The Strange Origins of Your Keyboard

Your keyboard layout was designed to slow you down, not speed you up. The classic QWERTY arrangement was created to stop early mechanical typewriters from jamming by separating common letter pairs.

In the 1870s, the speed of typists often caused the metal arms of typewriters to tangle if they hit keys in quick succession. By placing frequently used letters apart, the design forced a slower pace that kept the machine running smoothly. Even though modern computers have no moving parts to jam, we still use this inefficient relic today. Many enthusiasts now experiment with alternative layouts like Dvorak or Colemak to improve typing speed and comfort.