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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!cbmvax!grr
From: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga 500
Message-ID: <2071@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-Jul-87 21:28:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbmvax.2071
Posted: Tue Jul  7 21:28:22 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Jul-87 00:49:21 EDT
References: <8706240729.AA06151@cory.Berkeley.EDU> <1222@ius2.cs.cmu.edu> <6257@eddie.MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 45

In article <6257@eddie.MIT.EDU> gary@eddie.MIT.EDU (Gary Samad) writes:
> In article <1222@ius2.cs.cmu.edu> ralphw@ius2.cs.cmu.edu (Ralph Hyre) writes:
> }I'm suprised, it looks like they moved the 'ESC' key off of the main keyboard.
> }Did Commodore actually change the keyboard layout to be closer to the 
> }brain-damaged AT keyboard?
> 
> Yes.  The keyboard layout is very much like the AT since it is meant to
> be used in PeeCee emulation mode (on the 2000 at least).  This means that
> they moved the ESC key (irk) and the cursor keys among other things.
> My opinion is that the position on the cursor keys on the 1000 is the
> best I've ever used, not too far from the main part of the keyboard and in
> a useful pattern.

No, ur ah maybe not...

The keyboard layout was changed, but the main compatibility emphasis was on
functional compatibility for terminal emulation.  The layout is something
of a compromise between the VT52, VT100 and VT240 layouts, trying to retain
the good features and avoid the totally f**ked up features of each.

The biggest change from the A1000 is that we added a full 5x4 numeric keypad
so that keypad oriented editors and programs would function tranparently. We
also changed the layout of the cursor keys.  While the A1000 arrangement is
compact and looks nice, there's no easy way you can position your hand to hit
the down-arrow key when you'er whizzing around with a wisiwyg type editor.

It was a secondary issue (at least on the A500) that this allowed a better
mapping of the PC (yeech) keyboard functions.  We also spread out the layout
a tad, since we didn't have to make it fit in the A1000 "keyboard garage" and
did need room for a PC board and connectors on the A500.

I think the escape key moved up about a quarter inch, but is still in pretty
much the same location.  Perhaps not the optimal location, but there was
this stupid `~ key that had to go somewhere.  As one of the parties to the
final compromise, I get to say "be glad you didn't get stuck with one of
the other alternatives we were considering!"  8-)

Some people, notably those with A1000's are less than thrilled with new
layout.  Others have been asking how to hook up the new keyboard to the
A1000!  It's not the kind of thing you can get everyone to agree about...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)