> Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2003 21:09:48 -0500
> From: James Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: 386 luggable questions: installment 3 - wierdo keyboard
>
[ snip ]
> Anyhooz,
> the current query is about the wierdo keyboard on these things.
[ snip ]
> Let me start by asking: how are the number of keys on a keyboard
> counted? Is every single key - even the space bar and the 2 shift
> keys counted? If so, this one's got 86 keys.
> The alt key is in the lowest left corner, where one usually finds
> the ctrl key. The ctrl key is where caps lock usually is - right
> above the left shift key. Caps lock is in the farthest lower right
> corner. Escape is on the top left of the integer pad (yes, it does
> have such a pad on the right side). Etc, etc. Has anyone ever
> encountered such a keyboard before?
All the time, on true "survivor" PCs: 286 and earlier. That's the
original style used on IBM PCs, XTs, and some ATs. (The only thing
missing from your description is the F1-F10 keys down the left side
- but the old "portables" took some liberties with keyboard design
so that it would fit into the top of the case.) Most notable point:
there were no separate arrow keys - and it's why most of the real
"old gray heads" (like me) who "grew up" on using the number pad as
direction keys - still do! (My setup and/or autoexec.bat have been
turning off numlock since 1982!)
Be advised that the BIOS in later motherboards often couldn't
accomodate the PC-style keyboards. That's why most of the after-
market replacement keyboards (88, 100, and 101-key) often had an
"AT/XT" switch on the bottom; the two different serial "languages"
differed considerably. Today, all you can find are those horrid
things with some damn windoze keys taking up half the width where a
large space bar, CTRL, or ALT key should be!
- John T.
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