🚀 go-pugleaf

asd@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Kareth) writes:
> Well, it looks like it's for real!  Looks like we're finally getting a
> new, and slightly improved keyboard.  This information basically comes
> straight out of the 3.0 UserGuide. 
     [skipping along]
> Biggest change: Command key looks to be a new seperate key, about as
> long as the space bar, and located just below it.  Very strange.

This is an odd twist, but maybe it will work out pretty well in practice.

> Help keys:  where the Command keys used to be, are now two Help keys.
      [skipping along]
> Personally, I could have wished they'd left one Command key on one
> side, and put the Help on the other, instead of putting a space bar
> like Command key below the Space Bar.

I don't think that would have worked out well for me.  I certainly use both  
command keys, and both alternate keys.  Basically I want either hand to be  
able to hit the command or alternate keys.

I don't think we needed two help keys though.  I don't expect to be using  
help *that* much!

> Caps Lock: An honest to goodness capslock key located to the left of
> the left Alternate key.

I hate caps-lock (the whole idea of it).  I wonder if someone will be able  
to neutralize this key and have it do something useful.  No particular  
preference comes to mind, but as it is this is an utterly useless key to me.

> Numeric Keypad:  The numeric keypad is now JUST that, no weird extra
> characters over there.  The + key is now two keys high,  and across
> the top it's = / * - keys.

Ugh.  I wish they didn't do the "+ key is two keys high" thing.  I know that  
there are some keyboards with numeric pads like that, but it screws up the  
pad for vt100 emulation (because there aren't enough keys on the keypad).   
Other than this keypad layout, I think the new keyboard looks pretty good.

Hopefully we'll be able to buy these for older machines.  I'll soon be  
working with two different NeXT's (the second one isn't bought yet), and I'd  
like to have the same keyboards on both!

> We still have those ugly arrow symbols for the Tab, Delete, Shift, and
> Return keys.  Come on NeXT, we can read!  Owell.

I, for one, prefer the symbols.

> Last Suprise: This one is PURE speculation since the diagram doesn't
> show this.  At the top/back of the keyboard, there is an extension,
> about a quarter inch or so that extends from there.  If you've seen
> the Apple IIgs keyboard, it is similar to that, but not as wide.
> Anyways, the suprise is that it looks quite possibly like the keyboard
> cable may be plugged into the sides of this extension instead of
> directly into the back of the keyboard.  And that the mouse might
> be plugged into the other side! I sure hope this one is true!

This would be very excellent if it's true!

I'm directing follow-ups to this to csn.advocacy, because it seems like the  
topic could be a long, personal-preferences-type of issue.  Of course, I  
spent more time trying to decide if I really *should* do that than I did  
writing this, because it hasn't been all that heated a discussion...

Generally this looks like a   Good Thing(tm)   to me.  I'll see if that  
opinion holds once I actually get one to type on.

--
Garance Alistair Drosehn     =     gad@eclipse.its.rpi.edu
ITS Systems Programmer            (handles NeXT-type mail)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute;           Troy NY    USA