[JayMan8081]

Having just seen the pictures of the new MacBook keyboard, I'm a little worried. I'm thinking about buying a MacBook to replace my now-aging PowerBook (15" AlBook, 1.25GHz). The problem is: I use the Dvorak keyboard layout.

Is it possible to rearrange the keys on the MacBook, or has Apple just lost a sale?

[- - e r i k - -]

I presume you use touch typing? Do you ever need to see the keyboard? I use Norwegian layout on my English laid out keyboard with no issues.

Oh, and why do you use dvorak layout in the first place? Surely you don't buy into the "qwerty was invented to slow down typists" myth do you?

[JayMan8081]

Yes, I do use touch-typing, but I also find it useful to be able to look at the keyboard every so often just to make sure I've got my fingers on the right keys. Plus, I just prefer to have my keyboard laid out accurately - so I know that when I press the "R" key, I will get an "R" and not a "P", for example. Finally, it's a good conversational piece.

Thanks for the link to the article; I'll have to read that carefully sometime. It was one of the reasons that I switched to Dvorak, although it's not the only one - I find that my hands get less tired with Dvorak, and also move around less. Having said that, I probably use a better typing style with Dvorak than I did with Qwerty, using all the fingers of both hands. At this point, though, it's not worth the hassle of switching back to Qwerty to see if matters have improved there.

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

Oh, and why do you use dvorak layout in the first place? Surely you don't buy into the "qwerty was invented to slow down typists" myth do you?

I honestly don't see how that article presents any clearer evidence of the superiority of QWERTY over Dvorak layout than what has already been said in favor of the Dvorak layout. And, one of the major points of the article, the fact that the QWERTY layout has survived in the market is by no means evidence of its superiority. For this, you only have to look at Windoze, one of many such examples where the inferior has become more popular and along-lived than the superior.

[Yakov]

The article links to, and gives a brief summary of, this scholarly article which seems to be from the Journal of Law & Economics vol. XXXIII (1990).

http://www.utdallas.edu/~liebowit/keys1.html

Note: It's very long.

[msuper69]

Dvorak is for pussies (nothing personal). Real men use qwerty.

[JayMan8081]

Originally Posted by msuper69

Dvorak is for pussies (nothing personal). Real men use qwerty.

Methinks you're wrong there; it's more like, sheep use Qwerty, the shepherds use Dvorak.

(Yes, I live in the country)

Anyway, does anyone know the answer to my original question? Can the keys on a MacBook be rearranged?

[macaframa]

Enough with the Dvorak vs. Qwerty stuff, ok guys?

I'm a dedicated Dvorak guy, I find it much more comfortable and easy, and I personally recommend it to anyone who types on a mac (it's trivial to switch layouts on a mac, I don't know about PCs). I really don't care why either layout was invented, it's the one that works for me, ok?

Now, please, if anyone knows, can we switch the key caps or not?

EVERY other apple keyboard lets you. I really want this to not be the end of that.
Macbooks are so nice in every other way.

BTW - the best reason to actually switch the keys rather than just change the software interpretation, is that sometimes I let others use my computer, (often for them to type passwords), and they need it to be able to tell what they are typing. And for beginners learning dvorak, it's much easier to have the actual letters that you use be written on the actual keys you hit with your fingers.

If you don't think it makes so much difference, try painting over the letters on your keyboard, trying it for a few months, and see if you still feel that way.

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by dynamo9

Now, please, if anyone knows, can we switch the key caps or not?

dynamo9, I really tend to believe that this is doable. However, couldn't you put letter stickers or something on the keys to denote the correct letter in case it's more hassle than it's worth?