[Info-vax] VT keyboard replacement

[alanfe...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 3:20:54 PM UTC-4, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2021-11-04, Arne Vajhøj <ar... at vajhoej.dk> wrote: 
> > On 11/4/2021 12:14 PM, Jeffrey H. Coffield wrote: 
> >> I ran across this keyboard 
> >> 
> >> https://3dconnexion.com/us/product/keyboard-pro-with-numpad/ 
> >> 
> >> and am considering buying it (it's 129$) as a replacement for my LK464 
> >> keyboard that I use with Linux for EDT on OpenVMS. I was wondering if 
> >> anyone has any experience with it. 
> > 
> > I don't know it, but the fact that there is only 5 keys over 
> > the arrow keys does not appeal to me. 
> >
> Agreed, very strongly. (Note that the Insert button is actually on the 
> top row of the keyboard where the function keys are.) 
> 
> If Jeffrey is thinking of buying that, then I think a normal high-quality 
> PC keyboard would probably be better as it's much closer in layout to 
> a DEC keyboard than the above keyboard is. 
> 
> I have used both emacs in EDT keypad mode and EVE on VMS exclusively 
> from a PC keyboard for over 15 years and it works very well indeed. 
> 
> In fact, I actually prefer a high-quality PC keyboard over a DEC 
> keyboard because my fingers "flow" over the PC keyboard much easier 
> and I still remember just how much less effort there was typing on 
> a good PC keyboard compared to a DEC keyboard. 
> 
> I might upset a few people around here saying this, but in other words, 
> I found the ergonomics of a high-quality PC keyboard to actually be 
> better than a DEC keyboard. 

Well, there are a wide variety of PC keyboards. I thought the Gateway ones were pretty good. But that's in the past. And Compaq had a pretty good one too (but not sold separately!), IIRC. Then there's the famous IBM model that a lot of people are great fans of. Not easy to find, I don't think. I liked my old Kensington keyboard. I'm not terribly fond of the others I've tried. So who makes these "high-quality PC keyboards"? I'm almost surprised there are _any_ "high-quality" keyboards. 

AEF

> 
> Simon. 
> 
> -- 
> Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP 
> Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.