Building Your Own Extra-Large Keyboard

Ant writes "ModAsylum.com has an article on how to make your own extra-large homemade keyboard." Or, if you're handy with tweezers, extra-small.

Comments

Big keys

[Stevyn]

I can't wait for the sequel of "Big" to see this in action.

Re:Big keys

[A Boy and His Blob]

Well at least it would be good exercise if you had one that big.

Re:Big keys

[andufo82]

before u keep waiting for that sequel... hope ModAsylum fixes its -MySQL connection problema (line 61)-

yea

[Vancomycin]

a one-hand keyboard maybe more immediately useful for many :-p

Re:yea

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

a one-hand keyboard maybe more immediately useful for many

I'll second that. It's amazing how little computer hardware manufacturers think of disabled people. If you're one-handed and you're looking for a good chord keyboard, you better be prepared to spend a lorryload of money for one of the precious few options available.

Funnily enough, I've seen armless people type on a regular keyboard with their feet a lot more easily than with one hand. Maybe big keyboards would improve these guys' typing speed too...

Re:yea

[Threni]

>>a one-hand keyboard maybe more immediately useful for many

> I'll second that. It's amazing how little computer hardware manufacturers think > of disabled people.

I'm not entirely sure he was talking about disabled people...

http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/

Re:yea

[pandrijeczko]

Mind you, I'll say one thing for the Big Keyboard - it looks like it has a "wipe clean" surface for those "errant splashes"...

...from nearby knocked coffee cups, of course.

PS. Ever noticed the prevalence of British "Fnarr Fnarr" humour on here until the Americans start coming on line at our lunchtime?

Re:yea

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll second that. It's amazing how little computer hardware manufacturers think of disabled people.

Thats true. Even if they are just temporarily disabled, the keyboard manufacturers should be taking everyones needs into consideration... ;-)

Re:yea

[Epistax]

One handed keyboards
One handed keyboards
One handed keyboards

Re:yea

[Underholdning]

Here's a nifty one-handed keyboard

Re:yea

[Dogtanian]

Ever noticed the prevalence of British "Fnarr Fnarr" humour on here until the Americans start coming on line at our lunchtime?

Heh heh.... he said "coming".

Re:yea

[laejoh]

So that's the instrument they are using when performing music for porn movies!

Re:yea

[mnemoth_54]

Here's a cheaper possible alternative. Nostromo SpeedPad n52

Re:yea

[Llynix]

I work for a local Junior Collge. Because of the disability act we have to provide for students with handicaps. As a result we needed to buy a one handed keyboard.

The price tag? 700 dollors!!

I was shocked and outraged.

Re:yea

[|<amikaze]

I'll second that. It's amazing how little computer hardware manufacturers think of disabled people.

http://www.maltron.com/

The store I work at is a Canadian distributor of Maltron. We've only sold a few, but the customers are always quite impressed with them.

Re:yea

[iamacat]

You can just use sticky keys. You know, once there is enough sticky stuff on the keyboard, Shift doesn't come up on it's own.

Re:yea

[buck_wild]

I looked up 'fnarr' on wiki and it didn't return any results.

So what's it mean?

Re:yea

[NuclearDog]

One handed keyboard, you say?

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/6c82/

Old fart keyboards

[Zorilla]

Is this like those gigantic fucking calculators and phones with big buttons that are designed for old people?

Computers designed for old people....hmmmm.

Re:Old fart keyboards

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Is this like those gigantic fucking calculators and phones with big buttons that are designed for old people? Computers designed for old people....hmmmm.

Don't be so smug. One say you too will be old, and when you are, the kids with their direct brain computer interfaces will look at you type on your small keyboard and use your small calculator and say "hmm, move on Grandpa".

Respect your elders, you'll be one too some day.

Re:Old fart keyboards

[Anonymous Coward]

Nope, not if I kill him first.

Re:Old fart keyboards

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh I can't wait until we're all directly connected to all information sources available and at the speed of thought. We could all have nanotechology to increase the processing power of our brain and to make us all super strong and fit too! WE'll all be perfect! Oh yay!

Re:Old fart keyboards

[freqres]

Or for fat people with fingers the size of bratwurst.

Re:Old fart keyboards

[Dogtanian]

Is this like those gigantic fucking calculators and phones with big buttons that are designed for old people?

The calculators with big buttons are easier to use, full stop. This isn't an issue if you only use it a couple of times a week, but if you were using it for extended periods, messing around with dinky little calculator keys would soon start to grate.

Re:Old fart keyboards

[WuphonsReach]

The calculators with big buttons are easier to use, full stop. This isn't an issue if you only use it a couple of times a week, but if you were using it for extended periods, messing around with dinky little calculator keys would soon start to grate.

Yep, but little kids always think that their usage pattern is the only usage pattern. And anyone who doesn't conform to their usage pattern is a loser that they can make fun of.

