26 Aug
2004
26 Aug
'04
3:38 a.m.
At 14:35 26/08/2004, Paul Koning wrote:
Note that this isn't the first time that
punctuation moved around --
compare the shifted digits on an ASR33 keyboard with a PC keyboard.
And compare different PC keyboards ... discounting the different
international variants, I've come across several apparently UK keyboards
with different layouts from each other. And when you get onto laptop
keyboards, I think every manufacturer goes a different way ...
As for the ESC, I think it was a combination of
"no one needs that key
anymore" (decision made by people who didn't care about TECO because
the company law was that there is only one editor and its name is EDT)
and the fact that a standalone ESC code is a pain in the neck to
process when you have function keys that generate escape sequences.
Esc is indeed a pain .. (from my days writing software on, for use on, Wyse
serial terminals.... Now, the PC-layout Wyse keyboard (on a wy-120) I
liked a lot for feel...
I can still drive a BBC Micro keyboard by touch, too.. :-)
Rob