The Dvorak keyboard was what gave her the chance. In only a few years her speed was up to 138 words per minute.īlackburn had been such a whiz in her other high school classes, it was no surprise that she would attempt to better her record as a typist, given a chance. In 1938, as a freshman in business college, Blackburn first laid hands on a Dvorak keyboard. As it was, she graduated third in a class of 46 students. “Typing was the bane of my existence.” She remembered how her I-minus (I for Inferior) typing grade kept her from graduating at the top of her class. In fact, it was the Qwerty keyboard that was her undoing in high school typing class back in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. “It makes much more sense than the standard, so-called Qwerty keyboard (named after the first five letters on the top row),” Blackburn said. Blackburn would type on nothing but the Dvorak keyboard, which has vowels on one side and consonants on the other, with the most frequently used letters on the center row. How did she type so fast? The key, so to speak, is in the keyboard design. (1985), THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS, 23rd US edition, New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Barbara Blackburn of Salem, Oregon maintained a speed of 150 wpm for 50 min (37,500 key strokes) and attained a speed of 170 wpm using the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard (DSK) system. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did….īarbara Blackburn, the World’s Fastest Typist So I thought I would dedicate today to the current world record holder of typing, Barbara Blackburn. We type on keyboards, we play piano on keyboards, we type on cell phones and PDAs. It’s a personal decision, but if you spend a lot of time typing and want to increase your efficiency, switching to an alternative layout may be right for you.Okay, in this wonderful age where we live in, surrounded by technology, we have records for all sorts of things. However, the initial investment in time and practice required to become proficient in these layouts may not be worth it for everyone. In conclusion, alternative keyboard layouts such as Dvorak and Colemak offer significant advantages over the standard QWERTY layout. The standard QWERTY layout is the default for all operating systems and software, which could present a problem for those who have switched over to an alternative layout. It is important to consider the time commitment needed to learn a new layout before making the switch.Īnother consideration is compatibility. ![]() The muscle memory for QWERTY can hinder the transition and can make the initial switch frustrating. However, transitioning to an alternative keyboard layout can be challenging, requiring time and practice to become proficient. In fact, the Guinness World Record for fastest typing is held by Barbara Blackburn, who achieved a typing speed of 212 words per minute using the Dvorak layout. The efficiency of the Dvorak and Colemak layouts has shown to significantly reduce finger strain and increase typing speed. Switching to an alternative keyboard layout can be beneficial for typists who spend a lot of time typing. Like the Dvorak layout, Colemak moves the most commonly used letters to the home row while allowing for easier access to punctuation and special characters. The Colemak keyboard layout, created by Shai Coleman in 2006, also focuses on optimizing keyboard layout for efficient typing. The letters on the Dvorak layout are arranged based on their frequency of use in the English language, with the most frequently used letters placed on the home row, making typing faster and easier. This alternative layout was created with the objective of increasing typing speed and minimizing finger fatigue. ![]() The Dvorak keyboard layout, named after its creator August Dvorak, was designed in the 1930s. However, modern keyboards do not have this issue, making the QWERTY layout outdated. The keys were arranged in an order that would slow typists and prevent the keys from sticking. The QWERTY keyboard layout, developed in 1868, was designed to prevent mechanical typewriter keys from jamming. Two of the most popular are the Dvorak and Colemak layouts. However, the standard QWERTY layout keyboard may not be the most efficient way to type, leading some to seek out alternative keyboard layouts. With the majority of work moving online, employees spend hours every day typing out emails, reports, and more. Typing efficiently is an essential skill in today’s digital age.
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