Why Keyboards Aren't In Alphabetical Order

Have you ever looked at a keyboard and wondered why the letters are randomly arranged, instead of being in alphabetical order?
Well, the reason goes back about 150 years, when Christopher Sholes and Carlos Glidden a created a revolutionary device to type out letters, which was faster and cleaner than using a quill. It was called the typewriter, and its mechanisms worked similarly to a piano.

[@AppleExplained]

I've received quite a few emails asking how I make my videos, if you're interested in learning about it in a detailed course let me know here: greg-s-site-7f5d.thinkific.com/

[@_bit_]

Thank you

[@TIBE_]

thanks

[@HGAdam83124]

Could you make a video about why apple does not have an easily accessible number row on their keyboard?

[@tzabarpho.]

​@HGAdam83124 I think it's in his video "why the iPhone keyboard sucks"

[@Linkzelda99]

It’s really cool to think that the main way we’ve type isn’t the most efficient and the world will never change it back

[@Megaman.ExE7]

What's even more amazing is that the fastest typer in the world uses Qwerty. Signifying that ergonomics are truly subjective

[@j4yd34d5]

@@Megaman.ExE7 if that same typist had learned a different layout like colemak and used it from the start they would likely be even faster than they are with qwerty. it signifies their talent, nothing else.

[@tommytexter4054]

You could use the most efficient keyboard layout on either virtual touchscreen (which is very easy to do) or physical custom keyboard (which is also not that hard to do by just remap the key) But you would’t ! Bc u r just too lazy to change. And that is it.

[@thebasketballhistorian3291]

It's not the most efficient but I think more efficient than alphabetical order. It's better to spread out frequently used keys so you can use all your fingers to access them rather than have frequently used keys cramped in parts of the keyboard.

[@sigirtmac]

Yes, there is a Turkish-specific layout called “f keyboard” which significantly speeds up typing Turkish words however almost all of the Turkish speakers are using qwerty layout for daily usage. And i agree with you, world will never change it back. Formerly the F keyboard was the compulsory layout in government agencies but nobody used it and people just brought their own qwerty keyboard so I didnt see any F keyboards for years

[@10MasterM]

This is the perfect video to be shown to children at schools around the world in either a history, or an IT class.

[@K76yNVQHp4D5]

Or a computer class

[@10MasterM]

@@K76yNVQHp4D5 That’s true, I suffer from a lack of proper English vocabulary.

[@samuelbi11]

they made the slowest combination so machines didn't get stuck. genius idea..

[@TheDeathmail]

Not the slowest combination, but instead keeping the mechanical parts of the fasted combination farther apart. Once you get the muscle memory, then the order of the keys won't matter and won't effect your speed

[@thebasketballhistorian3291]

Not the slowest but the most used sequences were spread apart so the hammers wouldn't cross. In my opinion, its faster to type if commonly used sequences are spread out so you could utilize all your fingers.

[@casualtechreviewer1196]

I was also hoping you would talk about other layouts like Dvorak and Colmak. Its amazing what layout people could come up with when no more jamming issues need to be considered.

[@Chris_Adams1]

The other layouts were created for efficiency, but because typists were practiced and efficient enough with the qwerty, they never caught on. It was a point of argument that the Dvorak was the most efficient but it wasn’t accepted.

[@babybirdhome]

It’s more complex than simple efficiency, too. While Dvorak or Colmak might be more mathematically efficient, it turns out that they’re also not the fastest because of human physiology, and they’re also very far from the healthiest. These “more efficient” keyboard layouts actually result in much more frequent and worse repetitive stress injuries because their more efficient layout requires many more slight and fine muscle movements - which, when performed at speed, only increases the damage done to the carpel tunnel in the wrists and results in more and worse injuries requiring more surgical interventions to correct. QWERTY has fewer of these because the “less efficient” layout results in fewer repetitive stress injuries. But by spreading out the keys, it also allows for a faster top speed in typing than Dvorak or Colmak allow for - for the same reason. Fine and subtle movements of the fingers cannot be made as quickly as larger and broader movements can, so despite the next keys being more likely to be close to where your fingers already are, this is only a benefit in the middle speeds with human hands typing - not at the bottom or top end of the performance spectrum. The world’s fastest QWERTY typists can easily outpace the world’s fastest Dvorak or Colmak typists. There are several of them who can type significantly over 300 WPM with 98% or greater accuracy. Barbara Blackburn was only able to manage 225 WPM for 15 seconds using Dvorak.

