Other original layouts
Several other alternative keyboard layouts exist, such as the Maltron, Colemak, Asset and Arensito layouts, designed with various principles in mind such as minimising finger movement, maximising hand alternation or inward rolls (where successive letters are typed moving towards the centre of the keyboard), minimising changes from QWERTY to ease the learning curve, and so on; however, none of them are in widespread use, and many of them are merely proofs of concept. The designer of Colemak reports that his layout has been downloaded 1600 times:[5]

The competition was won by Shai Coleman's "Colemak" keyboard layout.[3]

Alternatives
Because of the radical differences between QWERTY and Dvorak, existing typists find that it takes considerable time and effort to make the change. As a consequence, some hobbyists have attempted to design alternative layouts which follow the principles involved in the Dvorak keyboard layout but preserve many of the QWERTY key positions, thereby making it easier for users to make the transition.