Xref: utzoo comp.std.misc:168 comp.windows.misc:1164 comp.misc:6599 comp.periphs:1934 Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!pacbell!ames!apple!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!spage From: spage@cup.portal.com (S spage Page) Newsgroups: comp.std.misc,comp.windows.misc,comp.misc,comp.periphs Subject: Re: User Interface Standards -- *Keyboards!* Message-ID: <20581@cup.portal.com> Date: 18 Jul 89 23:43:00 GMT References: <115518@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> <29607@ism780c.isc.com> <1989Jul15.034605.28654@cs.rochester.edu> <29738@ism780c.isc.com> Organization: The Portal System (TM) Lines: 32 The de facto standard is the IBM 101-key keyboard on the PC AT. You can buy a Mac keyboard with the same layout, the NeXT keyboard is similar, there are a zillion clone vendors selling all kinds of versions of this from spongey to tappy to clickly, I believe you can plug one right into the DG Aviion system, etc., etc. As to whether it's a GOOD standard,... It duplicates the cursor control and PageUp/PageDown/Home/End/Insert/Delete keys, first on the number pad and then in two blocks. This is somewhat redundant and the NeXT keyboard uses the PageUp/PageDown/... block for ?? Brightness, Volume, and other weirdness. The problem with any standard keyboard layout is that software programs always end up using every key, so that to implement window system shortcuts like Front/Back/Close, you have to either fight with applications or add extra keys. Sun grabbed the left 10 keys from the original PC layout. However, the Microsoft Windows use of is much easier to remember and faster to type. I walked up to a PC once and ran Windows for 30 minutes before I noticed it didn't have a mouse! If OSF/Motif can implement the same keyboard U.I. it would be a big win. Another advantage of the PC AT hardware standard is the number of plug- compatible special designs available for it. I have bad arthritis and have tried several different keyboards. I've seen ads for dished keyboards, keyboards with touch pads, keyboards with separately adjustable left and right keys. The most amazing product I've heard of is one which splits the keyboard into two "pucks", one for each hand. You rest your hands on heavily contured surfaces studded with microswitches, so the effort to strike keys is minimized. And... each one rolls around independently, so either hand can drive a mouse. If anyone has more information about this keyboard, please send me email. =S Page spage@cup.Portal.COM