Elite: Dangerous PvE - Mobius

While taking a 378,000ls supercruise trip to a station, I got bored and was looking around the cockpit of my Cobra. Turns out they still use keyboards with the QWERTY arrangement here in 3303 in the Milky Way. Which I found amusing, because the only reason keyboards are arranged that way is because that's what was used for the first ever commercially successful typewriter, back in the 1870s. See, that typewriter used metal arms that would swing up and hit the paper to print a letter on it. To keep these arms from hitting each other and jamming the machine, the arrangement of the letters was gradually tweaked to the arrangement we know today. So the way we type today is influenced by a typewriter from the 19th century. Computers don't have to worry about metal arms jamming, so there's no real reason to continue using that arrangement for any other apparent reason than that's what is comfortable and familiar. So it's funny to me to see after 1286 years of advancement, we still can't bring ourselves to change the way the keyboard is arranged.

I suggest you switch your keyboards layout to Dvorak and see how that goes.

There's very real value in what "everybody is used to" that far outweighs what is theoretically more optimal.
Besides what is optimal ?

The optimal letter layout for English is not necessarily the optimal layout for French, or Spanish or, or.
But having just one layout, fairly internationally recognised means I can pretty much pick up a keyboard anywhere and get to work.

What is more disconcerting is that 3303 era spaceships still use BBC micro's.

TorTorden wrote:What is more disconcerting is that 3303 era spaceships still use BBC micro's.

That's true, but got to be better than a spectrum dead flesh keyboard

I'd argue that as long as they're predominantly speaking English in universe that a QWERTY keyboard still makes perfect sense.

PuddleJumper wrote:I'd argue that as long as they're predominantly speaking English in universe that a QWERTY keyboard still makes perfect sense.

Qwery only really made sense for mechanical type writers, and from what I understand it was developed specifically so letters commonly used together would not be in close proximity so the type heads would tangle and get stuck.

I remember doing this on our type writer as a kid for fun, by pressing E, R, and or F at the same time.
Also why each row of keys is staggered diagonally.
Thus speeding up overall typing speed.

On electrical keyboards that problem doesn't exist anymore. And only remaining benefit is tradition and "everybody knows it".

And yes.
those spectrum keyboards where terrible.

There are the same discussions here in France where a new BEPO keyboard is introduced to replace our AZERTY (same stuff.. typerwriter heritage)..
I guess they should push to introduce these to the younger generation, so they start on these.. and once we'll be all dead and gone ,our kiddos won't have RSI (yes : repetitive strain injuries... We all know they won't get Robert space industries :p)

LeDoyen wrote:There are the same discussions here in France where a new BEPO keyboard is introduced to replace our AZERTY (same stuff.. typerwriter heritage)..
I guess they should push to introduce these to the younger generation, so they start on these.. and once we'll be all dead and gone ,our kiddos won't have RSI (yes : repetitive strain injuries... We all know they won't get Robert space industries :p)

Try getting anyone here in the UK over the age of 50 to accept the metric system. The hand-over would be a nightmare

Stabby_Dave wrote:

LeDoyen wrote:There are the same discussions here in France where a new BEPO keyboard is introduced to replace our AZERTY (same stuff.. typerwriter heritage)..
I guess they should push to introduce these to the younger generation, so they start on these.. and once we'll be all dead and gone ,our kiddos won't have RSI (yes : repetitive strain injuries... We all know they won't get Robert space industries :p)

Try getting anyone here in the UK over the age of 50 to accept the metric system. The hand-over would be a nightmare

But in 34th century everybody is using meric system.

I saw the disaster it was in Ireland.. west coast, between Galway and the cliffs of Moher.. super tight curves, hills like road bumps, no visibility.. and they put a 100km/h speed limit.
I tried driving there over 60 it was just super scary, tires screeching, car slightly lifting off the road sometimes.. crazy irish blokes.

We'd struggle with these new KB layout for sure but it's just temporary.
I remember when i was there trying to write french with the accents on a qwerty keyboard.. took a few weeks it's like learning a new music instrument.. muscle memory

LeDoyen wrote:I saw the disaster it was in Ireland.. west coast, between Galway and the cliffs of Moher.. super tight curves, hills like road bumps, no visibility.. and they put a 100km/h speed limit.
I tried driving there over 60 it was just super scary, tires screeching, car slightly lifting off the road sometimes.. crazy irish blokes.

We'd struggle with these new KB layout for sure but it's just temporary.
I remember when i was there trying to write french with the accents on a qwerty keyboard.. took a few weeks it's like learning a new music instrument.. muscle memory

Anyone who has any clue for driving knows that the speedlimit is a Maximum limit.
NOT a required speed.

It is your responsibility to make the assessment that no, I can't do more than 60kph here.

If you are not able to make that call you should never have been given a license in the first place.

Honestly speed limits should have been unnecessary, but people are idiots and far to many of them have a license to drive.