Buzz
If you think the keys are arranged randomly on the keyboard, you're mistaken!
1. Why is the computer keyboard layout not ABCDEF but QWERTY?
If you think the keys are arranged randomly on the keyboard, you're mistaken!
You may also know that the keyboard you're likely using right now is the QWERTY keyboard (named after the top left six alphabetic keys) because it's the most common keyboard layout in the world. Besides QWERTY, there are other layouts such as Dvorak, Maltron, or QWERTZ. However, within the scope of this article, let's delve into the history to understand why the keys on the QWERTY keyboard aren't arranged in the familiar alphabetical order.
The QWERTY keyboard layout isn't the only one, but it's the most common layout.
The QWERTY keyboard was invented in the 1870s by one of the creators of the first typewriter, Christopher Latham Sholes. Many believe that the letters on this type of keyboard are arranged randomly. However, this is not entirely accurate. In fact, the first typewriter, patented in 1868, was designed with a keyboard arranged in alphabetical order similar to piano keys. However, with this arrangement, the keys often jammed together due to high-frequency letters being placed too close to each other.
For this reason, some studies suggest that Sholes created the QWERTY keyboard layout to evenly distribute the most common keys with the aim of reducing the aforementioned technical issues. Subsequently, Sholes reached an agreement with Remington to integrate the QWERTY keyboard into their highly popular product at the time, the Remington No.2.
Until now, nobody knows for sure why the keys on the QWERTY keyboard are arranged as we know them. However, the two theories mentioned above are considered the most plausible and widely accepted explanations.
Source: Channel 14
