[wutbrodo]

I'm surprised to hear this. It seems like the point is clearly to allow existing Dvorak (desktop) users to avoid switching formats when they switch devices. It shouldn't matter whether Dvorak is optimal for typing on a phone.

[ehzy]

This really doesn't matter because the "muscle memory" doesn't carry between the two formats.

[panda888888]

Disagree. I've been almost an exclusive Dvorak user for 15+ years, and the muscle memory absolutely carries over.

[riversflow]

The muscle memory of touch typing, by definition of muscle memory, does not carry over to thumb typing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_memory

[shhsshs]

Good point. Though a significant part of typing speed is your _spacial_ memory (where is the J key on the keyboard?).

Your _muscle_ memory makes you good at moving your fingers (or thumbs) to an absolute position on your keyboard (or screen) - but to do that you must first decide what absolute position your finger (or thumb) should move to (where is the J key?).

[saurik]

And yet, somehow, I feel like it was a lot faster for me to learn how to type on an iPhone--nearly instant, really--because it was using QWERTY instead of having the letters in a random order, so it isn't clear to me that what you are saying matters even if it were true.

[WorldMaker]

Yes, and as others point out iOS has long supported Dvorak (and Colemak and a few others) where that desktop muscle memory matters: when using a hardware keyboard via Bluetooth.

Qwerty is useful for "swipe typing" on a touch screen and Dvorak/Colemak is great for touch typing on hardware and the way "muscle memory" works those are such different media/muscle movements that they have separate "muscle memory".

[copperx]

True. I was happy when I switched to Android because Dvorak was available as an on screen keyboard. I didn't last for more than a day with it. Dvorak is terrible for on screen typing.