Q keyboard Or, the commonly named Qwerty keyboard has a wide habit of use worldwide. In the majority of people, their habits on this keyboard are visibly common. In fact, after a certain time, computer users adopt this order quickly and the writing speed increases significantly. The Q keyboard automatically becomes a habit, while using a different keyboard layout creates a customary experience for people.
Why are the keys on the keyboards in the Qwerty layout?
Although it is not known much today, the QWERTY keyboard layout is shaped by the combination of a series of historical needs and practical solution. Developed in 1868 by a newspaper writer Christopher Latham Sholes, the typewriter laid the foundation of today’s keyboard layout. Initially, Sholes and his assistants tried to solve a few important technical problems they faced while designing the typewriter.
As it is known, when the keys in the typewriter are pressed, the metal rods get upwards and hit the writing strip. If it was pressed very quickly to similar letters, these bars could be hit by hitting each other and prevented the typewriter from working properly. Şoles and his team placed the keys and frequently used letters to solve this problem. The reason for this was to increase the distance between them to avoid the collision of frequently used keys, while the authors quickly pressed the keys.
The QWERTY layout made it easy to write on typewriter machines, but also affected the habits of people who write. Users started to learn this new order quickly and write quickly, and this order continued to work. Since people are accustomed to the new settlement of the typewriter keys, the Qwerty keyboard habit has survived to the present day.
Today is the QWERTY keyboard habit
With the development of computers and digital devices, innovations have been tried in keyboard technology. However, the QWERTY order remained the most commonly used keyboard today. Although technological developments have eliminated mechanical barriers in typewriter, the usual of the Qwerty order prevented the spread of other keyboard alternatives.
Designed alternative keyboard layouts aim to change the QWERTY order, but it has not succeeded in becoming widespread. For example, unlike the Dvorak layout Qwerty, the more frequently used letters are listed in places that can be accessed more easily by the natural movements of the fingers. However, alternative keyboard layouts such as Dvorak have not become as widespread as the QWERTY order.
The F keyboard was developed in 1955 by the Turkish Language Association in accordance with the sound structure of the language. The aim was to combine the letters in Turkish with more used letters such as vowel letters and minimize finger movements. This design aimed to write Turkish in a faster and more efficient way.
Although the F keyboard offers advantages such as the fact that the Turkish language is suitable for the phonetic structure and the increase in writing speed, the F keyboard has not become popular enough because the Qwerty keyboard becomes a habit and the widespread of digital technology. Digital device manufacturers and software companies have prioritized the QWERTY keyboard, especially on mobile devices, and accepted Qwerty as standard in every language, including Turkish.
The historical development of the QWERTY keyboard also reveals the effect of technology and social habits on correct and efficient use of language. Therefore, Qwerty keyboard continues to be used on many devices from phones to computers today.