What is the QIDO - Qwerty to Dvorak USB Adapter? 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 Why choose QIDO rather than your OS to manage the Dvorak layout? 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. How it works. 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. QIDO in operation. 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. Reviews May 24, 2009 - "Know everything they type, or stop them from typing at all!" - Read the review at Dan's Data . Technical information. 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. Dvorak related links General information:

Dvorak simplified keyboard - www.wikipedia.org

The Dvorak keyboard - a primer - www.dvorak-keyboard.com

Loving the Dvorak keyboard - www.slate.com

Dvorak at MIT - www.mit.edu

The Dvorak keyboard and you - www.theworldofstuff.com Online Dvorak typing tutors:

Free online Dvorak typing course - gigliwood.com

Free online typing tutorial for Dvorak - www.powertyping.com

Free online Dvorak keyboard training - learn.dvorak.nl Online Dvorak typing tutors:

Single-handed Dvorak layouts - www.pcguide.com Suppliers of Keyboard stickers:

Dvorak layout keyboard stickers - www.4keyboard.com Questions or comments? 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.