Why You Should Not Switch to Dvorak
Tags: Technology, Programming, Software Engineering, Software Development, Productivity

Why You Should Not Use It

Non-standard keyboard layout

Despite having a good reputation and being one of the most popular of the non-standard keyboard layouts, it is not mainstream. You can configure a MacBook Pro and choose the keyboard layout on the Apple website. Dvorak is not an available option. You will have a hard time finding a keyboard with the Dvorak layout. Note that iOS doesn’t have a Dvorak keyboard layout in its settings either.

MacBook keyboard options

One solution is to get a mechanical keyboard with interchangeable keys and manually change the layout. This is a tedious task that you should have to do once eventually. On iOS, you can install a third-party keyboard application to change the keyboard layout and use Dvorak.

Keyboard shortcuts

Using Dvorak means you will touch-type and not have to look at your keys to type. So you might argue the previous section is not that big of a deal. But keyboard shortcuts are a bit different.

When using shortcuts, I often find myself looking down at the keyboard. I’ll look at a tutorial telling me how I need to press Crtl+W, and with my right hand taken by the mouse, I’ll try to push the keys quickly. But where exactly is W? Let me get back into a resting position to figure it out.

For that reason, you will need a mental map between the physical keys and the software/Dvorak keys — unless you switch your keys physically too.

Even if you have not used QWERTY for a long time, you probably have taken the habit of one of the most used keyboard shortcut combinations: Ctrl+C- Crtl+V. And if you take a look at the QWERTY keyboard, you will see C and V are just next to each other.

A few applications have designed their keyboard shortcuts to be as convenient as possible for the user, and they don’t have Dvorak users in mind. One solution is to remap the keys with an AutoHotKey script or a third-party application.

Pair programming

Typing can be cooperative. It is a required input method. When you are pair programming with someone, you will want to be able to collaborate. You will end up in a situation where you will not have access to a laptop with a Dvorak keyboard layout installed. So be prepared to ask your colleague to install it.

If you are in the same situation as me and never learned QWERTY before, you will slow down your teammates. Typing with a QWERTY keyboard is frustrating and can be embarrassing because you will type five times slower. If you want to help someone by typing a few commands, you will have to go back to your desk and send the commands by message.

Technical interviews

While established companies usually let you use your laptop, that isn’t always the case with startups. And one thing they do not anticipate is someone using something other than QWERTY.

If you have spent years typing in Dvorak and your QWERTY speed is at 20 wpm like mine, you have two choices during the interview:

Ask them to set up Dvorak on their laptop.

Type with QWERTY and let them be surprised by how poorly you can type on a keyboard.

I failed 100% of the interviews when I had to ask to change the keyboard layout on the spot. While I don’t think it was the main reason for those failures, it was definitely not a good part of the interview.

Interviews are a moment when you should be confident. It can be time-limited and you should be focused on your task. When you are given a MacBook Pro with Ubuntu and no one can figure out how to get Dvorak on it for more than five minutes, you are already in a bad situation.

Your solution is to ask about how the technical interview will proceed and if you will need a laptop. If they tell you a laptop will be provided, let them know it needs to be configured to have the keyboard layout on it.