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From: jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Jim Mann)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: NeXT Keyboards (was RE: Low End NeXTs)
Message-ID: <4989@lectroid.sw.stratus.com>
Date: 9 Apr 91 14:26:06 GMT
References: <1991Apr9.122402.5072@wam.umd.edu>
Sender: usenet@lectroid.sw.stratus.com
Reply-To: jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com
Lines: 32

In article <1991Apr9.122402.5072@wam.umd.edu> mikec@wam.umd.edu (Michael D.  
Callaghan) writes:
> In article <473@heaven.woodside.ca.us> glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us (Glenn  
Reid) writes:
> >
> >Scott Bennett writes
> >Although the key cap doesn't show it, Shift-Escape yields a tilde on
> >the old keyboard.  I think that's a pretty standard place for it.
> >Too bad the key doesn't show it.  I think the old keyboard is pretty
> >close to perfect, and I'm pretty picky about my keyboards.
> >
> >I still haven't learned to like the new keyboard.  Can't live without
> >\ and | somewhere reachable.
> >
> >But, before we get going on this again, we must realize that keyboards
> >are highly personal things and SOMEONE must like the new keyboard.  If
> >you're out there, and you really LIKE it, send me some mail.  I've never
> >heard anybody say anything nicer than "I can tolerate it."

I don't particulary like either the new or the old keyboards. Oh, by and large
the keys are in reasonable places. But it just doesn't feel right. There is
not enough tactile respnse from the keys.  But then again, this seems to
be, perhaps, a problem with Steve Jobs companies: they don't care about the 
feel of the keyboards. The original Mac keyboard was the worst keyboard
I've ever had to type on. The newer Mac keyboards are a bit better (about on
par with the NeXT keyboard) but aren't up to the really top-of-the-line
keyboards you can find in the PC world.  Tactile feedback really is very
important to touch typists, something the PC world seems to have figured
out but neither the Mac nor NeXT worlds have.

Jim Mann                                      jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com 
Stratus Computer