QWERTY
(redirected from Plokmijnuhbygvtfcrdxeszwaq)Also found in: Dictionary.
Related to Plokmijnuhbygvtfcrdxeszwaq: 1234567890qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm, Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm
QWERTY
(hardware)/kwer'tee/ (From the top left row of letter keys of
most keyboards) Pertaining to a standard English-language
typewriter keyboard (sometimes called the Sholes keyboard
after its inventor), as opposed to Dvorak or
foreign-language layouts (e.g. "keyboard AZERTY" in
french-speaking countries) or a space-cadet keyboard or APL keyboard.
The QWERTY layout is a fine example of a fossil. It is sometimes said that it was designed to slow down the typist, but this is wrong; it was designed to allow *faster* typing - under a constraint now long obsolete. In early typewriters, fast typing using nearby type-bars jammed the mechanism. So Sholes fiddled the layout to separate the letters of many common digraphs (he did a far from perfect job, though; "th", "tr", "ed", and "er", for example, each use two nearby keys). Also, putting the letters of "typewriter" on one line allowed it to be typed with particular speed and accuracy for demos. The jamming problem was essentially solved soon afterward by a suitable use of springs, but the keyboard layout lives on.
The QWERTY layout is a fine example of a fossil. It is sometimes said that it was designed to slow down the typist, but this is wrong; it was designed to allow *faster* typing - under a constraint now long obsolete. In early typewriters, fast typing using nearby type-bars jammed the mechanism. So Sholes fiddled the layout to separate the letters of many common digraphs (he did a far from perfect job, though; "th", "tr", "ed", and "er", for example, each use two nearby keys). Also, putting the letters of "typewriter" on one line allowed it to be typed with particular speed and accuracy for demos. The jamming problem was essentially solved soon afterward by a suitable use of springs, but the keyboard layout lives on.
This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)
QWERTY keyboard
The standard typewriter keyboard layout used throughout the world. Q, W, E, R, T and Y are the letter keys starting at the top left, alphabetic row. Designed by Christopher Sholes, who invented the typewriter, the QWERTY arrangement was organized to prevent people from typing too fast and jamming the mechanical keys. The QWERTY layout was included in the drawing for Sholes' patent application in 1878. See keyboard, AZERTY keyboard and typewriter.QWERTY LAYOUT
Q W E R T Y U I O P
A S D F G H J K L ; ' Home Row
Z X C V B N M , . /
 |
| QWERTY Goes Way Back |
|---|
| This Hammond Multiplex typewriter, which used a QWERTY keyboard, was offered in 1913 with two fonts that could be quickly switched. (Equipment courtesy of Dorothy Hearn.) |
 |
| QWERTY Goes Way Back |
|---|
| This Hammond Multiplex typewriter, which used a QWERTY keyboard, was offered in 1913 with two fonts that could be quickly switched. (Equipment courtesy of Dorothy Hearn.) |
 |
| They Do Jam |
|---|
| Even QWERTY keys could jam if the person was a careless typist. |
Copyright © 1981-2024 by The Computer Language Company Inc. All Rights reserved. THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher.