Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!mcdchg!ddsw1!tapa!bartek1!norm From: norm@bartek1.uucp (Norm Bartek) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Northgate keyboards Summary: Layout is more important the "feel" Message-ID: <1990Feb25.192044.10938@bartek1.uucp> Date: 25 Feb 90 19:20:44 GMT References: <29183@amdcad.AMD.COM> <19500056@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu> <3602@rti.UUCP> Reply-To: norm@bartek1.UUCP (Norm Bartek) Organization: Bartek Associates, Inc., Barrington, IL Lines: 28 I recently purchased a Northgate keyboard for only one reason - it has the ESCape and control keys in the "standard place". It seems that IBM plays games with keyboard layouts (as they have with the typical 101 key AT style keyboards available through them as well as clone manufacturers). I also have an XT clone and a Zenith AT clone. Both have the control key next to the letter A (common in the industry). The ESCape key is also in easy reach (above the TAB key). If you haven't had the pleasure ;-) of having different keyboard layouts side by side, you can't imagine the grief you go through trying to switch back and forth between the two systems. As far as tactile feedback or "feel", that is indeed a religous issue. Layout, on the other hand, should be the consistent in all places. If you want examples, try to do any real work on a DEC LK-201 keyboard (Rainbow and others) and then go back to a PC keyboard. DEC had the insight to put the backspace, ESCape and other keys up in row of keys above the main keyboard :-( Not nice if you use screen editors which use the ESC key or ever make typing errors and have to use the backspace key. If you then go back to a PC, I find that you have to make a conscious effort in order to be able to type. I haven't had these problems since switching over to a common layout for the main keys on the keyboard (and dumping the DEC keyboard). -- norm -- -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bartek Associates, Inc. Comprehensive Computer Consulting Services 1020 Ponderosa USENET: uunet!bartek1!norm, norm@bartek1.uu.net Barrington, IL 60010-5800 PHONE: +1 708 358 1007 FAX: +1 708 358 7241