[@dillanio9191]

I actually use Dvorak for typing on my PC, but I still use QWERTY on my phone. I had RSIs typing on QWERTY on PC for some reason, and my wrists were always sore, so I learned Dvorak, and now there is no such pain anymore... And two formats are like learning 2 languages, you don't forget the other too

[@Chris_Adams1]

⁠​⁠@@dillanio9191 I am “ old school” and learned QWERTY on an IBM Selectric III. I am not sure how to learn a Dvorak keyboard to make a difference.

[@kp2k]

answer: typewriters cant handle typing too fast

[@_bit_]

Thank you

[@warrior2364]

Thats a stupid answer and its better to watch the video than to rely on comments like this. Delete this.

[@balegdeh.]

and now we’re forever stuck with our qwerty and azerty keyboards

[@lildyl5081]

@@_bit_you couldn’t watch a 2 minute video? jesus christ.

[@_bit_]

@@lildyl5081 I watched it, but I was just thanking him since he summarized

[@hafuketo9458]

If you look back on early computer keyboards the placement of other keys were pretty wild as well. (Similar to how different brands put volume and brightness keys in different places today).

[@musitude7121]

People often ask me why the Musitude notation system is arranged in alphabetical order rather than by adjacent keys. The reason is because people's minds follows the progression of the alphabet and also to distribute the keypresses between the two hands.

[@TheDeathmail]

It's also to be noted that outside of texting, on a bigger keyboard, alphabetical isn't going to be much better if at all... what really matters is muscle memory and the location of how the most used letters are put around

[@sigiligus]

This fact seems to go unstated by people who say “qwerty is supposed to make it slower.” It wasn’t to “make it slower,” as this video says it was to reduce mechanical interferences. The alphabet is not arranged by most used letters or anything, and once you know by feel where every letter is it doesn’t even matter what the layout is.

[@imbrenojansen]

Fun fact: not all keyboards are "QWERTY", here in France for example, the keyboards are "AZERTY" and the letter M is right next to the letter L.

[@MrBelles104]

Is that the most prominent layout or is it at least a popular alternative? If you were to order a new keyboard, does it come with the keys arranged in AZERTY or QWERTY?

[@bardz0sz]

@@MrBelles104 French would be AZERTY (with numbers being pressed WITH shift) but for example Swiss layout is QWERTZ, with regular numbers (Swiss keyboard is used for both German and French, some keys change depending on the language set on your computer)

[@VincentBounce]

As French🇫🇷, these are the 10 reasons to use a QWERTY US/INTL keyboard instead of AZERTY: 1: Just select a US-INTL software profile in Windows/Mac to easily type French accented chars çéèà (é obtained by just pressing ' before e). On iPhone/Android, just long press E to obtain an éè. 2: QWERTY layout is hardware standard and native to all devices while AZERTY needs a software layer to swap keys. So QWERTY is immediately recognized and usable in web apps, games, new products, BIOS, firmware, folding keyboards... without any additional setup or configuration. 3: PCs and Macs have exactly the same QWERTY US/INTL layout. But PCs and Macs have a different AZERTY layout! So any French user has a headache when he switches from his PC to his Mac because these characters do not have the same position on AZERTY PC and AZERTY Mac: @#!=+-*_. By the way, it's even easier to use a PC keyboard on your Mac with a standard QWERTY US/INTL layout. 4: On QWERTY US/INTL, you have direct access to 0123456789 keys under functions keys, especially on laptops without NumPad, and on minimalist TKL keyboards, no matter whether CapsLock is On or Off. For example, you're less productive on a MacBook AZERTY, because you always waste time by pressing shift before any digit. 5: Easy to travel and work with international teams with QWERTY US/INTL. 6: One unique keyboard layout to set on all your devices, instead of permanently switching between QWERTY and AZERTY. 7: Very close layout to all non-US QWERTY keyboards such as UK/Canadian QWERTY. 8: You're now able to purchase any PC/Mac laptop and any customized/craft keyboard with a QWERTY US-INTL layout in all countries in the world, while you need to import AZERTY only from France. 9: WASD keys are the standard to control games (not ZQSD), so you can play games without any specific setup/configuration, or play beta/HTML5 versions of games that don't offer any keyboard setup. 10: It took me just 2 weeks to be as fluent in QWERTY as in AZERTY.

