DVzine.org - Convert Your Keyboard

Convert Your Keyboard!

The easiest way to convert your keyboard to Dvorak is with a sticker! You just cut out the letters and symbols and then stick them to your keyboard keys. Voila! Instant Dvorak keyboard.

We have a vinyl sticker (with instructions!) availble for $3 over at our Dvorak Zine CafePres store, or if you have a piece of self-adhesive printer paper you can print out your own sticker! It might not last as long as the vinyl one, but it'll at least get you typing Dvorak! And it's FREE!

For those of you who are a little more hands-on, keep reading for step-by-step instructions on how to safely rip the keys off of your keyboard and then reconfigure them into the Dvorak Keyboard Layout.

Reconfiguring Your Keyboard

The tutorial below will show you how to reconfigure the keys on your keyboard to make your very own Dvorak board! It should be noted that there IS a chance, although very slight, that you could permanently damage your keyboard - so follow the instructions below AT YOUR OWN RISK! We are not responsible for replacing your keyboard!

STEP 1: Preparations

Here we have a standard USB iMac keyboard. The iMac keyboard is particularly good for Dvorak-ification (yeah, Apple!) because its keys are all exactly the same height. Thus, when you alter the arrangement of the keys to the Dvorak layout, you don't get the "lumpiness" that can occur on a "molded" keyboard. If you have particularly good luck with another generic brand of keyboard, please e-mail us, so we can let people know!

Before you start modifying your keyboard, disconnect it from your machine. Not only will this prevent the highly improbable outcome of being electrocuted by your keyboard, but it will also keep you from typing something along the lines of "q qqqqqqqq wwwwww eeeee..." as you put your keys back in one by one. Before we start, you will also need a flat-head screwdriver with a relatively thin head.

So.... go ahead. Go get a screwdriver out of your toolchest. We'll be here when you get back. If you've already got a Leatherman or CyberTool ready on your belt -- RAD! You get extra geek points.

STEP 2: Pulling off the keys

Not only is the iMac keyboard non-lumpy in the Dvorak layout, but it also has extremely easy-to-remove keys. To remove the keys from the keyboard, simply shove your screwdriver in between the keys and push the screwdriver to the side. (NOTE: It might be easier to put the screwdriver under the TOP edge of the keys if you are modifying your LAPTOP) You might want to have a bowl or some other form of storage perephanelia around, so that you have somewhere to put the keys while they're out. Proceed to Step 3 to see what the keyboard should look like when you're done removing keys.

STEP 3: Ready to re-arrange the keys

This is what your keyboard should look like when you've removed all the keys that differ. Note that the A and M keys stay in the same place, which brings us to an interesting piece of Dvorak trivia: "am" is one of the few English words that types the same in both QWERTY and Dvorak. So, if you spend all day typing "am" over and over again, we apologize ... Dvorak won't increase your typing performance at all.

STEP 5: Setting up your computer

You're all done now! Congratulations! Well, actually that's a lie. If you plug your keyboard back into your computer, you'll find that when you type, your keyboard still type in QWERTY mode. (To test this, type the home row. You should get ASDFGHJKL;. In order to get your computer to fully support Dvorak, you must also set up your software to do the "translation" Click here to go back to the instructions for Mac, Windows, and Linux machines. To test that your new Dvorak layout is working, type the homerow on your keyboard again. This time, you should get AOEUIDHTNS-. If you have any problems getting the drivers working correctly, either because the instructions are too complicated, or because setup instructions for your computer are not on this site, just e-mail us, and we'll be glad to help

Set Up Dvorak | DV Typing Tutors | Convert Your Keyboard

Convert Your Keyboard!

