why was the typewriter keyboard designed the way it is?

Answer 1

this explains it...

Answer 2

The Design ofthe Typewriter Keyboard is called the "QWERTY keyboard layout". The QWERTY keyboard layout was devised in the 1860s by the creator of the first modern typewriter, Christopher Sholes, a newspaper editor who lived in Milwaukee. Originally, the characters on the typewriters he invented were arranged alphabetically, set on the end of a metal bar which struck the paper when its key was pressed. However, once an operator had learned to type at speed, the bars attached to letters that lay close together on the keyboard became entangled with one angother, forcing the typist to manually unstick the typebars, and also frequently blotting the document. Sholes solved the jamming problem not by forcing typists to slow down, but by separating common sequences of letters in English. Pairs of keys that are frequently struck in succession were placed as far from each other as possible, so that the hammers that were likely to be used in quick succession were less likely to interfere with each other. This is why the keyboard is disigned this way.

Answer 3

While a Google search can tell you who developed the type writer keyboard which is the patter that we use still, the answer you seek is based on the inventors idea that the letters should be placed so that there is an ease in typing. This pattern we use has been in use for about 100 years. Ergonomically, it is about the best way, although it has also been improved upon, or so it is said.
By the way, a point that you might like, the ASCII program for computers and electronic type writers was not developed until the 1970's. I remember articles about it's development in the magazine "Radio-Electronics" from that decade.

Answer 4

I was told that it was designed this way "qwerty" (which is the first 5 letters on the left hand top row) cause it would cause the least stress on a typist having to type in on a daily basis.

Personally, I think it should be alphabetic, and people just get used to it. Makes more sense to me. I have a spell checker with the letters in alphabetic order. I can find the letters quicker.

I think there is a guy named dvorjek or something like that who redesigned the thing, but didn't ketch on.

Answer 5

I read somewhere that the keyboard was set up in alphebetical order when they first started typewriters and they found it too easy to type so they switched it up. I am not sure if that is true or a wives tale but that's what I've read.