Dvorak keyboard - help to find one please!

[MSIC]

Hi, i've been asked to help find a friend a fair-priced Dvorak keyboard, as he has learnt to type it.
The only ones he can find are well over £50.

Any help is appreciated.

[kasavien]

could you not just buy a cheap american layout keyboard, take the keys off and rearrange to dvorak layout? Then you can set the keyboard layout in the OS since all the keys and shift characters match up with the keys on an american layout keyboard, I'm sure it would work, providing you didn't break the keys taking them off. I've taken keys off a keyboard before and they just pop off and on.

[sadbuttrue]

You can buy standard keyboard sticker sets for ~£4 delivered from eBay. There are a number dvorak specific ones from USA sellers too.

search for:

keyboard stickers
or
dvorak keyboard stickers

[Syllopsium]

Hi, i've been asked to help find a friend a fair-priced Dvorak keyboard, as he has learnt to type it.
The only ones he can find are well over £50.

Any help is appreciated.

What you may want is either an Endura Pro or a Spacesaver 104/105. No, you won't get one for £50 after shipping and import duties (it'll be closer to 70-80 quid), plus you'll have to add a decent USB adaptor if your computer has no PS/2 port, but the keyboard will last you decades. The keyboards are solid and heavy. Rubber dome versions are available if you really must use that rather than yummy clicky buckling spring key action.

Unicomp will program keyboards to any layout you care to mention, including a 'UK Dvorak' layout (i.e. a pound sign over the 3). Using key relabelling methods described above will just lead to pain. Been there, done that.

Note that many USB to PS/2 converters won't work well with either Model M or other Unicomp keyboards - clickykeyboards.com does link to a converter that definitely works. I've not looked for one in the UK, but can say from direct experience that many USB to PS/2 converters are utter crap.

The expectation of a Dvorak keyboard for under fifty quid isn't realistic. Yes, it's possible to buy a crappy QWERTY for a fiver, but the higher end keyboards aren't that cheap. Dvorak has a vastly smaller market than QWERTY and thus isn't subject to the economies of scale.

Your other option is to locate a scancode converter, to convert the QWERTY output into Dvorak. That's left as an exercise for the eager googler..

I've been using an Endura Pro at home and a Spacesaver at work for the last couple of years, and they remain an excellent purchase.

PK

[shaithis]

If its for faster typing......he might want to considering learning to use one of these

[MSIC]

If its for faster typing......he might want to considering learning to use one of these

You only got a 'thanks' for the amusement factor.

Syllopsium, thanks particularly for this