Reconfiguring Your Keyboard

These Work:

These DON'T Work:

STEP 1: Preparations

STEP 2: Pulling off the keys

STEP 3: Ready to re-arrange the keys

STEP 4: Replacing the keys

STEP 5: Setting up your computer



Set Up Dvorak \| DV Typing Tutors \| Convert Your Keyboard
Convert Your Keyboard! The easiest way to convert your keyboard to Dvorak is with a sticker! You just cut out the letters and symbols and then stick them to your keyboard keys. Voila! Instant Dvorak keyboard. We have a vinyl sticker (with instructions!) availble for $3 over at our Dvorak Zine CafePres store, or if you have a piece of self-adhesive printer paper you can print out your own sticker! It might not last as long as the vinyl one, but it'll at least get you typing Dvorak! And it's FREE! For those of you who are a little more hands-on, keep reading for step-by-step instructions on how to safely rip the keys off of your keyboard and then reconfigure them into the Dvorak Keyboard Layout.		DVORAK KEY MAP STICKER! Vinyl - $3 @ CafePress.com Self-Adhesive Print Out - FREE!
Reconfiguring Your Keyboard The tutorial below will show you how to reconfigure the keys on your keyboard to make your very own Dvorak board! It should be noted that there IS a chance, although very slight, that you could permanently damage your keyboard - so follow the instructions below AT YOUR OWN RISK! We are not responsible for replacing your keyboard!	These Work: iMac keyboards iBooks Power Books Please send us information about other keyboard models that do work!!!	These DON'T Work: Please send us information about keyboard models that don't work!!!
STEP 1: Preparations Here we have a standard USB iMac keyboard. The iMac keyboard is particularly good for Dvorak-ification (yeah, Apple!) because its keys are all exactly the same height. Thus, when you alter the arrangement of the keys to the Dvorak layout, you don't get the "lumpiness" that can occur on a "molded" keyboard. If you have particularly good luck with another generic brand of keyboard, please e-mail us, so we can let people know! Before you start modifying your keyboard, disconnect it from your machine. Not only will this prevent the highly improbable outcome of being electrocuted by your keyboard, but it will also keep you from typing something along the lines of "q qqqqqqqq wwwwww eeeee..." as you put your keys back in one by one. Before we start, you will also need a flat-head screwdriver with a relatively thin head. So.... go ahead. Go get a screwdriver out of your toolchest. We'll be here when you get back. If you've already got a Leatherman or CyberTool ready on your belt -- RAD! You get extra geek points.
STEP 2: Pulling off the keys Not only is the iMac keyboard non-lumpy in the Dvorak layout, but it also has extremely easy-to-remove keys. To remove the keys from the keyboard, simply shove your screwdriver in between the keys and push the screwdriver to the side. (NOTE: It might be easier to put the screwdriver under the TOP edge of the keys if you are modifying your LAPTOP) You might want to have a bowl or some other form of storage perephanelia around, so that you have somewhere to put the keys while they're out. Proceed to Step 3 to see what the keyboard should look like when you're done removing keys.
STEP 3: Ready to re-arrange the keys This is what your keyboard should look like when you've removed all the keys that differ. Note that the A and M keys stay in the same place, which brings us to an interesting piece of Dvorak trivia: "am" is one of the few English words that types the same in both QWERTY and Dvorak. So, if you spend all day typing "am" over and over again, we apologize ... Dvorak won't increase your typing performance at all.
STEP 4: Replacing the keys To put the keys back in their new arrangement, simply put the key you want on the correct place on the keyboard, and push straight down! For help with putting keys in the correct places, simply click here for an image of the Dvorak layout.
STEP 5: Setting up your computer You're all done now! Congratulations! Well, actually that's a lie. If you plug your keyboard back into your computer, you'll find that when you type, your keyboard still type in QWERTY mode. (To test this, type the home row. You should get ASDFGHJKL;. In order to get your computer to fully support Dvorak, you must also set up your software to do the "translation" Click here to go back to the instructions for Mac, Windows, and Linux machines. To test that your new Dvorak layout is working, type the homerow on your keyboard again. This time, you should get AOEUIDHTNS-. If you have any problems getting the drivers working correctly, either because the instructions are too complicated, or because setup instructions for your computer are not on this site, just e-mail us, and we'll be glad to help