Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:16800 comp.editors:179
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.editors
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Idea for new MacIntosh Editor
Message-ID: <1988Jun6.230840.2897@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <5024@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>, 
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 88 23:08:40 GMT

> This was done in the early days of manual typewriters to slow typists
> down to a rate that the machine could handle without jamming.

Sigh, again this old myth surfaces.  It was done to put frequently-used
letters far apart, to minimize jamming.  This tends to *speed up* typists
slightly.

> ... See Devorak's work on
> keyboard layouts for a detailed discussion on more reasonable
> keyboard configurations.

All independent attempts to verify Dvorak's claims have been unsuccessful.
Improvements on the order of 10% are typical.  Useful, but not worth the
pain of conversion.
-- 
"For perfect safety... sit on a fence|  Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
and watch the birds." --Wilbur Wright| {ihnp4,decvax,uunet!mnetor}!utzoo!henry