No software Dvorak Layout!?!?

AZERTY is the primary keyboard layout in France and Belgium. Similarly, QWERTZ is the primary layout in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and several Central European countries. They exist on the iPad for localization reasons.

Dvorak is not the primary keyboard layout in any language. It doesn't need to be included for language support like the other two, so it is understandably lower priority.

Do you find these facts sufficient? It doesn't really exuse the lack of a Dvorak option, but I'd be genuinely surprised if there were more people using Dvorak around the world than the combined populations of France, Belgium, Germany, etc. But then again, it isn't really about relative total users - its about localization and language support.

Still - hopefully it'll be added at some point.

Hello JoeShoop,

Your reply is one that has been argumented with facts (you are even sourcing them😀), and you are indeed right that AZERTY&QWERTZ have a larger userbase.

Accepting these facts is not our problem (as you can read a few pages back, I have already accepted them), our only problem is that Apple is denying us the option to use the Dvorak keyboard on our iOS devices, whilst being able to use them on our Mac devices. It is quite strange and annoying in my personal opinion.

And indeed, hopefully it will be added in some point, even if it is just to get rid of these types of internet discussions about it.

Sincerely

Max

I used to be of the opinion that I wouldn't buy an Apple iOS device because it didn't have a DVORAK keyboard. I now have an iPad and just got an iPhone 5, I also own a MacBook. I can understand not adding support at the request of non-customers. However, as a paying customer please can Apple now add support?

I found a great article on a possible layout with little development required that I would be happy with (although incorporating a comma would be fantastic): http://dvzine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/ios-dvorak-layout-design.html

And FYI, I had Dvorak on my Android phone, it does make big difference. Especially the rule to alternate hands/thumbs.

Just bug apple

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

I just sent them another message. I guess that's all we can do.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

Well, you could hold your breath and enjoy turning purple and passing out waiting for it to happen.

My understanding is that the one handed Dvorak versions were designed especially to assist WWII and wwI vets and others who lost a hand. While a thankfully smaller numbers, there probably is a need to offer option following Iraq and Afghanistan where the IDE caused greater limb loss. Just a thought for apple pr with respect to vets, etc.

The one handed Dvorak set up were designed specifically to assist disabled (war vets and industrial accidents). One would think especially with the IED use in Iraq and Afghanistan that even as a pr move alone apple would want to make that available, even though the number of amputees or partial incapacitated is thankfully small. On the other hand, word suggest features and voice to text technology are probably likely to eventually make keyboarding in general different in the future. (I understand though that jobs was a fan of calligraphy nothing "useful" about that except beauty) I'm a 20 year Dvorak user, but I remain multi-keyboardal so it's not such a big deal. On iPad I tend to only type one handed. I am also a long time natspeak user started with beta version 0.5 and even went up to newton to meet with folks back before they were sold. Phillyphan slinky moniker shows him for the misanthrope he is.

JDKSimon wrote:

My understanding is that the one handed Dvorak versions were designed especially to assist WWII and wwI vets and others who lost a hand. While a thankfully smaller numbers, there probably is a need to offer option following Iraq and Afghanistan where the IDE caused greater limb loss. Just a thought for apple pr with respect to vets, etc.

There are a number of technologies to assist these folks around now that were not available in the 20's or 40's that are far superior to physical or virtual Dvorak keyboards.

JDKSimon wrote:

Phillyphan slinky moniker shows him for the misanthrope he is.

So nice of you to notice.

Let us not forget that this is only his understanding. We do not know it to be fact.

There is another population of people for whom the Devorak keyboard is particularly useful - those who have medical problems (aside from amputations...) that have rendered one hand weak or useless. Such medical problems also may impact the ability to use speech recognition software as an alternative to physical typing. (Trust me - I know this well...!) An aging population - and one that is firmly attached to their computers - may well find Devorak keyboard layouts a very useful thing. Apple would do well not to forget that youth is not the only relevant demographic!

woodyoak wrote:

There is another population of people for whom the Devorak keyboard is particularly useful - those who have medical problems (aside from amputations...) that have rendered one hand weak or useless. Such medical problems also may impact the ability to use speech recognition software as an alternative to physical typing. (Trust me - I know this well...!) An aging population - and one that is firmly attached to their computers - may well find Devorak keyboard layouts a very useful thing. Apple would do well not to forget that youth is not the only relevant demographic!

I fail to see how a Dvorak keyboard solves thst problem.

Philly_Phan wrote:

woodyoak wrote:

There is another population of people for whom the Devorak keyboard is particularly useful - those who have medical problems (aside from amputations...) that have rendered one hand weak or useless. Such medical problems also may impact the ability to use speech recognition software as an alternative to physical typing. (Trust me - I know this well...!) An aging population - and one that is firmly attached to their computers - may well find Devorak keyboard layouts a very useful thing. Apple would do well not to forget that youth is not the only relevant demographic!

I fail to see how a Dvorak keyboard solves thst problem.

It doesn't. From an accessibility standpoint, there is no appreciable difference between Dvorak and QWERTY. It is just a different key layout that at best might - for an experienced DVORAK user - increase typing speed (but most well constructed studies have found that claim to be spurious). For an "aging population" with no expereince using it - largely a waste of time. There may be a marginal benefit with the one-handed versions for physical keyboards, but in the contect of a virtual keyboard on a compact device such as an iPad, not so much.

Trust me - for a physical keyboard the one-handed Devorak keyboard makes more than a 'marginal' difference! You should hope you never have to find that out for yourself....! For a small device the difference might perhaps be less but the annoyance factor is high when the layout you now depend on is not available. And annoyance is sufficient to keep one from purchasing something - especially when you know the company provides the option on other devices so why not this one too?!