MacOS – Internal keyboard QWERTY; External Keyboard Dvorak

keyboardmacos

Is there a way to configure a MacBook Air running Lion (10.7.1) to recognize the internal keyboard as QWERTY, but to attach an external keyboard configured to use the Dvorak configuration?

Best Answer

No, only a single keyboard layout can be active at one time and it will apply to all keyboards. But switching layouts is very simple: Apple/Command + space. Or you can no doubt make it even simpler if you want.

Update 2016: It's possible now to do this with Karabiner, as described at

Different key-maps/bindings for in-built keyboard and Bluetooth keyboard