svlug_keyboards_virtues_of_ibm_model_ms

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To: Rafael <raffi@linwin.com>
Subject: Re: [svlug] clicky keyboard 
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 20:04:54 -0800
From: J C Lawrence <claw@kanga.nu>

On Tue, 20 Mar 2001 19:15:22 -0800 (PST) 
raffi  <Rafael> wrote:

> On Tue, 20 Mar 2001 wfrancis@incyte.com wrote:
>> Being from the days of 25lb IBM clicky keyboards (with the 'F'
>> keys in their rightful place ;-), I've found that years

> I don't know how people survived with any fingers left after a day
> on such a keyboard.

Oddly enough the extra springing is easier on the fingers than the
short travel low tactile feedback KBs now popular.  IBM did
significant research for their Selectric typewriters on RSI et al
and, well, got it right within the limits of QWERTY and flat KBs.

>> of attempting to adjust to mushy spineless keyboards is not
>> working out (how anyone can use a Sun keyboard for more than 5
>> minutes is beyond me). I own countless normal keyboards,

> I feels sorry for those who cannot take advantage of useful left
> side function keys that give you additional cut/paste capability,
> like Sun keyboards. 

Yes, those are useful.  That gain is rather lost when compared
against the agony of working ewith the infintesimal travel mushy low
feedback pieces of thinly plated sponge rubber that Sun keeps on
trying to masquerade as keyboards.

> Of course, some prefer windoze keys and other similarily useless
> stuff...

While I have no KBs with a windows key, for those that like a
distinct Meta and Alt modifier, they work well.

> I have to deal with on Dell. Besides they are so noisy to wake up
> the dead.

I wouldn't consider the Dell KBs noisy when compared to the Model
Ms.  As for the Model Ms, noise seems a trivial if not tiny price to
pay for a KB that leaves one's hand relaxed after a solid 14 hours
fo continuous typing.

> I guess the cheaper it is the more likely people buy it. No wonder
> we have crapy desktops instead of workstations in general.

> Perhaps you should check Happy Keyboard that was supposedly
> designed with hacker in mind.

I have a Happy Hacker KB here.  Offers will be most welcome.  I like
Model M's, period.

> By the way, when did you last use Pause/Break, Scroll Lock, and
> PrinScreen/SysRq?

I use ScrollLock fairly regularly as a ^S analogue.  SysReq I use
with recent kernels as a magic key.  The rest, yes, I ignore.  In
truth on a Model M you could cut off everything to the right of the
cursor keys and I wouldn't ever notice.


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