Modern keyboards distribute letters according to a design that dates from the century XIXnot in alphabetical order, and there are several historical reasons for it.
In the first mechanical devices, the keys were tidy alphabetically. However, traditional design used metal bars linked to the keys that hit the ink tape. If two consecutive keys were pressed with nearby arms, it was common for them to get stuck. To avoid these blockages, Christopher Latham Sholes And his collaborators reorganized the letters, separating those most common combinations, such as “th” or “he”, to reduce internal shocks.
Another little known facet of the design origin QWERTY It is your connection with telegraph operators. Japanese researchers suggest that the keyboard was adapting according to the needs of telegraphists, who required rapid and efficient access from non -adjoining keys for certain combinations.
The model QWERTYas we know it today, it was consolidated in the machine Remington No. 2 in 1878being gradual its adoption, and became the de facto standard thanks to its generalized commercial use.
Although there are no longer mechanical problems with electronic keyboards, QWERTY prevail by inertia: millions of people are already accustomed to that format, and changing would imply a high learning cost.
Although today there are alternative designs such as Dvorak or Colemakmore theoretically efficient, its adoption remains very limited by the entrenched presence of the standardQWERTY.
In summary, what began as a solution for a technical problem in the old writing machines evolved to a legacy that remains in force in our digital age.