(One of my first jobs, I had to add up the daily report by hand at the district office, prior to it being faxed up to region and to each division manager. If you had a good calculator, say one with 1/2" buttons, you had to guard it like a prize rooster or someone would walk off with it.)

Re:Old fart keyboards

[operagost]

Listen, sonny, us old-timers are just used to big stuff. Nowadays, things are made so tiny and CHEAP. Why, in my day, our telephones had a dial the size of a tractor tire! It had to be that big because you needed to apply 150 lb/ft of torque to the magneto to get it to move! And we couldn't afford the copper wire, so we had to wet our fingers and toes, yank the magneto, and then stick our big toe into the phone jack! Boy, talking to your Aunt Hildegard sure is exciting with 10,000 volts shooting through your body!

Re:Old fart keyboards

[Anonymous Coward]

Dammit, who let the marketing department post on slashdot again.

Re:Old fart keyboards

[cfuse]

Don't be so smug. One say you too will be old, and when you are, the kids with their direct brain computer interfaces will look at you type on your small keyboard and use your small calculator and say "hmm, move on Grandpa".

That's when you stuff a paperclip into the port into their brain and laugh as they have a fit on the floor ... not making fun of my ctrl-alt-del now, are you bitch?

Final pic

[Anonymous Coward]

If you don't want to wade through 9 pages with two sentences in each and sometimes even a picture, this is the last page with the picture of the finished keyboard: http://www.modasylum.com/guides.php?guide=37&page= 10

Re:Final pic

[mirko]

And as this still imply being limited by MySQL connections being maxed out, here's the link to the picture in itself.

Re:Final pic

[mirko]

BTW, is this a rendered picture or a real photograph ?
Looks like some 3D or Maya or even POV stuff.

Re:Final pic

[mors]

But that doesn't work anymore either. It says that the account for modasylum.com has been suspended.

Re:Final pic

[mirko]

I found it in my cache, you'll find it here.

Re:Final pic

[carlos_benj]

Thanks for the picture. Now that I've had a look it raises a question. Is the "Y" key only red "sometimes"?

Honey, I Screwed With the Keyboard!

[Zorilla]

Looks like they wasted a whole bunch of effort for nothing. Did they even bother to call up Rick Moranis before trying to make a keyboard big?

Modern crappy keyboards

[Biotech9]

I've noticed a trend from the last few years. As PC companys like dell and gateway stuck little extra 'multimedia' keys on the top of the keyboard, they also slowly began to shrik key size.

It was slightly noticeable that the 'full size' keyboard on my powerbook was bigger than the one on my girlfriends PC, but the kicker came when i dug my old Amiga 500 out of storage. The keyboard seemed so massive!

So i ended up taking a very old keyboard from a server in my attic and using that. It's so old it has no windows keys, and the big clunky keys are heavenly compared to the modern flat logitect styles.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Threni]

> but the kicker came when i dug my old Amiga 500 out of storage. The keyboard
> seemed so massive!

To be fair, that was actually more of a computer than a keyboard! You can get pretty small keyboards these days, usually designed for use in the retail trade where keeping the footprint small is pretty important.

http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Anonymous Coward]

Three words: IBM Model M.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Mr_Dyqik]

Nah, it's a ZX80 for me.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[e-gold]

I have an ancient, IBM-style (keys click, built like a tank, non-mushy) "NMB The Right Touch" keyboard which has an innovation that I truly love which has sadly never become popular. The spacebar is divided into 2 keys, the right side is still a spacebar, but the left side is an additional "backspace" key. Saying it with fewer words improves anyone's writing, and this key encourages that by giving users a backspace key they needn't reach-for, which believe it or not makes a difference.

Once you get used to one of these, you'll begin to wonder why the rest of humanity seems to *want* both thumbs to be stuck with the same "space" option. I use Apple notebooks now, but I'd pay $100 extra to have my old left-thumb backspace key if the mod were even available. Oh well...
JMR

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[amliebsch]

Oh my god, yes. My sister and I *accidentally* bought two originals (with the removable cord) at a second-hand computer parts store, and have absolutely fallen in love with this "battleship board." Its precision alone increased my typing speed by at least 10 wpm. Now, typing on anything else feels like absolute crap. And, barring misfortune, I expect that keyboard to last as long as I do.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Anonymous Coward]

That'd be one hell of a "misfortune" that would break these boards (global thermonuclear war, etc.)

I've spilled stuff into this I'm typing on now twice, I think. Both times I've taken it into the shower for a healthy rinse. Gets out all of the Keyboard Crud too, and after leaving it to dry it works perfectly again. They just don't make them like they used to.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[amliebsch]

For more information on the legendary Model M: http://www.modelm.org/

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[amliebsch]

Dan likes it, too.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Anonymous Coward]

Old IBM keyboards. I use nothing but on my boxes. The clicky mechanical keys have a much better feel. No damn windows keys either. Only problem is that I have typos more often when I use a newer keyboard on a laptop or someone elses computer.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Dogtanian]

IBM Model M.

