Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!microsof!fluke!kurt
From: kurt@fluke.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: brain damaged (?) keyboards
Message-ID: <578@vax2.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Jun-83 11:05:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: vax2.578
Posted: Wed Jun 22 11:05:07 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Jun-83 08:49:00 EDT
Lines: 28

The keyboard on the commodore 64 is not braindamaged, it just is not
optimized for programming in C.  Remember that the c64 is a consumer
keyboard, not a programmer keyboard.  The intended use of the keyboard is
for writing letters and BASIC programs.  To this end you should notice
several features not found on programmer keyboards.  All the operator
sysbols '+', '-', '*', '/', '=' are on unshifted keys.  Notice too that
Commodore's nonstandard notion of character sets (unacceptable to
programmers) does not cause any problems for consumers who buy only
Commodore components, and allows compatibility with previous Commodore
products.

Also notice that the keyboard and character set are reprogrammable (although
nobody seems to know how to reprogram the keyboard).

My personal favorite keyboard is the VT52/VT100, which may be an ANSI
standard (I know the control sequences on these terminals are).  I have some
general requirements for a good keyboard: unshifted delete key, quote keys
not on the numbers row, access to all the various brackets, backslash,
tilde, and vertical bar.  Additionally, I find having matching brackets on
adjacent keys more convenient that having the pairs on shifted/unshifted
versions of the same key.  I find I don't use the number pad too much and
the same goes for function keys.  Unless your software is specifically
tailored to your keyboard, it can't use many of these extra keys anyway.

Another point: good human interface almost always evolves in the direction
of fewer controls.  All those function keys are less useful than a better
control device.  Is a mouse that device?  a trackball?  touchpad?  light
pen?  touch sensitive CRT overlay...?