Keyboard Layout: Dvorak vs Colemak: is it Worthwhile to Improve the Dvorak Layout?

[Pascal J. Bourguignon]

Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info> writes:

> The actual physical cost of typing is a small part of coding. 
> Productivity-wise, optimizing the distance your hands move is worthwhile 
> for typists who do nothing but type, e.g. if you spend their day 
> mechanically copying text or doing data entry, then increasing your 
> typing speed from 30 words per minute (the average for untrained computer 
> users) to 90 wpm (the average for typists) means your productivity 
> increases by 200% (three times more work done).
>
> I don't know if there are any studies that indicate how much of a 
> programmer's work is actual mechanical typing but I'd be surprised if it 
> were as much as 20% of the work day.

I'd agree that while programming, typing speed is not usually a problem
(but it has been reported that some star programmers could issue bug
free code faster than they could type, and they could type fast!).


Now, where the gain lies, is in typing flames on IRC or usenet.

If they can do it faster, then it's more time left for programming.

-- 
__Pascal Bourguignon__                     http://www.informatimago.com/
A bad day in () is better than a good day in {}.