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From: darrylo@hpsrlc.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Re: DOS 3.3 upgrade (IBM bashing)
Message-ID: <3320041@hpsrlc.HP.COM>
Date: Mon, 3-Aug-87 12:33:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpsrlc.3320041
Posted: Mon Aug  3 12:33:34 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Aug-87 07:23:53 EDT
References: <1077@bucsb.bu.edu.UUCP>
Organization: Network Measurements Div - Santa Rosa, CA
Lines: 48


[ Gentle ribbing on ]

In comp.sys.ibm.pc, madd@bucsb.bu.edu.UUCP (Jim "Jack" Frost) writes:

> In article <2090@sphinx.uchicago.edu> pre1@sphinx.UUCP (Grant Prellwitz) writes:
> >I used to think that the IBM bashing that went on here was a little excessive
> >at times.  Now I'm not so sure.
> 
[ ... ]
> On other ground, why is it that the people who built the Selectric II,
> which set the standard for typewriter key formats, took THREE MAJOR
> REVISIONS of their PC keyboard before getting it right?  Stupid.  Just
> plain stupid.  The best way to a customer's heart is through his data
> access devices.  Give a typist a good keyboard and they'll ignore all
> kinds of other problems -- I know, I am a typist.  I'd rather work on

     Actually, I really like the FEEL of the original IBM keyboard;
the layout definitely left much to be desired, though.  I've yet to
see (er, feel) a keyboard whose feel even comes close to that of the
original one.  Most of the keyboards that I've seen feel like a
pile of grits -- mushy, mushy, and mushy.

     What makes you think that IBM has finally gotten the keyboard
right :-)?  I almost like the new IBM keyboard, but the @$&*(!?!
function keys are in the wrong place!!!  Placing the function keys
as two rows of five on the left was one of the few things IBM did
right on the original keyboard.  With the old keyboard, you could
hit a shift/control/alt function key very quickly with one hand.
Try that with the new keyboard.

[ ... ]
> Now, let's talk about IBM software.  Have you ever seen a really good
> software package made by IBM?  I have not.  Ever.  Reviewers often

     Actually, a little-known program called "Personal Editor II"
is one of the best low-cost editors I've seen.  It's VERY fast, has a
reconfigurable keyboard (even letters), has a simple macro language,
can edit multiple files, can handle files larger than memory, etc.,
etc..  I don't think they sell it any more, however. :-(

[ ... ]
> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>           Jim Frost * The Madd Hacker | UUCP: ..!harvard!bu-cs!bucsb!madd
>   H H                                 | ARPA:           madd@bucsb.bu.edu
> H-C-C-OH <- heehee          +---------+----------------------------------
>   H H                       | "We are strangers in a world we never made"
> ----------