From: Andrew Webber (awebber_at_wwwebbers.com)
Date: Thu Apr 27 2000 - 08:03:24 EDT
On Thu, 27 Apr 2000 02:34:42 -0700, Serenella Ciongoli wrote:
>Because there are tools both in the Windows and in the Unix (Linux)
>environment where the Control Key is used very frequently, much, much more
>frequently than the Caps Lock key. Word keyboard shortcuts, Qedit, Emacs are
>examples of such tools.
>
>Having the Control below the Shift key stresses my hand much more than
>having it in place of the Caps Lock key.
>
>Sun keyboards (and IBM ones when shipped with AIX servers) reverse the
>position of Caps lock and Control keys.
The early PC keyboard had that too. It meant that Control, Alt,
and Shift were stacked above one another (Fn is where ALT should be
by that standard, on my TP600).
With the 10 function keys in two columns down the left side, there
were something like 60 function key and extended function key
combinations that could be done with the left hand, without
stretching (and with a little practice, without looking). I
believe WordPerfect was the first major application to take
advantage of that, and it was one of the ways it pushed WordStar
aside (unlimited toll-free support was also a factor :).
My old Northgate keyboard (with the double set of function keys,
both down and across) actually came with an extra CTRL and an extra
CAPSLOCK key, so that if I swapped them (through a DIP switch I
believe, could also also replace the keycaps.
Randal's right, though. He said 10-15 years, which would be back
as far as 1985, by which time the AT keyboard with the function
keys across the top, had been introduced.
andrew [awebber_at_wwwebbers.com]
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