On Sun, 10 Mar 2002, Al Feng wrote:
> The significant problem [which *I* found] is the SHAPE of the top of the
> QL's tiles ... if you are a moderately fast typist, you are not looking
> at the tiles AND your fingers are not locked onto the tiles, either; so,
> you will inevitably be striking the top edges of the cupped portion ...
> or, at least, I was doing so.
It's understandable. We are all individuals.
SRL did not design the keyboard. Absolutely not. The key-caps are, in
fact, part of a standard system which existed from ~1975 for making short
run keyboards. I certainly used an ICL minicomputer with the same style
and construction keyboard, in around 1981-2. I also used a late Datacom
terminal with exactly the same kbd construction.
SRL probably did it that way because they could get it manufactured very
cheaply - they would not have to pay for custom 2-shot key mouldings etc.
And, of course, the membrane would have been cheaper than a PCB and
switches.
The membrane replacement prototypes are coming along nicely. Hopefully,
next week I shall be in a position to take som pix and put them on my web
site.
Dave
ql.spodmail.com