[@imbrenojansen]

@@MrBelles104 if you were to walk into any store in France to buy a computer or a keyboard 99% of the cases they'll be AZERTY. For example, I wanted to buy a QWERTY MacBook at FNAC (a store similar to USA Walmart) and they only had keyboards in AZERTY, so I had to order it online at the official Apple website (where you are able to customize the computer and request for different keyboard layouts).

[@BigBang28A]

love how this video’s topic has zero relation to Apple lol

[@blackassmagic]

He’s been running out of ideas for a while lmaoooo

[@colt5189]

@@blackassmagic He's almost completely abandoned his channel. He used to periodically do livestreams, etc but stopped for some reason.

[@Dmarcoot]

@@blackassmagicyour laughing at someone who has actually produced content. Wtf do you do?

[@EIbereth]

This was taught to us back in 1984 when I was in junior high school learning shorthand and typing. ❤

[@TimHPop776]

Incredible video. I had no idea!

[@mr.noname9416]

Meanwhile in Belgium and France we use Azerty instead of qwerty

[@BartBe-ct1cu]

Meanwhile, in Germany, Czechia, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and Switzerland, the traditional layout before QWERTY gained popularity was QWERTZ.

[@danyal_assi]

Nicely video edits!

[@Samanthawishes]

Wow I Love trivia and this is a great one 👊 Keep them coming 😆

[@HelloSwiftful]

Apple devices (and Linux and Windows) have options to just add about any keyboard lay-out. Word and sentence prediction will only speed it up.

[@Lil_Bakura]

Germans: established the ISO standard for QWERTY also Germans: use QWERTZ layout

[@colt5189]

I still think it's dumb that they don't have a period most of the time on the popup keyboard. You have to go into a sub-keyboard to get to the period. Which makes typing sentences take even longer having to hunt for the period.

[@threecirclesstudio]

Hit the spacebar twice in a row quickly to make a period.

[@thebasketballhistorian3291]

Both my Android and iOS devices always have a period key next to the space bar. 🤔

[@IceBlueLugia]

@@threecirclesstudioThat’s a great tip but it still leaves out commas, which are almost as crucial

[@Reioloshi]

@@thebasketballhistorian3291same

[@joshuafox8563]

​@@IceBlueLugia Androids keyboard has the comma on the other side

[@TVGameDE]

Am I so old that there are already videos about what typewriters are? Damn.

[@zzkeokizz]

I can’t believe there’s a video on this. We learned this in typing class- which means there are no more typing classes at a time when everyone has to type.

[@SkullarkEcko]

“Typing class” most likely was a elective or add on activity. Not a main course for school education

[@IceBlueLugia]

A typing class seems pretty odd. We had a full computer class that taught us how to use a computer, Microsoft office, typing skills, etc. I remember we had a whole chapter on the history of storage mediums and what the storage units mean, starting from bits. That seems a lot more comprehensive and useful overall.

[@VincentBounce]

