The file accompanying this document (named ‘Dvorak 4.1’) contains three resources that let you install a Dvorak keyboard on a Macintosh SE. This patch has only been tested on the SE, using system 4.1. It will probably work on other machines using system 4.1, but I can’t say for sure.
(note: if this patch _doesn’t_ work on a MacPlus or 512KE, here’s how you can get a Dvorak keyboard on those machines using system 4.1. Just replace INIT 0 with the version of INIT 0 that came with system 3.2. Once this is done, your old keyboard remappers will work again. The downside is that your system file won’t be portable.)
To get Dvorak happening:
open up your system file with ResEdit, and also open up the file called ‘Dvorak 4.1’. One by one, open up the three resources in ‘Dvorak 4.1’, and the corresponding resource in the system file. Copy of the contents of the Dvorak resource into the system resource, then close the resources. Do this for each of the three resources. Close the system file and say ‘yes’ when ResEdit asks you if you want to save your changes. You’ll need to reboot for the changes to take effect. From then on, whenever you boot up using that system, your Macintosh will be mapped to the Dvorak keyboard.
Limitations:
I apologize for any idiosyncrasies in the keyboard mapping All the alphabetic keys, and the common punctuation, are in the usual places. However, the extended character set (things like square brackets [], curly braces {}, and back-slash \), may not be what you are used to. I find this mapping convenient. If you don’t like it, you can edit the KCHR resource. You do this with ResEdit. It’s KCHR 101, and it’s called (not surprisingly) “Dvorak”. Other mapping limitations are that I have not remapped the numbers (Mac people, it seems, don’t usually remap the numbers), and I haven’t remapped the option keys. (option keys just seemed like more trouble than they were worth. You _couldn’t_ remap them (I think) on the old Macs, and it didn’t bother me too much.)
The main limitation with this setup is that there is no way to toggle between Dvorak and Qwerty. When you want to switch to Qwerty, you have to reboot off of a different system. It would be possible to write FKey’s or DA’s to do this, but I just don’t have the skill. I’m sure someone will come up with something in the near future. If you’re a programmer, and are interested in writing such a utility, feel free to contact me for info.
About the Dvorak keyboard mapping:
The Dvorak keyboard is simply better. The traditional ‘qwerty’ keyboard was designed to slow people down, to prevent them from jamming early-model mechanical typewriters. Many relatively uncommon letters (such as k and semi-colon) are in the home row. The Dvorak keyboard mapping was designed for efficiency and comfort. It places the common letters right under (or as near as possible) your fingertips. With Dvorak, you can learn to touch-type more easily, and you can touch-type much faster. The Dvorak keyboard is available on some IBM selectrics, and Apple II’s, and (with a little hacking), on Macintoshes. They world-record-holding touch typist used Dvorak (she’s the one who convinced IBM to come out with the Dvorak selectrics).
That’s about it! Type in good health. And be careful with ResEdit! (back up your system file!!!).
-andrew shalit
40 Dickinson Street
Somerville, MA 02143
GEnie address: CORAL
(also often found lurking on the Mass Mac & Electric BBS (617) 231-2872)
Special thanks to Apple’s Macintosh Developers Technical Services Department for providing me with a pre-release tech-note that allowed me to do this.
