What is a QWERTY keyboard

Each element of the computer carries its own functional load. So, the keyboard is necessary for fast and comfortable printing, searching for the necessary information and controlling the computer. People use the device every day, but few people know why it is called QWERTY.

This option is the most popular and common layout option. It appeared back in those days when texts were typed using typewriters. Probably, many users have repeatedly asked the question - why are the letters arranged in this way, and not in alphabetical order? But it was the alphabetical layout that existed before QWERTY. However, the design features of typewriters used in those days, as well as the nuances of the English language, led to the appearance of QWERTY.

Many words in the English language consist of letters standing next to each other in the alphabet. When typing, this often led to the fact that the keys of the typewriters clung to each other, and the printing device failed. In 1873, the American Scholes found a way out of this situation, and the world saw the first machine with a QWERTY layout. It was the location of the first six left letters that gave the name to the appeared layout option.

Typewriter users appreciated the convenience and the QWERTY keyboard quickly became ubiquitous. Now this option is used on almost all data input devices.

The inventor of this type of keyboard has not just arranged the letters in this order. He optimized their placement so that the most frequently used ones are centered. This made it possible to significantly increase the speed of typing, and a little later led to the appearance of the “Blind method of data set”, which is used today.

Since this method turned out to be very popular, they began to use it on mobile devices. If on touch devices you have to press one letter several times to select the desired character, then on phones equipped with a QWERTY keyboard, typing is much simpler and faster. In addition, this layout option makes using the device comfortable and makes it possible to perform tasks on the phone that are implemented on a personal computer, for example, quickly type text, use mail and others.

REFERENCE! If in the English version the keyboard was called QWERTY, then in the Cyrillic segment it is called YTsUKEN.

In addition to the QWERTY keyboard, there are several alternative layout options:

1. Dvorak. The layout was invented by Professor August Dvorak at the beginning of the 20th century. The variant was based on Scholes, in which Dvorak slightly changed the location of the letters. So, the most frequently used letters began to be located under the index and thumb. This keyboard is not in demand among users. Mostly programmers work on it.
2. Colemak. Latin layout was proposed in 2006. It is a hybrid of QWERY and Dvorak keyboards. The 10 main letters and the BackSpace key are in the second row. And some key combinations are pressed with one hand.
3. There are also several regional QWERY keyboard options. They are made taking into account the alphabet of the country in which they are issued. In Germany and Eastern Europe, this option is called QWERTZ, in French-speaking countries - AZERTY.

Despite the existing alternatives, QWERTY remains the most popular keyboard that is used on all devices. It is ergonomic, comfortable and allows for quick typing.