why don't they make keyboards/typewriters in alphabetical order ? wouldn't it be easier ?
112801
At first, tt was chosen over the obvious alphabetical order because the old mechanical typewriters used long bars to print the letter on paper, and these bars would get stuck if the typewriter was typing English words very quickly. To reduce the bar clogging, the inventor Sholes placed letters that would be used together often as far apart as possible, like the letters "T" and "H".\n\nAnd since that day we have been stuck with this layout, phasing it out would be too difficult since we've been used to it for generations.
10929
It has to do with the old style typewriters...if letter were in order they would constantly hit each other as they went to strike a letter and then return to thier place...the order allowed people to type quickly without having to unjam the key strikers as they typed faster....
541099
Simple.  Highlight the letter you want to move and drag and drop it to new location.  It is actually quicker to do it with a keyboard once you become a fluent typist, but you asked so here it is.
20714
Perhaps we should earn points for correcting spelling mistakes in the question... Thanks to Konqueror's inline spell checking, I don't make mistakes myself any more (cue people jumping to prove me wrong).\n\nOh yeah, and thanks for stealing my electroshock keyboard idea; I've been advocating that one for ages!
801258
typewriter (along the top row)
914094
Yes, that's because American keyboards are laid out differently than UK keyboards, as you found out.
278129
I'm from the dark age.  I remember that it would take sometimes hours and hours to type up a document on an electric typewriter . . . even with the correciton tape (especially a legal document which doesn't allow for any corrections).  Now . . . it will take only minutes!  I would say that definitely is an enhancement because without computer skills . . . that would never happen.
320673
Duh! All keyboards have the 2 and @ on the same key, same with ' and "! It's suposed to be like that!
1071786
On a keyboard, the letters are arranged by hand position and by\nwhich letters are often used. For calculators this doesn't matter\nsince you only type with one hand and only type brief messages.
524673
typewriter is the answer, but you can also make repertoire
950011
Using your 8 fingers and 2 thumbs.. the keyboard is laid out so that the most popular letters are easy to access quickly. QW ZX PL are all on the corners of the keyboards. All the vowels are under or above the 8 main finger positions (ASDF and JKL:)
1105945
you can't with the keyboard. \n\nbut if you have a web page you can use these codes to make them.\n\n&#9834; = ♪\n&#9835; = ♫\n\nyou can also use these codes in online forms such as the form you used to ask this question.\n\nhere are many more of them\nhttp://dwight.clickthesky.com/internettips/specialcharacters.shtml
515122
The 1874 Sholes & Glidden typewriters established the QWERTY layout for the letter keys that is used nowadays in Anglophone countries for virtually all computer keyboards and the majority of other keyboards. Other nations using the Latin alphabet may use variants of the QWERTY layout, for example the French AZERTY layout.
927425
Ever tried doing runes on a PC keyboard.....   Its a bit hard!!
319255
Yes. Some businesses still use typewriters even though typewriters these days are electronic.  For instance, the company I work for uses one for making labels and typing on special forms that our big copier/printers can't handle.
317920
i think everyone is missing the point of the question. if i am correct he is asking about the actual positioning of the print on each individual key. now to answer the question, i have NO idea. hehe sorry.
205128
The individual characters are often esoteric to the manufacturer I believe, but the order is an ISO standard, check the wiki in my source.