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I have a confession to make.

I’m writing this to you from a QWERTY keyboard.

No, I haven’t given up on the Dvorak layout since I started three days ago; in fact, at only day 3, I’m loving it. But I have kept one computer on QWERTY while I learn due to the sheer amount of writing I have to do in a day—not to mention that once I switched my other keyboard, I had to take up a mammoth task that requires a lot of typing and has to be done within the next couple of months.

That said, I’ve spent most of my time on the Dvorak keyboard. I elected to modify my iBook’s keys first, and I switched them around in a matter of minutes.

On my Mac mini, though, I’m using a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic, and with some keys quite a different size to the others, due to the unusual shape, it requires labels and can’t be switched around.

I’ll switch it, once I’ve ordered the labels and I’m fully competent on Dvorak.

But as I said, I’m on Dvorak most of the time anyway. This keyboard’s a backup. I spend a lot of time coordinating with colleagues around the world and use my iBook for things like that—Skype, for instance—pretty much exclusively.

Today I spent over an hour coaching a new editor at the Free Articulator. That’s a lot more intensive on the typist than writing blog posts, as it’s real time instant messaging. I did pretty well keeping up with him, though at times it was frustrating.

And that, I believe, is why I’m getting used to it so quickly. People say that it’s near impossible to learn Dvorak while you’re still using QWERTY. I know it’s only day 3, but my experience is suggesting the opposite —maybe those people need to try using heavy instant messaging while they learn

It just challenges and demands more from you, and even though you’ll want to scream at something because your friend is pumping out messages at a ration of ten to your one, it means you improve. Way faster.

I’m faster than most say they are by day 3, and I’m still capable of touch-typing on QWERTY (takes a minute to readjust though). I have found at least one other report of being fully capable to learn and continue using both simultaneously.

My wrist pain is pretty much gone, so long as I keep away from this keyboard as often as I can.

By day three, things are looking great, looking like you can actually keep up two layouts at once, and Dvorak just feels faster and more comfortable (and the spider-stretching sensation when you go back to QWERTY that some people have reported is true).

In short? It’s still looking like the best way to blog if you want to produce heaps of content, much more quickly, with much less pain.

Note: at the time of publication the fantastic site linked to through the picture is down - it exceeded its bandwidth after it got Boing Boinged, but I’ve linked here anyway because once it’s back up it’s a GREAT resource.