The lack of need for Caps-Lock (was laptop keyboard replacement)

Bill Freeman f at ke1g.mv.com
Thu Jul 31 16:16:27 EDT 2003


Derek Martin writes:
 > I would also point out that a PC-style keyboard is closer to a manual
 > typewriter keyboard, which has been around MUCH longer than Sun
 > workstations have.  Which is no doubt why it was designed that way...
 > I'm inclined to think that those who hate capslock, and who prefer sun
 > keyboards, either learned to type on Suns, or never learned at all.

	I learned on an Underwood.  I'll have to agree that Caps-Lock
made a lot more sense when it took 5 or more pounds of force to hold
down the shift key.  Still, IIRC, the shift keys were in the same row
as the space bar (more leverage), and shift lock (it wasn't really
caps lock) was in the zxcvb row, so typewriter keyboards have morphed
too.  But, yeah, the PC keyboards, other than the original few, seem
to be partially an attempt to be comfortable for former Selectric
users.

	My preferences actually come from spending a lot of time at a
model 35 teletype.  The Sun guys were just trying to satisfy guys like
me.  It seems to me that, even when not using emacs, I need the
control key a whole lot more often than I type three uppercase letters
in a row.  Probably because I do make an effort to know the most
commonly useful shortcuts, rather than doing everything with a mouse.
But I accept that the key layout battle has long been lost.

							Bill



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