BREAK & DELETE, etc.

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2 total messages Started by cherson Tue, 20 May 1986 18:24

#262

Author: cherson
Date: Tue, 20 May 1986 18:24

22 lines
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>Several people have suggested moving the BREAK key away from the main
>keyboard.  This is really unnecessary if you vary the spring stiffness of
>the different keys.  The keyboard I regularly use has (I think) 15 lb.
>springs for most keys and a 40 lb. spring for the break key.  With this
>approach, even if you accidentally hit the BREAK key, you are not likely to
>hit it hard enough to activate it.

Has this person come into contact with the wide spectrum of end-users?  In my
opinion the BREAK key does not belong on the main keyboard.  I think that this
was the main fault with the VT100 keyboard, several times I would make that
fatal error of hitting BREAK, when I actually wanted DELETE.

The issue of fitting the two keys with different weight springs is a good one
on the surface, but many typists tend to use enough force when striking the
keys to overcome the differential.

The answer is to reduce the chances for error by separating these two crucial
keys by a considerable distance.

David Cherson

Re: BREAK & DELETE, etc.

#263

Author: bobr
Date: Thu, 22 May 1986 20:56

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> In <3123@decwrl.DEC.COM> David Cherson writes:
> ...with the VT100 keyboard, several times I would make that fatal error of
> hitting BREAK, when I actually wanted DELETE.

> The issue of fitting the two keys with different weight springs is a good
> one on the surface, but many typists tend to use enough force when
> striking the keys to overcome the differential.

I agree that in placing the BREAK key beside DELETE is a layout mistake
which may not be countered by differing spring weights.  On the keyboard I'm
most accustomed with, BREAK is in the first row at 40 lbs. and DELETE is in
the 4th row at 30 lbs.

I would disagree with the assertion that ranging the key-weights does not
reduce errors in typing.  Increased key-weights are normally placed on the
peripheral keys, where leverage on the fingers is such that it does make a
difference.  I know personally that the heavy spring in the BREAK key on my
terminal has saved me more than once from accidentally typing it instead of
RETURN.

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