Keyboard: Why was there a need to abandon ABC and adopt QWERTY keyboard? Know the reason..

In today's digital age, the keyboard has replaced pen and paper for writing. We have become so habituated to typing on the keyboard that we can type very fast even with our eyes closed. But while typing, have you ever wondered why the letters of the keyboard (QWERTY Keyboard) are not arranged sequentially?

In childhood, we were taught the letters of English in a sequential manner i.e. A, B, C, D..., but we get to see something else on the keyboard. Why is this so (why do we use QWERTY keyboards)? Let's know the interesting history behind it.

The journey from ABC to QWERTY
The typewriter was first invented in 1868 by Christopher Latham Sholes. At that time, the letters on the keyboard of the typewriter were arranged in the order ABCD... This arrangement seemed logical because people already remembered the order of the letters, which made typing easier.

However, a big problem soon arose. The typewriters of that time were mechanical, with buttons connected to metal pins. When people typed at a fast speed, the pins of the buttons placed nearby would get entangled, causing the typewriter to jam. This would not only stop the work, but the parts of the machine would also start getting damaged.

Because of this, after a while, it became very difficult for people to use the typewriter. Now you must have some idea why there was a need to abandon ABC and adopt the QWERTY keyboard.

This is how the QWERTY keyboard started.

To overcome this problem, Sholes designed a new keyboard layout in 1873, which is known today as the QWERTY keyboard. The main purpose of this layout was to reduce the typing speed so that the buttons do not get entangled.

Special features of the QWERTY layout

Frequently used letters were given different places – like E, A, O, I were placed in different places, so that fingers do not reach the same place again and again.

Less frequently used letters (like Z, X, Q) were placed in difficult places so that typing is slow.

More typing was done with the left hand because most people typed faster with the right hand, which increased the risk of the typewriter jamming.

Why does the QWERTY keyboard still work?

Today's computers and smartphones do not have the problem of mechanical jamming, yet QWERTY keyboard continues to be used. The reason for this is people's habits and standardization. People have been using this layout for decades and it will be difficult to change it.

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