As French🇫🇷, these are the 10 reasons to use a QWERTY US/INTL keyboard instead of AZERTY: 1: Just select a US-INTL software profile in Windows/Mac to easily type French accented chars çéèà (é obtained by just pressing ' before e). On iPhone/Android, just long press E to obtain an éè. 2: QWERTY layout is hardware standard and native to all devices while AZERTY needs a software layer to swap keys. So QWERTY is immediately recognized and usable in web apps, games, new products, BIOS, firmware, folding keyboards... without any additional setup or configuration. 3: PCs and Macs have exactly the same QWERTY US/INTL layout. But PCs and Macs have a different AZERTY layout! So any French user has a headache when he switches from his PC to his Mac because these characters do not have the same position on AZERTY PC and AZERTY Mac: @#!=+-*_. By the way, it's even easier to use a PC keyboard on your Mac with a standard QWERTY US/INTL layout. 4: On QWERTY US/INTL, you have direct access to 0123456789 keys under functions keys, especially on laptops without NumPad, and on minimalist TKL keyboards, no matter whether CapsLock is On or Off. For example, you're less productive on a MacBook AZERTY, because you always waste time by pressing shift before any digit. 5: Easy to travel and work with international teams with QWERTY US/INTL. 6: One unique keyboard layout to set on all your devices, instead of permanently switching between QWERTY and AZERTY. 7: Very close layout to all non-US QWERTY keyboards such as UK/Canadian QWERTY. 8: You're now able to purchase any PC/Mac laptop and any customized/craft keyboard with a QWERTY US-INTL layout in all countries in the world, while you need to import AZERTY only from France. 9: WASD keys are the standard to control games (not ZQSD), so you can play games without any specific setup/configuration, or play beta/HTML5 versions of games that don't offer any keyboard setup. 10: It took me just 2 weeks to be as fluent in QWERTY as in AZERTY.

[@iau]

Humanity's last chance of moving away from Qwerty was with the introduction of smartphones. I remember many tried to make input methods better suited for touchscreens, and some succeeded. But still, people wanted Qwerty and Qwerty is what we got. Developers stopped trying and abandoned alternative keyboards. I still type in the keyboard I got used to when I got my first smartphone. I can type fast with no errors and no autocorrect. I can type without looking at the screen and with a single hand, and I have access to numbers and special characters without switching screens. Still, this keyboard hasn't been updated in 4 year and I fear for the day it stops working and I have to return to bad old Qwerty.

[@BlindGordie]

Try writing braille without knowing how to make each letter with only six keys for each of the six dots (making up letters and numbers as well as punctuation marks) and a spacebar, plus return carriage and a backspace and line space key.

[@Eventualpine-g]

No one here mentioned DVORAK

[@jimmy_os]

Because no one uses it

[@Eventualpine-g]

True, that kinda surprises me@@jimmy_os

[@arjundureja]

A lot of keyboard enthusiasts use it

[@xGqlactic]

apple explained slowly becoming tech explained. great video man.

[@itsokayrozay]

I love the QWERTY keyboard. I grew up with it and I type super fast on a PC or Smartphone ❤

[@aryehyehudahajzenberg9503]

Hey... What about the DVORAK format that was used by apple many years ago ?

[@elchimpo9590]

So the QWERTY keyboard was the USB-C of its day? Got it 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤪🤪🤪

[@AndyK.1]

Small and breaks a lot ?

[@psphacker57]

would be cool to see how you made the video!

[@BaconFaceMcGee]

I never questioned it but now I know.

[@AchyutChaudhary]

Fantastic video & Brilliant editing! For a future video, I wanted to request about my biggest  Apple mystery ever - in that why does the 'Magic Mouse' even exist being so bad??

[@mirzarizwanbaig9449]

Bcuz it'll make  money! 💰

[@realDrewBurke]

Video request: Why KZbin still has 144p playback 😂

[@qwertydied]

i don’t even know the history of my discord display name until now 💀

[@IPUTCROISSANTSINBLENDERS]

Short answer: type writers had this layout so the keys wouldn’t jam up, and now everyone uses it. (I think, I didn’t watch the video, I just remember hearing about it around 1 week ago.)

[@user-fj5ts6sz1f]

Standard keyboard explained

[@wasylbasyl]

I still remember a now ancient car GPS that my dad bought ages ago, which had an option to change keyboard to alphabetical layout. A weird thing to look at

[@stevejohnson1321]

I finally got Dvorak layout on android phone. You first have to install gboard (google keyboard) then configure language within gboard.

