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What is the QIDO - Qwerty to Dvorak
USB Adapter?
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QIDO
stands for 'Qwerty-In -> Dvorak-Out'.
The
QIDO Qwerty to Dvorak USB Adapter is a tiny USB plug which
attaches between an external USB keyboard and PC/Mac and lets
users toggle between the conventional Qwerty layout and the
more-efficient Dvorak layout.
 Its
built-in layout switch mechanism is activated by a simple
tap of the NumLock key (or Clear key on some Mac keyboard)
twice in quick succession.
With
its quick switching mechanism and portability, QIDO also brings
the commitment to learn and use the Dvorak layout as a viable
option within the grasp of every computer user.
The
QIDO is small, portable and easy to use... the perfect answer
for environments where both Dvorak and Qwerty typists need
to co-exist, such as in the workplace, at school, or at home.
QIDO
currently supports the
conversion of US
Qwerty to the following Dvorak layouts:
1) Dvorak (Standard)
2) Dvorak-Qwerty
3) Dvorak Single Handed Left
4) Dvorak Single Handed Right
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Why choose QIDO rather than your
OS to manage the Dvorak layout?
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Switching
to the Dvorak in Windows seems very easy, but there are many
benefits when letting QIDO manage your keyboard layout rather
than your OS.
These
benefits of QIDO are best described in a post
by Alex
Eagle
(the originator of the QIDO concept).
*
Bugs in OS support for switching layouts. In Mac at least,
option-’ gives me æ and option-[ gives me ” because it’s modifying
the QWERTY position character. Locking my screen with LockTight,
I tell it my shortcut is shift-option-command-P, but I really
have to hit L.
*
Software that reads scancodes in some situations where it
shouldn’t. Especially as a developer, I run across tools that
don’t use the OS-provided character mapping.
*
Pair programming - I would like to have a Dvorak keyboard,
plugin to a qwerty co-workers machine, and both keyboards
work at the same time.
* Sitting down at a QWERTY keyboard. People make fun
of us when we can’t use their keyboard, but honestly, it’s
really annoying. I’d like to have dvorak with me all the time.
*
Working through remote X sessions, VMWare, over Synergy, or
in the BIOS or bootloader - you can never be sure if you have
us->dvorak mapped, or if it’s mapped twice. Especially when
using more than one of those remote means.
* Really low-tech people are put off from trying dvorak
by the prospect of changing a setting in their OS/windowing
toolkit.
QIDO
is small, portable and manages your keyboard layout in hardware.
Using a QIDO addresses and eliminates many of the issues and
problems encountered by users of the Dvorak layout.
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How it works.
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On
one side of the QIDO you will find a Female USB connector,
and on the other side a Male USB connector.
It
takes a matter of seconds to attach the QIDO to your External
USB keyboard, you simply unplug your USB keyboard (or wireless
keyboard receiver), plug it into the QIDO, and then plug the
QIDO into your PC/Mac.
I.E. Keyboard -> QIDO -> PC/Mac
The
QIDO receives Qwerty keystrokes in its female USB side and
remaps them to the Dvorak layout, instantly sending them out
the other side.
QIDO
contains full-speed dedicated hardware and can change the
layout of any attached USB (1.0/1.1/2.0) Qwerty keyboard to
Dvorak on-the-fly. The hardware is based on our KeyGhost technology
and runs flawlessly, with the conversion happening even before
any keystrokes reach the computer.
This means QIDO operates completely independent of any operating
system running on the PC/Mac, making it compatible with all
past, present and even future operating systems and able to
serve your needs for years to come!
The
QIDO can even be used with most wireless keyboards (when connected
between the dedicated wireless receiver and PC/Mac).
With
instant and seamless conversion in dedicated hardware, even
the world's fastest typists and gamers would never have any
problems using the QIDO on their PC or Mac.
We
hope that current users of the Dvorak layout will find the
QIDO very helpful, and we hope its existence will also encourage
others to take the opportunity to experiment-with and learn
this more-efficient keyboard layout.
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QIDO in operation.
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Let
hardware take control of your keyboard layout.
QIDO
contains a built-in menu system ('Ghost menu') that can be
accessed from within any text editor.
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Reviews
Technical information.
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USB KEYBOARD REQUIRED
System Requirements:
Mac or IBM PC compatible. USB (small rectangular plug) keyboard.
The
QIDO - Qwerty to Dvorak USB Converter / Adapter works on ALL USB enabled
PC and Mac operating systems including but not limited to
Windows 98SE,ME,NT, 2000, XP,Vista, Windows 7, MacOSx, Tiger,
Leopard, Linux and Ubuntu. Support for Dos and non USB enabled
operating systems is possible but depends on the features
of your Bios *
QIDO
uses the generic HID keyboard device drivers and USB composite
device drivers built into all operating systems that support
USB keyboards.
QIDO
also converts any USB keyboard containing an internal hub
into a generic HID composite device. This means that any PC
or Mac keyboard that has a USB mouse attached to the keyboard
will continue to work after the QIDO is attached, however,
additional USB connectors on keyboards will be disabled for
any device other than a single mouse.
*
In order to use QIDO in DOS and non-USB operating systems,
you need to enable support for a USB keyboard through a "USB/Legacy"
option available in some PC BIOSes. You can usually access
your PC's BIOS set-up program by pressing DEL or some other
specified key during the first few seconds of system startup.
Once in the BIOS setup program, find the settings that relate
to USB, and see if there's a "legacy" option available to
you. If so, simply toggling that option should allow you to
use a USB keyboard and QIDO device from DOS.
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Dvorak related links
Questions or comments?
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At
KeyGhost Ltd, we are committed to giving you excellent after
sales service and technical support.
Please
contact
us if you
have any questions, comments, suggestions or bulk order pricing
enquiries regarding the QIDO or any of our products.
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