Create Your Own Dvorak Keyboard [Hacks]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/#!5790451/create-your-own-dvorak-keyboard

Have you ever wondered why the keyboard you are using right now has the characters laid out in that particular order? The standard keyboard layout is called the Qwerty layout, and was designed around 1875. But what if you wanted to try a more efficient layout? The Dvorak keyboard layout was invented just for that reason.

Instead of buying a new keyboard to try out this newer layout, why not just hack an old keyboard so that they keys use the Dvorak layout?

BiOzZ, an intrepid user over at the Hack a day forums, has disassembled an old Kensington keyboard, washed the parts, and then re-assembled it using the new key mappings.

Everything was relatively easy to change over, with the exception that some of the keys had backwards connections that required a 90 degree change to the orientation of the key. With a little correction using a label maker, they keys are now very usable.

The final step is telling your OS to use the Dvorak layout rather than the standard Qwerty layout that you are using right now.

Have you attempted to make the change to a Dvorak keyboard layout? Let us know how it went in the comments!

Qwerty to Dvorak Keyboard Conversion via Hack a day Forums