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From: phil@osiris.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Flat Portable (Re: Flat Displays and Portable Computers)
Message-ID: <997@osiris.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Feb-87 11:30:05 EST
Article-I.D.: osiris.997
Posted: Wed Feb 25 11:30:05 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Feb-87 23:40:32 EST
References: <275@netxcom.UUCP> <1249@ucbcad.berkeley.edu> <197@osupyr.UUCP> <654@crlt.UUCP>
Organization: Johns Hopkins Hospital
Lines: 35
Summary: 11x4" standard?

In article <654@crlt.UUCP>, michael@crlt.UUCP (Michael McClary) writes:
 
> My keyboard is 11" by about 4"....  (This keyboard, by the way, has
> standard key spacing....

Interesting.. my keyboard (TAB E32 ASCII terminal if you care) measures
over 12" wide for just the QWERTY/ASCII section.  4" high sounds right,
though.
 
> You can map a numeric keypad onto the standard keys by using a "keypad shift"
> key in that out-of-the-way space to the left of the space bar.

I like this idea, even if it isn't original (look at an IBM keypunch if
you can find one, they did just this).

A comment on numeric keypads:  BAG THE SEPARATE NUMERIC KEYPAD/CURSOR
KEYS.  Being first a typist and second a programmer, I HATE having to
use a separate numeric keypad or cursor keys for ANYTYHING.  In some of
our user frontends, where the up- and down-arrow cursor keys are used
to scroll through large datasets displayed through screen "windows", I
invariably use the synonym ^J and ^K instead of the arrow keys.  Drives
everyone else here crazy.  Putting the "keypad" onto the "uiojklm,."
keys (or alternately "wersdfxcv" for those of us in our right minds :-)
is a REAL GOOD idea.  However, get it right, have the digits increasing
as you go up - none of this AT&T "one on the top and zero on the bottom"
silliness (which I believe was the case with the 026/029 keypunches).


                              ...!decvax!decuac -
Phil Kos                                          \
The Johns Hopkins Hospital    ...!seismo!mimsy  - -> !aplcen!osiris!phil
Baltimore, MD                                     /
                              ...!allegra!mimsy -

"And you'll be my duchess, my duchess of prunes!" - F. Zappa