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| title | tags | date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key Layouts |
|
9-08-23 |
Take a look at this typewriter:
The keys are connected by levers to the internal workings. Those levers have to be spaced apart so that they don't collide, and to ensure smooth typing. More in-depth explanation (off-site) here.
The modern keyboard stagger, with some exceptions, overwhelmingly looks like this:
But there are no levers in an electronic keyboard. Why the design holdover? We only staggered the keys in a typewriter because they physically couldn't be aligned any other way. And nobody nowadays has typed on a typewriter necessitating familiarity.
The answer? Comfort. Typing on a keyboard like that below, unless you're actively tucking your elbows in at your sides, is completely unbearable:
So the staggered layout remains.
P.S.
Yes, split ortholinear and other enthusiast layouts like Dactyl Manuform exist that alter or eliminate the above concerns. This is just meant to be a minimal example of when necessity stumbles upon a highly performant solution by chance.
See also Projects/keyboards and other keyboard-related posts.