Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!purdue!haven!mimsy!chris
From: chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: keyboards
Message-ID: <13899@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: 7 Oct 88 13:27:03 GMT
References: <4457@obiwan.mips.COM> <550@dms.UUCP>
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 26

>In article <4457@obiwan.mips.COM> keith@mips.COM (Keith Garrett) writes:
>>while we're bashing keyboards, what about backspace and delete. i don't
>>understand why the default for most systems is to use the delete key as a
>>backspace key when there is a perfectly good backspace key on the keyboard.

In article <550@dms.UUCP> albaugh@dms.UUCP (Mike Albaugh) answers:
>	Gee, I always wondered why a lot of systems use backspace to delete
>a character when there is a perfectly good delete key on the keyboard.

:-)

Actually, if you want to get historical (hysterical?) about it, we
should all be typing `BACK SPACE' `DELETE' to get rid of input
characters.  Remember, backspace just moves the tape punch back one
sprocket hole, and then DELETE punches all the holes.  (Sure, my Sun
looks just like a paper tape reader/punch.  Or maybe it was the
punch... :-) )

Whether the appropriate character is BS, DEL, CAN, ESC, or whatnot is a
user-preference thing---just as is the `feel' of the keyboard.  What we
need is an interchange standard, so that I can plug my favourite
keyboard into any display, and then take it with me to California or
Australia when I go out there.
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163)
Domain:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris