[sparkie]

I switched due to RSI with the hope it would help - but the difference it made was neglible. Buying a better ergonomic keyboard is far more important than the key layout for coping with RSI. If you're having problems, look for a column staggered keyboard with thumb modifiers.

Typing speed is not really any different from qwerty. Having all the vowels adjacent is sometimes a slowdown because you're utilizing one hand more than the other. I'd probably look at Workman or one of the Q?MLW? layouts if I were to learn again - since they're based on more modern attempts to measurably optimise the layout. The problem with those though, is having them supported by the OS and applications.

Which is perhaps the biggest reason not to bother with Dvorak. It's a PITA to configure most operating systems and the apps you use to have consistent keyboard shortcuts/chords/sequences etc, without having to stretch your hands around the keyboard for operations like cut/copy/paste - which are probably already hard-wired into your neural network. You'll find yourself reconfiguring the controls for any game you play - reconfiguring application's keybindings, if they let you do so easily - and every one of them will have a different means of configuring them anyway.

As for switching between Dvorak and Qwerty, I've never had an issue doing it. I sometimes make a mistake for perhaps the first minute after the context switch, but I can easily type in either layout as good as ever. Perhaps because I still used Qwerty regularly while learning Dvorak and still use it frequently still (can't change keyboard on work computers because people complain, etc).

For the time investment it'll take to learn Dvorak, I'd say it's not worth it. Start by getting a better keyboard (or for pleasure, make your own and adapt it to your hand shape). Play around with some other layouts like Workman and see if they feel comfortable. It should take only a few hours to learn any one layout and you'll forget it pretty quickly if you don't carry it on - so it's not really an issue trying out several layouts to see what you like - then committing to one with spaced repetition or just hard grinding.

[melling]

Which ergonomic keyboard(s) do you use?

[ninjakeyboard]

I would strongly recommend the Kinesis Advantage.