Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!uunet!drivax!liberato From: liberato@dri.com (Jimmy Liberato) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: Northgate keyboards do not have N-key rollover Message-ID: Date: 30 Sep 90 11:10:05 GMT References: <39363@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> <1968@sixhub.UUCP> Reply-To: liberato@dri.com (Jimmy Liberato) Organization: Digital Research, Inc., Monterey, California Lines: 31 davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) writes: >In article <39363@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> wales@valeria.cs.ucla.edu (Rich Wales) writes: >| Anyone who can type fast should be aware that Northgate's OmniKey line >| of keyboards do =not= have N-key rollover. > > I don't know what you mean by "N key rollover," but all the Northgates >I have certainly have what I think of as N key rollover. I have two at >home, and three at work, use two others at other sites, and they're all >ages from a week after they announced the keyboard (original 102), 1st >revised layout, 2nd revised layout, and Omnikey. > > As I sit here I press *and hold* successive keys on this early 102 >"asdf" and all the keys come out. If you don't have rollover you either >get only one key or "aaaa." What you are describing ("asdf") _is_ N-key rollover. My new OmniKey Ultra only has 2-key rollover, however. I get "asss" until I release the "a" then I get "dddd" until I release the "s", etc. This is their newest model so they have indeed changed things. After much banging I really can't see why you need rollover to the nth degree anyway. I guess if you type at 100 wpm you might have the possibility of having three keys depressed simultaneously. I can only create such a situation artificially. I think the other features more than make up for the impact this problem will have on most people. Like mice, keyboards are a religious issue. You either hate optical or hate mechanical. You either hate mushy silence or hate the clickety-clack. All I know is when I'm on the OmniKey I'm in heaven! -- Jimmy Liberato liberato@dri.com ...uunet!drivax!liberato