Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1+some 2/3/84; site dual.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!dual!mats From: mats@dual.UUCP (Mats Wichmann) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: Keyboards Message-ID: <323@dual.UUCP> Date: Sat, 3-Mar-84 03:17:34 EST Article-I.D.: dual.323 Posted: Sat Mar 3 03:17:34 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 4-Mar-84 01:28:53 EST References: <546@sdcsvax.UUCP> <2670@fortune.UUCP> Organization: Dual Systems, Berkeley, CA Lines: 37 . Favorite Flame Subject has just been broached. I am extremely religious about terminals and in particualr keyboards. Someday maybe I will work for a company that wants to built its own terminal so that I can do it *right* Of course, probably I will be the only one who thinks it is right........ Feel IS more important to me that layout, but not by a huge margin. Major frustrations occur with terminals on which I can't type at the speed - and with the sloppiness - that I am used to. I can out-type most keyboards currently available, including esoecially my favorite gripe, the Televideo. This is the major reason that I use a Kimtron - despite all of the strange problems you may have heard with them, they have just about the right keyboard feel. Layour is just about as important - a well designed keyobard should keep you from having to move your hands around too much. A return key that is shifted over too far is not good for programmers, especially those that are outside the delete key. This very common problem is a disaster for UNIX programmers. THe IBM PC-style low-profile, sculptured keyboards, although they may look sexy, usually are not responsive enough and don't have enough keyboard travel to be easily usable - even the Kimtron PC-styler terminal (the brand-new KT-7) has problems here. It beats me how anyone can type on the type of keyboard provided by Televideo and by DEC - yes, you can get used to the layout, but how can you possibly get used to a keyboard that ignores half of the characrters you typed because you forgot to bring your sledgehammer? The only other low-cost terminal I can tolerate besides the Kimtron AMB85h it the IMS terminal, probably the best buy available anywhere. It comes in a nice, compact all-metal casing, looks attractive, works right, and comes with a TWO-YEAR warranty. How can you beat it? (Eat it?) Have you ever heard of a terminal with much more than the standard 90-day warranty? I realise that I may be treading on toes with this posting (in several ways) - but send flames to /dev/null - this is purely personal opinion. Matc Wichmann Dual Systems Corp., Berkeley, CA. {ucbvax,amd70,ihnp4,cbosgd,decwrl,fortune}!dual!mats