Keyboards are Backwards

Is it possible that an arbitrary decision made decades ago was the wrong one, and we all took it for granted?

Desktop keyboards have had the same fundamental design for decades: QWERTY keypad, computing extensions on the right, and function keys on top. The mouse, for everyone but for a few stubborn lefties, sits to the right of the keyboard.

Let’s look at an overhead shot of someone (coincidentally, me) with their fingers on the home keys. Please ignore the obvious fact that my sister took these photos in our kitchen rather than at a real computer desk.

This isn’t a natural position for the arms to be in, but the QWERTY keyboard is a compromise between comfort and space conservation.

Arm Positions for Various Tasks

Now, let’s see where the right arm falls if I hold it out naturally.

On the numpad! I don’t use the numpad very much at all (I try to do all math by hand or by head), and as a programmer, this makes me unhappy. The control object I use the most should be where my dominant hand naturally falls. However, this won’t be a big deal if my left arm naturally falls onto a useful object.

It lands on nothing. My left hand is perfectly capable of doing things on its own, but apparently the rest of the computer hardware industry doesn’t think so.

What position do I have to move my arms in to use the mouse?

My right arm has to be splayed outside of my area of comfort in order to use the mouse.

The Problem

I don’t use the numpad very often, as I generally try to do most arithmetic in my head or by hand. What do I use most often to control the computer?

1. QWERTY keys
2. Mouse
3. Line/Page control keys
4. Arrow keys
5. Numpad

Of course, this list isn’t the same for everybody. Keyboard Shortcut Cowboys may never even touch the mouse, and #3-5 strongly depend on what kind of work you do on the computer. However, most people use the mouse and the QWERTY keys enough that, at least in theory, the layout should be optimized for comfort and efficiency.

The mouse is fine on the right side. Modern GUIs practically demand to be controlled by the mouse, and most of the population is either right handed or open-minded to using righty layouts. However, the numpad gets in the way of natural mouse placement. It would be much more natural if the numpad, arrow keys, and page/line control keys were on the left side of the keyboard. I wouldn’t have to splay my arm out to use the mouse, and all would be OK.

My Suboptimal Solution

On a whim, I Googled “left handed keyboard” and found that I’m not the first person to have thought of this. However, there is probably zero demand for an “easy mousing” keyboard. Nobody in their right mind actually takes the time to think about the position of the keyboard and mouse. This is the first thing that everyone gets used to when they first use a computer and mouse, and is the first thing that people take as a given.

I would love to lead the charge, except that either my Google-fu is weak, or nobody makes an ergonomic left-handed keyboard. As a result, I’m currently rocking a bastard solution, using my left hand to control the mouse. I’m equally adept left and right handed with the numpad, and much worse on the mouse with my left hand, so for the next few weeks this is going to be a pain.

However, I am a programmer, master and commander of all before me on my desk. I’m sure I’ll be able to work through the annoyance of learning to use my mouse left-handed. I’m sure I’ll keep reaching for a phantom mouse for the next 6 months, but I’m in this for the long haul.

Is this really a big deal?

In one sense, no, it’s not. Millions of people use the standard keyboard/mouse layout a day. Space stations aren’t falling from the sky, subways aren’t exploding beneath our feet, car’s aren’t flipping at every intersection, and nobody’s dying at their keyboard. However, every little bit adds up over decades, and I already think it’s more comfortable to have the mouse on the left-hand side and I’ve been doing it for about a day.

Would the switch kill you? Try using the numpad with your left hand. Don’t reach across, though. The following is wrong, and is not how you would be using it:

Move your lazy rear-end a foot to the right and then try it that way. I’ll type slower so that you can catch up after you adjust your chair. OK? You should use it like this:

The current keyboard layout is actually ideal for gamers, for positioning yourself on the mouse + WASD keys places both hands in the comfort zone. However, for everyday computer maneuvering, it would make far more sense to have the mouse as close to the right hand as possible.

All photos taken by Lisette Voytko

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