The History of the QWERTY Keyboard
The QWERTY typewriter keyboard debuted in the 1870s and has remained the keyboard of choice. Today, the QWERTY layout is found on everything from computers to cell phones to game controllers.
Significance
QWERTY refers to the first six letters in the top row of letters on a standard keyboard. The first QWERTY keyboard had a somewhat different layout, including no keys for "0" or "1."
Time Frame
The inventor of the modern typewriter, Christopher Sholes, originally arranged the keys on his machine in alphabetical order. The layout caused the long metal bars holding the letters to collide and jam as they hit the paper, especially if the typist worked fast.
Prevention/Solution
Sholes devised the QWERTY layout to place commonly used letters on different sides of the keyboard--his solution to the jamming problem. In 1873, he patented the design. Soon after, E. Remington and Sons bought the rights to Sholes' "Type Writer" and began producing and selling the machine.
Potential
The QWERTY layout is found on most computers and electronic devices that use keyboards. Recent inventions designed to challenge QWERTY include a one-handed keyboard and a virtual keyboard that uses lasers to read finger motions.
Innovation
Some typists prefer an ergonomic QWERTY keyboard. The two sides of the keyboard are raised and split to place the typist's hands in a more natural position, reducing the chance of strain and repetitive stress injuries.
Fun Fact
The QWERTY keyboard allows typists to type several English words with only one hand -- "pumpkin" and "minimum" are two longer examples. You can also type the word "typewriter" using only the letters on the top row--supposedly a Remington marketing idea.
