Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!olivea!mintaka!ogicse!unicorn!n8243274
From: n8243274@unicorn.cc.wwu.edu (steven l. odegard)
Newsgroups: comp.std.misc
Subject: Re: Standard keyboard
Keywords: Is there one?
Message-ID: <1991Jan28.183530.17856@unicorn.cc.wwu.edu>
Date: 28 Jan 91 18:35:30 GMT
References: <742@caslon.cs.arizona.edu> <87723@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
Organization: Western Washington University, Bellingham WA.
Lines: 37

Testy subject here.  I agree with manson in article
<87723@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> with the following:

  \escape\ (^[) should be upper left, immediately left of \Q\.
  \control\ should be double size immediately left of \A\.
  \tab\ (^I) should be immediately left of \1\ or \escape\.
  \backsapce\ (^H) should be upper right, immediately left of \=\.

but I feel that
  \caps_lock\ should be immediately left of \control\.  It'll never be
     hit there by mistake either.
  There should be a duplicate \control\ immediately over the right
     \shift\, under \return\.  [This used to be standard].
  \return\ should be triple or quadruple size immediately right of \"'\.
  \shift\ keys should be lowered from the bottom row of keys to be
     next to the space bar (I taught myself to type on a mechanical
     typewriter).

The entire QWERTY arrangement needs to be overhauled.  I taught myself
Dvorak, but not enough machines I am required to use are capable of being
switched over.  Any manufacturer who has the insight to include such a
switch should receive subsidy from the Powers that Be.  

I also agree with Manson about function keys, but people want them, so
they get them.  Okay, the AT style keyboard is best, having the function
keys in arrays of four spaced above the number keys.  With practice,
they can be reached with the fingers and be 'touch-typed' almost like
playing a piano.

Nobody knows what do do with \+=\, \~`\, \|\\, \del\, or the brackets and
curly braces; they end up everywhere.  Some keyboards place the right
bracket as shifted and the left bracket as unshifted, while others place
two keys \{[\ and \}]\, which I prefer.  I suppose the jury is still out
about this.  Where sholuld the \break\ key be placed?  Please, not so close
to backs
-- 
--SLO  8243274@wwu.edu  uw-beaver!wwu.edu!8243274  n8243274@unicorn.wwu.edu