No. That 1996 article is wrong on that point, and fluffy on others. It's straightforward to calculate finger travels for typing words on various keyboard layout

No. That 1996 article is wrong on that point, and fluffy on others. It's straightforward to calculate finger travels for typing words on various keyboard layouts [1], and Dvorak easily comes out on top. Placing e on the home row alone is probably a significant improvement. Compare the home rows: asdf jkl; aoeu htns Placement of high-frequency letters, especially vowels, reduces finger movement and eases typing. There's no magic about it. [1] www.typocheck.co.uk/dvorak/