Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watdragon!tiger!swklassen
From: swklassen@tiger.waterloo.edu (Steven W. Klassen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: New Atari ST keyboard
Message-ID: <20795@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Date: 12 Feb 90 17:08:42 GMT
References: <1129@carroll1.cc.edu> <2048@ultb.isc.rit.edu> <1990Feb12.020657.25422@gumby.cc.wmich.edu>
Sender: daemon@watdragon.waterloo.edu
Reply-To: swklassen@tiger.waterloo.edu (Steven W. Klassen)
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 56

>In article <2048@ultb.isc.rit.edu> clf3678@ultb.isc.rit.edu (C.L. Freemesser) writes:
>>
>> Well, there aren't any REAL replacement keyboards for the ST.  You can
>> buy those awful spring-things to stiffen up the keyboard, but they don't
>> work.
>> 
>> I've been kicking the idea around of building a new keyboard with REAL
>> ...stuff removed...
>> 
>> How do people feel about such a thing?  I'm surprised it has not been 
>> done yet.  From what I hear, quite a few people would like something
>> better than this rubber crap we use now.

This may sound strange, but I personally, like the keyboard on my 1040ST
much better than the keyboards which come standard with an IBM AT, PS/2,
or (much worse) PC.

One of the things I learned in High School was how to touch-type.  My
fastest typing to date was 80+ words per minute on a professional
desk-top-publishing workstation.  (I don't recall the make.)  This
had a keyboard so sensitive that you could almost type on it by 
blowing on the keys!

The keyboard on the ST isn't as nice as this, of course, but I can still
get a respectable 45-50 wpm while typing on it.  My only real complaint
about the ST keyboard is that the keys seem slightly farther apart
than others, but that is something one's fingers quickly get used to.

On an IBM, for comparison, I have NEVER hit faster than about 20-25 wpm.
The reason is that you must press the keys so far down before getting
a character.  When you push it all the way down it gets the further
resistance as the switch is activated.  This may be fine for those who
don't do much typeing, but if you have been trained to touch-type, your
fingers want to move to the next key as soon as they have hit the top
of the current key.  That is, if they don't have to push the key all
the way down, they can move to the next key faster, resulting in better
typing times.

Of couse this is all just my personal opinion and (from much of what is
seen on the net) there are many of you who don't agree with me.

This also really has nothing to do with the creation of replacement
keyboards.  Replacement keyboards are a good idea since they allow
the user to choose the one he wants.  (For example, there are some
really good touch typing keyboards for the IBM but they tend to be
pretty expensive.)

If you don't agree with me, that's fine; I just thought it was time
to get an alternate opinion on the net and say to the people at 
Atari that there is someone (me) who does like their keyboard.



Steven W. Klassen                       +-----------------------------+
Computer Science Major                  | Support the poor...buy fur! |
University of Waterloo                  +-----------------------------+