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From: bcw@rti.UUCP (Bruce Wright)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Northgate keyboards
Summary: Keyboard preferences
Message-ID: <3602@rti.UUCP>
Date: 23 Feb 90 05:15:14 GMT
References: <29183@amdcad.AMD.COM> <19500056@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: Research Triangle Institute, RTP, NC
Lines: 32

In article <19500056@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu>, mead@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
> 
> The much praised Northgate OmniKey is the *worst* keyboard I have ever
> used (I haven't tried pounding nails with it, but I suspect that it's
> not much good for that either).
> 
> Which leads me to ask:  What is it that so many of you do with it
> that you like it so much?  The "feel" is horrible.  I much prefer 
> either IBM or my (admittedly cheesly - Made in Taiwan) ZEOS 
> keyboard for both writing and programming - nice easy touch, crisp
> click.

Talk about starting religious wars!  Why not ask about editors,
programming languages, or operating systems?  :-)

A lot of keyboard preference is what you first encounter - after
that, all later experiences are colored (one way or another) by
that memory.  Personally, I did much of my early programming on
Hazeltine, Beehive, and DEC terminals (pre-VT-100).  All of these
terminals (as well as the VT-100) have what IBM keyboard aficionados
call a "mushy" feel. (if you miss the feedback many such terminals
allow you to select a keyclick option).  I find the IBM keyboard 
rather noisy and clackity.

Personal preference in keyboards is just that - there's not much
point trying to analyze it rationally.

Seems like keyboard makers could make more people happy by allowing
their keyboards to be configured (like the DEC keyboards mentioned
above) or selling different versions of the keyboard.

						Bruce C. Wright