Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!o.gp.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!jm7e+ From: jm7e+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jeremy G. Mereness) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: Keyboards, Frame, CL wrt 2.0 Message-ID: Date: 16 Dec 90 21:54:53 GMT References: <4512@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> Distribution: usa Organization: Computing Systems, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Lines: 36 In-Reply-To: <4512@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> Excerpts from netnews.comp.sys.next: 15-Dec-90 Keyboards, Frame, CL wrt 2.0 Pascal Chesnais@media-la (1427) > Keyboard - NeXT changed the keyboard to conform to "international" > standards and to allow local customization (read they only want > hardware configuration for the keyboard). I still want the option to > purchase the old style keyboard when ordering my NeXTstation. There > was no warning that the keyboard would change. I sense a new third > party market here! I would like to see alternative options to the NeXT keyboard, possibly from third parties. The NeXT keyboard is attractive in its matching obsidian black, but for Unix/C people, it is pretty hellish. Even the non-extended Apple keyboard manages to get all the keys in there without resorting to the keypad or a set of keys above the numbers-row (they put the tilde, pipe, etc on either side of the space-bar). All in all, I like that configuration best, although the feel is less than ideal. My point is that the keyboard is the only sacrifice I see with the NeXT. And I don't believe there are enough keys on the keyboard to allow reconfiguration to be a solution. Without more keys, VT-series terminal emulation is impossible without having to switch the keypad mode all the time. I am hoping to buy a NeXT in the 2nd or 3rd quarter of 1991, but am anticipating a bad time getting used to so many important keys being out of the way. I hope NeXT or some third party (probably expensive :-( ) manufactures a solution to this. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ |Jeremy Mereness | Support | Ye Olde Disclaimer: | |jm7e+@andrew.cmu.edu (internet) | Free | The above represent my| |a700jm7e@cmccvb (Vax... bitnet) | Software| opinions, alone. | |staff/student@Carnegie Mellon U.| | Ya Gotta Love It. | -----------------------------------------------------------------------