Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!husc6!spdcc!ftp!dab
From: dab@ftp.COM (Dave Bridgham)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Toshiba T1200 laptop keyboard atrocity
Summary: IBM was there first
Keywords: frustration incompatibility idiocy
Message-ID: <540@ftp.COM>
Date: 6 Feb 89 19:33:20 GMT
References: <10240@ut-emx.UUCP>
Organization: FTP Software Inc., Cambridge, MA
Lines: 21


I'd say you havn't used any of the the so called 'extended' keyboards
yet.  They also engage in this idiocy.  They send 0xe0 as a prefix for
most of the 'extended' keys and 0xe1 followed by two codes for one key
(I forget which one).  The Pause key sends the scan codes to simulate
pushing Ctrl then NumLock.  And the PrintScreen key sends an
incredible confusion of codes which change depending on what shift
keys are depressed at the time.

Note that 0xe0 is the UP code for 0x60.  On IBM keyboards, no key has
a scan code greater than or equal to 0x60.  However, some third party
keyboards do.  I have a Keytronic KB3270/pc keyboard which gives scan
codes up through 0x7f.  Fortunately, it seems to avoid the magic value
of 0x60 (and therefore 0xe0).

Speaking of that particular keyboard.  One of its keys (the key that's
in the same position as the End key on an extended keyboard) doesn't
give an UP code.  Does anybody have any clues on this?

						David Bridgham
						FTP Software