From: Jeffrey Baker (plumbush2_at_mediaone.net)
Date: Thu Apr 27 2000 - 15:00:07 EDT
-----Original Message-----
>From: Randal Whittle [mailto:rwhittle_at_usa.net]
>Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2000 12:30 AM
>To: Ronald W. Heiby; TP List
>Subject: Re: Keyboards (Was: W2K key switching limitation -- call for help)
>
>
> I don't know what country you're from (or maybe you're using one
>of those cheap i-series machines), but on my TP600, the Caps Lock key is
>right where its supposed to be and has been since the Dvorak keyboard was
>invented, and the control key down below the shift key where it belongs.
>
> That's how its been on every good desktop keyboard I've used over
>the last 10 - 15 years, and where it was (except there was no Control key)
>on the standard-setting IBM Selectric Typewriter I learned to type on
>nearly 20 years ago.
>
> The Caps Lock has always been above the Shift key. Why do you
>want the Control key there?
Hi Randal,
I myself wasn't complaining about this in my original message, but for
information's sake: 18 years ago, when I bought my first computer and
learned the word processing program WordStar, the Ctrl key was the extra
wide key to the left of "A" and the Caps Lock was lower, below Shift and to
the left of Alt. This enabled one to do word processing with embedded
keyboard commands (none of this function key and alt-shift stuff which takes
your hands off the keyboard and makes no sense in the head anyhow). Even
now, when few use WordStar, it is unfortunate that on modern keyboards the
much used Ctrl key is much more cumbersome to reach than the little used
Caps Lock.
Now, a lot of people still use WordStar - many companies have retained it,
and a lot of touch typists find it efficient and pleasurable to use. For
Word users like myself who are touch typists and remember the speed and
intuitiveness of WordStar, there is a Wordstar key command set add-in for
word available from
http://www.petrie.u-net.com/computing/wordstar/wordstar.htm (I had the
pleasure of beta testing it).
Best, Jeff
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