Well as a programmer i highly prefer the AZERTY keyboards because i can type all the symbols i need in a fast and efficient and i can type all french letters without having to memorize the lengthy alt combinations :p, while QWERTY is only useful when typing lebanese in roman letters in chat :p
so AZERTY is a definite winner for me..
So what about you what do you prefer? and why?
Worked on both, qwerty more of course but still not any problem with the azerty one, you get use it quite quickly. for the symbol and the éèêàçæùí etc. at first you have a small paper near you, then you memorise it and don't look at it^^

So don't mind working on qw/azerty (but if I wana choose one, i'd go for the qwerty^^ coz I'm used to it:D )
querty, simply because im used to it.
It takes you a little while to get used to azerty. It also takes a little time to get used to switching layouts. At first you tend to type azerty on the querty keyboard, etc...
For the accents, theres an easy way in windows... just add the french language with united states International keyboard layout, and you will be able to type accents with intuitive 2 key combinations.
For example, if you type ^ then e, it will output ê. If you just want to type ^e, then you have to type ^ then space then e (you will get used to it - and anyway, just switch back to EN when youre typing english).
I never memorized any alt combinations. I can type all the accent using this technique, and faster then using alt combinations.
i never used azerty

and for french.. bleh. i rarely type.. or i use auto correct or something
i highly prefer the AZERTY keyboards because i can type all the symbols i need in a fast and efficient and i can type all french letters without having to memorize the lengthy alt combinations
Your argument does not stand if you're working in Mac OSX :)
I can write ligatures, diacritic points as well as acute, grave and circumflex accents using an intuitive alt combination. For example, if I want to enter "é", I press alt+e (it triggers an accent) then i press "e" again.
And voilà!
You can also create macros in windows, I used to do it with office when I wanted to write long essays in french.
It comes back to what you said samer, alt+e or something like, you create it depending on how you like it:)
qwerty FTW ! i dont really like the idea of having to type french symbols ;)
As a programmer, I do prefer qwerty (which I type on an azerty keyboard, but who cares!)

Also I'm French, so normally much more used to azerty, I was told being crazy in France ;).

All those [ ] { } | | / \ . ; are just ideally located in the qwerty layout (it keeps my ALT-GR key clean), surely because this was what Mr Kernighan and Ritchie were using while inventing C.

- Jeko
Do not eat french poisson, it is poison!!
Mini-me aime le chocolat tres beacoups! eh?
Scotty n'est pas!