[@dannyb6102]

Why doesn’t Apple add the option for Dvorak keyboards? And yes I said keyboards, Dvorak, Dvorak Left Hand and Dvorak Right Hand. As someone with a disability who types one-handed using a Dvorak-L keyboard, I wish Apple would included it with the iPhone and iPad. And for those who said to use Siri/voice recognition, that doesn’t work well for someone who has a speech impediment as well. The “swipe” keyboard does help, but having a Dvorak-L option would mean I don’t have to switch between QWERTY and Dvorak based on the device I use. Also due to the lack of the Dvorak keyboard option by Apple, I use Microsoft computers over Apple.

[@user-sj7hu3zf4c]

Video suggestion: Evolution of computers

[@unknown.music-yumenikki]

What about the AZERTY layout keyboard? I mean there's also DVORAK and all sorts of keyboard layouts.

[@jasonm1388]

we need more apple related stuff.

[@MrBelles104]

I feel kind of sad whenever I think about how traditional yet not the most practical methods continue to be used. It is neat that computers at least support changing to Workman, Dvorak, etc within OS settings though.

[@ompradhan5471]

Typo, the letter P is on the middle row of the keyboard instead of the top row. 0:52

[@ezrabrand]

This explanation is not correct. The Wikipedia entry on QWERTY cites a number of sources that "Contrary to popular belief, the QWERTY layout was not designed to slow the typist down, but rather to speed up typing". As for alternative systems, the Wikipedia entry on Dvorak (the major supposedly "improved" layout) states that "Dvorak's advantages are debated and relatively small"

[@lorensims4846]

Oh, that old key-jamming myth again. In fact, the very first keyboards were laid out in alphabetical order (I can think of nothing more ridiculous) on a transcription device Scholes was devising for telegraphers so they could save time instead of having to copy the message by hand. They had abandoned the piano-style keyboard previously tried and went to this staggard key arrangement. As they tested their new keyboard they got suggestions from the telegraphers about how to rearrange the letters to make it easier for them to enter the text. They weren't trying to hinder text input speed, they were trying to make it easier. If jamming was a real problem they could have fixed it without completely tangling up the user interface. As they perfected their general-purpose typewriter, they used the "qwe;ty" keyboard they had developed by working with the telegraphers. When they sold their wooden prototype to Remington, Remington swapped the locations of the semicolon key and the "R" key for their Model 1. Eventually, secretaries and other professional typists were trained to use the qwerty keyboard and it just never made sense to change it.

[@IceBlueLugia]

Untrue. The story told in the video is accurate

[@lorensims4846]

@@IceBlueLugia If the keys jam regularly how can anyone type fast? Why are E and R next to each other? T and H are not far apart, and neither are R and T, or T and Y. There are just too many examples like this to give any credit to the key-jamming story.

[@sgtgammel4116]

I would even doubt that you can type faster with an alphabetically arranged keyboard. Look, the main reason for the layout we know is that letters that often follow each other are far apart. If you were to put them together again, one hand or finger would often have to press several keys in succession (if you think of fast 10-finger typing), which I think would be much slower than with the familiar layout.

[@FactFlix3]

this is quite interesting

[@KingKhaos124]

can u love my comment Greg?

[@wantikjasonchiu4711]

But do not forget there are still other kinds of keyboard layouts besides qwerty example the azerty keyboard

[@Tech_Code127-76]

Nice!

[@Zorashi64]

The world should switch to the Dvorak or Norman keyboard layout due to the fact that the layouts can be easily switched between on modern computers.

[@tiglat]

I use the typewise keyboard. It looks a little different from the standard keyboard.

[@DarylJewkes]

The letters for ‘typewriter’ appear on the top row, not sure whether this is a coincidence or an Easter egg

[@austinhowells20]

We can cover the it to learn how to type faster.

[@ASRocketry]

isn't that incorrect? atomic frontier made a video on it a few days ago that had a lot more detail

[@jsponson]

Can we at least straighten out the columns? Moving our fingers up or down from the home row shouldn't require additional lateral adjustments (left & up, right & down)..

