keyboard design

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2 total messages Started by Jim R Oldroyd Wed, 13 Nov 1985 16:34

#101

Author: Jim R Oldroyd
Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1985 16:34

32 lines
1962 bytes

References:
Xpath: stc stc-a

>[To quote craig@dcl-cs.UUCP (Craig Wylie):]
>
>What we need is a re-configurable keyboard. Of usable size but with all 
>needed charaters displayed, as they appear on the screen, on the tops
>of the keys. OK. Implant a matrix of LCD on top of each key and display the

Have you tried using a keyboard where the keys are located in an unusual
position?  It is difficult enough to become acquainted with some of
the non-standard layouts for so called `ASCII' terminals - and even
more frustrating if one is faced with a French or Scandinavian
etc keyboard.  In the former, the keys ``qw'' are ``az'' and many
others are relocated accordingly.  In the latter, the ``<'' key
is located where I am used to finding the ``z''.  It takes WEEKS
to get used to the new layout.

However, as one is talking of using several alternative character
sets, there is no immediate alternative.  I do feel that this implies
that a finite set of essentially compatible layouts must be presented
to the individual user to avoid total confusion.

The alternative is ``compose-character'' sequences - not suitable if
the alternate set is to be used for a while.

-- 
"The Software did it".
--
++ Jim R Oldroyd
++ jr@inset.co.uk		(after Jan 1, 1986.  `jr@inset.UUCP' before...)
++ ..!mcvax!ukc!inset!jr

Re: keyboard design

#123

Author: Mike Kupfer
Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1985 19:23

26 lines
2006 bytes

If you have a good enough display, you can put an image of the keyboard
layout on the screen.  In Star, you press the Keyboard key, and a row
of keyboard choices appears at the bottom of the screen, with a special
indication of what the current keyboard is.  You can either temporarily
change the keyboard layout (i.e., it stays changed as long as you hold
Keyboard down), or you can make the change permanent (until you next
use Keyboard).  You can also ask for a window to appear showing the
current keyboard layout.  In the new-and-improved Star (called
"Viewpoint"), you can resize or move the window around so that it
doesn't get in your way.

Now, as somebody pointed out, if I want the "German" keyboard, I as an
American want characters with umlauts and I want an esszett.  But I
don't want the Y and Z keys to be switched.  And if you buy a Star in
the U.S., that is indeed what you get.  On the other hand (so I've been
told), if you buy a Star in Germany, both the German and American
keyboards have the Y and Z the way the Germans expect it (switched from
American custom).

How is this all done?  By having very flexible low-level software and
using lots and lots of conversion tables.
-- 
Mike Kupfer
Xerox ISD
kupfer.pa@xerox.ARPA
...!ucbvax!kupfer (gets forwarded)

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