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000058_fdc@watsun.cc.columbia.edu_Sun Oct 21 15:41:34 EDT 2001.msg
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Article: 12870 of comp.protocols.kermit.misc
Path: newsmaster.cc.columbia.edu!watsun.cc.columbia.edu!fdc
From: fdc@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Frank da Cruz)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,alt.solaris.x86,alt.sys.pdp10,comp.protocols.kermit.misc
Subject: Re: RetroComputing memerobilia (and keyboards)
Date: 21 Oct 2001 19:33:20 GMT
Organization: Columbia University
Lines: 73
Message-ID: <9qv7u0$6at$1@newsmaster.cc.columbia.edu>
References: <9acc2ac1.0110180103.6720230b@posting.google.com> <GLIAnz.7IE@wjv.com> <3BD1CFD8.A0F55F87@skynet.be> <GLJ80E.AFF@wjv.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: watsun.cc.columbia.edu
X-Trace: newsmaster.cc.columbia.edu 1003692800 6493 128.59.39.2 (21 Oct 2001 19:33:20 GMT)
X-Complaints-To: postmaster@columbia.edu
NNTP-Posting-Date: 21 Oct 2001 19:33:20 GMT
Xref: newsmaster.cc.columbia.edu comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:182314 alt.solaris.x86:59890 alt.sys.pdp10:18349 comp.protocols.kermit.misc:12870
In article <GLJ80E.AFF@wjv.com>, Bill Vermillion <bv@wjv.com> wrote:
: In article <3BD1CFD8.A0F55F87@skynet.be>, atle <trollet@skynet.be> wrote:
: >Bill Vermillion wrote:
: >I still use a model 3000 keyboard.
:
: Had one until a cat peed on it. I now have some old IBM units -
: the kind that are so heavy you can take them into battle. Great feel.
:
I agree -- the late lamented IBM 101 keyboard was absolutely the best.
Except the Ctrl and Esc keys are in the wrong place. Of course, each OS
and/or app and/or environment (e.g. X) has (or doesn't) its own unique way
of letting you remap the keys, but this gets old after 10-15 years, and
especially in my case, where I have a PC with hard-disk tray where I can
boot about 30 different OS's. So begins the hunt for the perfect keyboard.
I've tried the following:
. The "Happy Hacking" keyboard. It's not IBM-like at all. The layout
is totally goofy, the touch is mooshy, etc. But Ctrl is in the right
place, and it's very compact (like the original Mac keyboard). I've
only looked at the original model; now they have others. Oh yeah and
I think it has a (physical) switch for selected whether Backspace
sends BS or DEL.
http://www.pfuca.com/products/hhkb/hhkbindex.html
. The Avant keyboard is terrific -- hefty, solid, just like IBM, great
touch, maybe even better than IBM if that is possible, and
programmable so you can map the keys IN THE KEYBOARD ITSELF without
the OS knowing a thing about it. But it has a fatal flaw for touch-
typists: they changed the Enter key to be L-shaped, and moved the |\
key away someplace where you can never find it.
http://www.cvtinc.com/kybdfeatures.htm
. The Unicomp Customizer "Linux 2" model. Not programmable, but has
Ctrl and Caps Lock swapped, as well as Esc and ~/grave. That's about
as good as you can get since there is no spot to put ~/grave on the
main keypad without sacrificing something else. Heft, touch, etc,
are also very IBM like (note, they don't list the Linux 2 model; you
have to ask for it). They also have programmable models but I
haven't looked at them.
http://www.pckeyboard.com
Obviously all this is very much a matter of taste.
: Just for kicks - here are a couple of lines from the code. It's on
: this machine as I was archiving from old floppies onto CD and just
: haven't cleaned up that directory.
:
: /* version to handle IBM <xon> & half duplex */
: /*
: * K e r m i t File Transfer Utility
: *
: * UNIX Kermit, Columbia University, 1981, 1982, 1983
: * Bill Catchings, Bob Cattani, Chris Maio, Frank da Cruz, Alan Crosswell
: * Also: Jim Guyton, Rand Corporation
: * Walter Underwood, Ford Aerospace
:
: There are some long-gone names there. It is 1303 lines as
: the wc flies.
:
Compared to 273145 in my working copy of C-Kermit 8.0:
http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ck80.html
The old story -- software keeps growing as it ages; people want more
features etc. Then eventually somebody says whoa! It's too big! I want
it to be small and simple like it was in the early days (but faster and
better, etc):
Don't say we don't listen:
http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/gkermit.html
- Frank