Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!lll-winken!uunet!uvm-gen!punia
From: punia@uvm-gen.UUCP (Card 54...)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Northgate keyboards
Message-ID: <1120@uvm-gen.UUCP>
Date: 17 Mar 89 03:02:14 GMT
References: <738@omen.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: EMBA Computer Facility, Univ. of Vermont, Burlington.
Lines: 34

From article <738@omen.UUCP>, by caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX):
> 
> Compared to the "classic AT" keyboard, the lack of a separate
> SysRq key makes life a bit more interesting with VP/ix.  On
> the other hand,  function keys across the top on the new IBM keyboards
> is the pits, not to mention the Ctrl key.  I do wish the tilde/squiggle
> key were someplace logical instead of next to the spacebar.  And I'm
> not too happy with backslash/pipe bering just to the right of the
> right shift key.

I've been using the Northgate Omni Key 102 for a few months now, and I'm
as much a fan as the others who've chosen to chime in on this thread.  I've
got 2 of the AT&T versions of this unit.  They have a ROM that supports
AT&T's different communications protocol, and an adaptor cable.  My order 
was shipped promptly, and I even got a followup call to see how I liked them,
though I think the real motivation there was to sell me one of their clones.
The only problem I've had with it is occasional failure to reset when I do a 
hard reboot on my 6300.  The layout has a few things I'm not so fond of, 
mostly those mentioned above, but it's worth putting up with to have the
function keys on the left.  The PrintScreen key needs no shifting to activate,
which has caused me occasional undesired prints, and the cursor keys 
sometimes come up in the wrong mode with some applications, a problem that
is easily resolved by a couple of taps of the NumLock key.  I like the feel,
but as others have said, that's a pretty personal matter.  And coming from 
the piece of garbage AT&T ships with the 6300, the Northgate is a real joy
to use, and probably won't need cleaning yearly to maintain its feel, like 
the AT&T does.


-- 
David T. Punia    Voice: 802-656-1915  Compu$erve: 72617,1211
Univ. of Vermont CSEE dept             UUCPathalias --> punia@uvm-gen.uucp
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