Keyboard relief on the way!

[Jim Williams]

I was speaking to a SUNperson at the FedUNIX show (Washington, DC)
yesterday and launched into my canned speach on Why I Hate The Type 4
Keyboard.  To my astonishment, the SUNperson claimed that there would be a
new keyboard option available next year!  I asked cautiously if this would
be a DEC LK-201 layout, the only common layout worse than the Type-4, but
happily, he indicated it would not.  Apparently, it will be an IBM-PC 101
style.  This I can live with.  If they have slavishly followed the
original 101 style, and have the control and CAPS LOCK in the wrong
places, at least that can be fixed by a keymap.  Of more concern is the
position of ESC.  On the original 101, and almost all clones, the ESCape
key is NOT to the left of the 1/! key, but above it and to the left.  This
is wrong.  Hopefully, Sun will put it back Where God Intended, next to the
1/!.  That position on the 101 Keyboard usually has a `/~ key, so a keymap
can often fix that bug too.  But the real win of the 101 style is that
there is no key between the quotes ('/") key and the return, as there is
on the type-4 (and the DEC LK-201).  No keymap can fix that, since it is a
matter of physical key layout.

The SUNperson did not know if this new keyboard was just a new layout, or
if a full IBM-PC style electrical interface would be offered.  This would
be the ideal solution, since I could buy my favorite third party PC
keyboard (currently a Northgate model that puts the bloody ESCape in the
right place) and just plug it in.

Anyone at Sun care to confirm, deny or elaborate?

Jim, hoping for Keyboard Relief...

Spoken: Jim Williams             Domain: williams at nssdcs.gsfc.nasa.gov
Phone: +1 301 286-4405           UUCP:   uunet!mimsy!williams
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