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Keyboard Layouts for the 21st Century?

Posted by Cliff on from the leaving-qwerty-behind dept.

jules asks: "Trying to do some programming on an iBook the other day brought to my attention the fact that despite the constant improvements to the design of computer hardware and software, the keyboards we use are still a throwback to the early 1980s. I mean - my Mac doesn't have room for page up/down or home/end keys, but it devotes a whole key to a sort of double-S shape that I will never press. And my PC keyboards all waste plastic on a backwards-apostrophe key and a scroll-lock (+ LED!), while functions that you use all the time, such as switching between windows, cut/copy/paste, back/forwards, undo/redo etc, all have to double-up with other keys.. Have any organizations actually tried to re-invent the keyboard recently? (..not counting the manufacturers who stick a few 'multimedia' keys along the top for consumer PCs). Would this be doomed to failure because of the tens of thousands of legacy apps that expect things to be the way they are? What sort of keys would you include in your fantasy keyboard layout?" It's not just the keys on your keyboard that are important, it's also how you arrange them. What kind of keyboard arrangements might we see in the future?

3 of 940 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Sys Req by sebmol · · Score: 5, Informative

    IIRC, the SysRq key was introduced with the 286 protected mode. It was thought that this key would provide access to operating system functions in that mode while a regular app is running.

    It never served any real purpose.

    --
    "Light is faster than sound." - "Is that why people tend to look bright until you hear them speak?"
  2. Re:Sys Req by Octothorp · · Score: 5, Informative
    It never served any real purpose.

    ..on a lot of machines. However, you can now use it for it's intended purpose under Linux see the file sysrq.txt in the Documentation directory of the kernel source.

    You can do useful things like sync your disk before you have to power cycle the machine. Or, kill all processes on the current VT.

    --

    --
    Steve VanDeBogart
  3. Computer keypads vs. telephone keypads by yerricde · · Score: 5, Informative

    why is that computer keyboards have the 1-3 row on the number pad at the bottom

    Computers have 123 on the bottom because adding machines and calculators have 123 on the bottom.

    while telephones have it at the top?

    Telephones have it 123 on the top because rotary-dial telephones had 123 at the top of the dial.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?