The Century-Long Keyboard War: QWERTY vs. Dvorak

This essay delves into the century-long history of the QWERTY and Dvorak keyboard layouts. QWERTY, far from being random, was ingeniously designed to solve mechanical limitations in early typewriters. Dvorak, conversely, aimed for efficiency and ergonomics. Despite Dvorak's demonstrated advantages in trials, historical factors like market inertia, switching costs, and a lack of sustained marketing prevented its widespread adoption. The article reveals the intricate interplay of technological progress, market forces, and human biases in shaping keyboard layouts, prompting reflection on technology standard selection and market competition.