Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!yale-com!leichter From: leichter@yale-com.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: Why are micro keyboards braindamaged? Message-ID: <1620@yale-com.UUCP> Date: Wed, 15-Jun-83 00:16:51 EDT Article-I.D.: yale-com.1620 Posted: Wed Jun 15 00:16:51 1983 Date-Received: Thu, 16-Jun-83 13:44:13 EDT References: houxm.434 Lines: 23 Re: The new DEC keyboard It CAN generate all ASCII characters - but you have to know how. The "oddball" controls are generated by CTRL and a digit; the only one I know offhand is ESC = CTRL/3. (This sounds very odd but is, in fact, an ANSI standard of some sort, and once you know it is quite logical.) The lack of a convenient ESCAPE key is a pain; CTRL/3 may or may not be better than reaching across. The location of the compose key is driven by its relatively heavy use in many European languages. Unfortunately, it's relatively rarely used in English, and even less often used by programmers. (In general, the keyboard is optimized for people who type a lot of natural language - NOT necessarily English - fast, followed by "unsophisticated" users - a terrible term which should be read as "non-hackers". I believe the keyboard - system interface is, or will be, a public spec; the physical interface is actually RS232 electrically, RJ-11 (modular phone jack) mechanically. I would assume that other people will eventually supply key- boards optimized for other uses. -- Jerry decvax!yale-comix!leichter leichter@yale