Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!husc6!rice!sun-spots-request
From: hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu (Charles Hedrick)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun
Subject: Re: Sun VT220-PS/2 style keyboard
Keywords: Hardware
Message-ID: <289@brazos.Rice.edu>
Date: 24 Jul 89 06:54:57 GMT
Sender: root@rice.edu
Organization: Sun-Spots
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Approved: Sun-Spots@rice.edu
X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 8, Issue 78, message 4 of 14

After hearing about how the type 4 keyboard is a creation of the devil,
I've finally had a chance to use one.  I was pleasantly surprised.  It
achieves reasonable compatibility with traditional Unix and PC keyboard
designs.  Presumably PC compatibility is a goal both because it's used on
the 386i and because there is DOS emulation software for the Sparcstation.
Makes some sense.  

It manages to avoid the known serious keyboard breakages: having shift
lock where control is supposed to be, and putting escape somewhere in
never-never-land.  The main criticisms are that we'd rather see delete and
backspace reversed, and that the return may be a bit too far to the right.
These are both things that have reasonable arguments both ways.  I'm sure
we'll adapt.

One presumes that they didn't do a VT220 keyboard because they know that
the DEC user base threatened to assassinate the designer of the keyboard,
and the Unix user community has threatened grievous bodily harm to any
other vendor that comes with with such a thing.

It does seem a bit crowded.  But in general I approve of the small
footprint of the newer machines. I guess the keyboard has to follow suit.