tell you all about QWERTZ and all of his mischievous acts. First of all, QWERTZ is a copycat! He copied my letter layout and just swapped the 'Y' and the 'Z' to look innocent in front of the typers like you! And QWERTZ's symbol and number layout, you say? Well... um... Ok, you win, his symbols have a totally different layout than mine... But - But.. Well I'm a lot more better, right? Yeah, thanks, whatever, let's just go on... SO! Another rival coming up now! His name is Dvorak - you might--". Dvorak interrupts: "Hell-O, Ladies and gentlemen, kids and babies, toddlers and grandpas, grandmas and aunts and uncles! Welcome tooooo THE DVORAK SHOW! Let me introduce you to my brilliance, and if you have fun today, leave some comments! So, first of all: I was developed in the 1930s by the brilliant (like me) August Dvorak and William Dvorak. My layout aims to improve typing speed and reduce hand strain while typing! Brilliant, am I right? YES, of course, I am!!! A hint: Because I'm the coolest, most brilliant keyboard layout EVERRRRR! Thank you, thank you! BYE!". QWERTY: "Phew, now let me TALK bro, Dvorak! There are lots of others rivals to me, but I don't have time sadly to introduce them all in detail! Sooooo I'll just skim through their info and... Yeah -  I'll... I'll just say their names and stuff...

1. Dvorak

2. Colemak

3. Workman

4. Maltron

Well, for me, all those weird layouts and stuff are confusing, especially Maltron. But I have other rivals: QWERTZ (Used in Germany and in most Middle European countries) and AZERTY (Used in France and Belgium). I don't wanna be rude now, so just use whatever layout you want, I mean, I'm not like Dvorak... But, um... I promise you, I'm like, TOTALLY the best... 😇😁 Bye guys and see you next time!!!". Now me again! (Yahia, the author of this fantastic awesome article). I hope you learnt something from QWERTY and Dvorak (and from me!). Now let's move on to the next topic:

2. Comparison Table (Not As Much As Fun As Talking With QWERTY, But Still Important...)

Comparison of Keyboard Layouts

Feature	Dvorak	QWERTY	QWERTZ	AZERTY	Workman	Colemak
Year Introduced	1936	1873	1907	1868	2006	2006
Main Goals	Increased efficiency, reduced strain	Standardization, familiarity	Standardization, familiarity	French adaptation of QWERTY	Efficiency, comfort	Efficiency, ease of learning
Key Differences from QWERTY	Places most frequent letters on home row, alternates vowels and consonants	Standard layout	Swapped Y and Z keys	Swapped Z and W keys, different symbol layout	More balanced letter distribution	Optimized for finger usage, reduced finger travel
Strengths	Faster typing speeds, reduced hand strain	Widely recognized, easy to learn	Widely available, familiar to many users	Suitable for French language	Comfortable typing experience, efficient layout	Balance between efficiency and ease of learning
Weaknesses	Requires learning curve, less familiar	Slower typing speeds for some users, potential for strain	Not widely available in all regions	Less efficient for other languages	Less well-known, requires learning curve	May not be as efficient as Dvorak for some users
Primary Users	Touch typists seeking efficiency and comfort	General users, beginners	German speakers, Central Europe	French speakers, Belgium	Touch typists seeking comfort and efficiency	Users seeking balance between efficiency and ease of learning

• This table is a simplified comparison and may not capture all the nuances of each layout.
• The "best" keyboard layout depends on individual preferences, typing habits, and specific needs.
• There are many other keyboard layouts available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

I hope this table helps you understand the key differences between these popular keyboard layouts. Ok, I admit, it wasn't really fun, but at least you learnt something - You did learn something, right?

So folks, that's it for today, I hope you enjoyed this article... QWERTY: "Bye guys, hope you enjoyed this journey/adventure and had fun!". Bye!

Author: Yahia Ayman