[@powerLuser]

Still think it’s ridiculous we use a standard meant for touch-typing on a device where we hunt-and-peck

[@Somerandomdude6000-zf9rx]

thanks

[@clinton7846]

Imagine listing names in Qwerty order: Quentin Wally Eden Richie Terry Yvonne Ursula Izzy Oscar Peter Ashley Sam Danny Fred Gemma Hailey James Keith Luke Zack Xavier Clinton Vivian Bonnie Nick Molly

[@sergiodeennin]

‘Explained’ for a reason 🔥🙌

[@bielefeldundmehr2461]

Our German keyboards have the letters Y und Z swapped, so we read QWERTZ instead of QWERTY 😊

[@xcaddict09]

It literally says “QWERTY” on your keyboard! 😂

[@amandap569]

iPad 9 is here!

[@ludosys4903]

Some countries in Europe use an “AZERTY” keyboard as default.

[@AndyK.1]

Yes I was hoping I was going to learn something about azerty but the vid ended

[@ludosys4903]

@@AndyK.1 I looked it up "azerty" was created to make it easier for French typists... I live in BEL a bilingual country and the Dutch speaking part like us also uses azerty...

[@Olli-SYF]

But it should be very easy on a non mechanical key board to offer both options, so users could select on a mobile phone their preferred version.

[@bby256]

KZbin TV search keyboard is still in alphabetical order and it frustrates me

[@PessiThePenaltyDog]

There was a little dog whose name is quarl a xylophone

[@ER-sv1np]

แป้นพิมพ์เมื่อ 150 ปีก่อน

[@Mr-skully]

The fact that Apple explained is becoming everything explained.

[@enderbo]

Sort answer: The layout prevented typewriters from jamming.

[@stormrider01]

Because IBM‘s first keyboard

[@OmphileMohapi-dy9yw]

I'm the next big thing,after every genius that exists rn.Like the guy that's gonna invent a glass phone like the one from Henry Danger

[@IceyBoi69420]

Bro answered my biggest question

[@760Miramar]

I once saw a guy in Community college use an "Australian Keyboard" on his iPhone (He's not from Australia and we were both in California) , why does Australia and England have a different layout than the U.S. if we all speak English?

[@davehandelman2832]

In society, inefficiency always wins

[@r.ilhamsastronegoro5397]

Why Apple Explained no longer explains Apple

[@yasserbouchebaick6749]

Next video idea why apple won't offer new coulers airpods

[@BlaulichtspotterNRW]

Why should they?? White is good. Brown and blue... its good they just make white ones

[@Thewaterspirit57]

I like how Apple explained made a video about this, even though this isn't an apple thing lol

[@leetherees]

Also interesting that the word typewriter just happens to be on the top row 🤔

[@FusionBeatzGaming]

Interesting

[@mrbiaux991]

What about the AZERTY keyboard?

[@user-sj7hu3zf4c]

Wassup, haven't watched you in a looong time

[@MTCTpl]

yeah but i don't know why some media apps on tv/console like youtube have keyboards in alphabetical order

[@AlexOnSeLine]

In Germany its the QWERTZ Keyboard

[@640A]

You got the P in the wrong place, it should be top right!

[@ronlevon4294]

At least one video not related to Apple

[@LaRoche_]

Now talk about the Azerty layout 😂

[@loveadeola]

Humans treasure convenience above anything, and anyone.

[@itsvichere]

Idk why the AZERTY keyboard hasent been mentioned

[@pasztorferenc6741]

And yet in my county Z and Y placed in reverse

[@Saroku1000]

Only on old Nintendo devices they are in alphabetical order

[@Techzd1]

Question: do you know why all apple products make the same charging sound, except the watch?

[@ronch550]

For people who type fast rearranging the keys would be a nightmare.

[@shaficscosuraj6941]

Please what is the real reason why iPhones don’t support radio .

[@wooferjr169]

Apple being Apple, they missed an opportunity to redo their keyboard layout in an "Apple " way that is way better than the Qwerty one.

[@Kamioom]

non-apple explained😂

[@pjlynch3889]

i dont use a qwerty keyboard i use a qwertz keyboard

[@AnudeepDONDONDONRlol]

This is barely an Apple video

[@joydebnath8819]

What about "WE" \/"CV"/"AS"/"ER" (FATHER). Still adjacent keys