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Left handed keyboards

What’s the problem? Just turn it upside down. If it was good enough for Hendrix......?

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I'm a lefty, but I've always used the mouse on the right, probably stemming from starting out on shared computers where I was the only left-handed person. It's the same reason I use right-handed scissors: they're generally what's available.

BTW, for what it's worth, I use the Dvorak layout on a Happy Hacking 2 Pro keyboard. How many geek points do I win for this post?
Err, none...
 
AIUI, the QWERTY layout was specifically designed that way, to slow down typists in order to avoid the keys/levers on mechanical typewriters jamming against each other.
That's an annoyingly wide-spread myth. If anything, the layout was chosen to lower the risk of jamming by placing the type arms of letters often used in succession some distance apart. It was done to speed up typing, not to slow anyone down. If slowing down typists really was the goal, you'd think they'd have put the rare letters (X, Q, etc) on the home row and the common ones out in the corners, the opposite of what is actually the case.

But when was the last time you saw a mechanical typewriter? So why do keyboard/laptop manufacturers still persist with these stupid QWERTY layouts ?
I don't find it strange at all. When electric typewriters first came out, there was obviously a transition period during which mechanical ones were still common. Having the same layout on both seems like a reasonable idea. Even as mechanical typewriters became rarer, anyone who had learned to type on a qwerty layout would presumably prefer to keep using it rather than spending months attaining the same typing speed on some other design. Meanwhile, new learners would be using whatever was available, which was qwerty. These people would then be just as reluctant to switch as those who had learned typing on mechanical typewriters. And so it goes on.

Possibly. This is often presented as one of those classic myths, but it's the history is not completely clear. Interesting article here:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts...n-the-legend-of-the-qwerty-keyboard-49863249/
That article makes a crucial mistake. It says "In theory then, the QWERTY system should maximize the separation of common letter pairings. This theory could be easily debunked for the simple reason that “er” is the fourth most common letter pairing in the English language." This debunks nothing for the simple reason that adjacent type arms connect to keys on different rows. The E and R arms are in fact four positions apart, enough to substantially reduce the risk of jamming.
 
Left or corrie here don’t use a mouse just the keyboard and track pad with my right hand.

I use my left hand on my phone though, can’t really text or write properly on the phone using my right hand/fingers.

I much prefer the Apple keyboard layout though @ key top left. Rarely make a mistake on an Apple keyboard using my right hand but I make multiple mistakes using a normal keyboard layout using my right, the keys seem a lot closer and I normally hit the adjacent key.

Rips my knitting.
 
I'm left handed and, to be honest, a bit militant about it. I wont use a mouse in right handed mode - right handed people wouldn't put up with the opposite for a second. Neither will I use a right handed guitar.
The handles on the doors in my home twist to open and were installed by me, so their direction of travel suits left handed people.... Right handed visitors often struggle at first... Welcome to my world!
 
I wont use a mouse in right handed mode

what is "right handed mode"? Are you talking about the physical hand you use or the setting for the buttons on the mouse?

The mouse i use only comes in a form useable in the right hand - i use it to avoid ongoing RSI issues..... i dont know how to use a mouse in my left hand.
 
I'm left handed and, to be honest, a bit militant about it. I wont use a mouse in right handed mode - right handed people wouldn't put up with the opposite for a second. Neither will I use a right handed guitar.
The handles on the doors in my home twist to open and were installed by me, so their direction of travel suits left handed people.... Right handed visitors often struggle at first... Welcome to my world!

Doesn't bother me in the slightest, I'm a plumber you can't be one handed in my trade it's impossible.

I'm pretty much ambidextrous except for the writing thing, I can write right handed but it's not comfortable or natural, there's only two things that I use exclusively left-handed but I couldn't discuss those on a family forum:D
 


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