The one that came with the PS/2? I never understood the deal with that one. Keys that go 'click' and require that pressure to push down just didn't feel right to me.

Personally, I'd like a non-membrane keyboard that felt like the one that (most) BBC Micros had, or a Wyse terminal keyboard I used to use, neither of which had a particular 'pressure' point, but felt better than your typical membrane job.

It has to be said that although most membrane keyboards aren't too nice, some of them are fairly pleasant to work with (e.g. the Mitsumi I'm typing this on just now).

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[jcostantino]

I have to use punch cards you insensitive clod!

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[JawzX]

I agree! I have a USB to ADB adapter on my G4 for the sole reason that I *WILL NOT* trade my Apple Pro Keyboard II for one of the new USB keyboards (despite the presence of an eject button). The Pro II just has better key action, bigger keys, a caps lock key that *gasp* LOCKS DOWN, and more angle adjustment than modern keyboards. I do use a Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer though...

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Anonymous Coward]

Wouldn't that be one acronym, one word and one letter

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[SpaceJunkie]

Not to put too fine a point on it - but I used to really despise Membrane keyboards. Hence why I went Vic 20/Commodore.

The Spectrums had rubber keyboards I suppose - but even they were god-awful to use until Amstrad introduced the +2/+3 series with real keyboards.
There were some external keyboards for the zx80/81 though.
Did you ever see the keyboards that came with the RML/380z ?
I still have a 2 drive hi-res graphics 380z somewhere in my attic which I purchased off my old school for a few pence. The money was merely a formality as for some reason they could not just give it away.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[toddestan]

I've used a keyboard like that before. I don't know if other people type like me, but I always hit the left side of the space bar on a standard keyboard. Needless to say, having a backspace there instead drove me absolutely nuts.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[the chao goes mu]

This feature was also on some 1980's Smith-Corona electric typewriters with built in correction tapes.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[e-gold]

I understand. Since I've always used my right thumb, until I had "my" keyboard, the left thumb just sat-there, but I can imagine this feature would be quite annoying if you're left-thumbed. Maybe that's why it didn't ever catch-on.

I'm also now so-used-to laptop keyboards that it takes about an hour just to adjust-back to a "normal" one.
JMR

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[DAldredge]

You are now banned from /.

Speaking ill of the Model M isn't allowed. Please delete your account and do not come back.

Thank You,

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[magefile]

How hard would it be to either (as a user) switch some config/mapping files around or (as the mfgr) put a physical switch on the bottom to switch which was which. Leads to prank opportunities, of course, but ...

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[NIK282000]

How about mine, its about 3mm thick and works great. (Image hosted in msn group) I removed all the bulky components from my keayboard and was left with a baord made of 3 sheets of plastic.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[sparcnut]

Never tried a Model M (or maybe I have, just don't recognize it) but I absolutely love the Sun type5 keyboard (the variant with the PC-like layout, not the UNIX-like layout - can't stand having capslock and control switched or the tiny backspace key). The feel of the keys is awesome, it blows away the squidgey feel of a brand new $60 Logitech Elite keyboard. or the clunky feel of older PC keyboards (Dell, DEC from the DOS era). The feel seems just perfect; you might say it's like a light tactile keyboard without the 'click' noise. The keys resist at the beginning of the stoke, and glide down after the initial resistance while making no noise. The Logitech Elite's keys seem to have less resistance at the beginning, and a funny feeling when they're pressed down all the way. It's hard to get an idea what I'm talking about unless you've used those keyboards.

The Sun type5 is supposed to be $72 IIRC, but you can get them on places like Ebay for much less. As a bonus you get a bunch of extra keys to map to whatever you want.

With a standard PC keyboard, I get around 70WPM and lot of typos, on the type5 I get 90-100 without any errors. Both are using the QWERTY layout of course.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Deagol]

I don't think they're Model M keyboards, but I'm right with you on the IBM built-like-a-tank clickity-clack keyboards. I've scavanged up serveral of them from school district surplus warehouses, thrift stores, and the university that employs me. Heck, my co-workers find them for me and bring them to me, as they know I love them. All of the PCs I use in the home and office are equipped with one.

Great keyboards.

One of my roomies in college had a Northgate PC (so did some of the PC labs), and they had the best keyboards. Ever. The OmniKey, or somesuch. They're still being made and sold (can't recall -- or find online, at the moment -- the name), but I just can't justify the $100+ for one. My IBMs work just fine.

One of these days, when I have money to burn, I may treat myself.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Deagol]

Found them!

If anyone cares, Creative Vision Technologies, Inc. (CVT) has the Northgate keyboard clones. They can be found here. There's also a fairly current review of them at PC World.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[connorbd]

I always wanted an ISO English ADB keyboard, just to be different... to this day I still wouldn't know where to get one though.

Apple's keyboards have never really impressed me. The only ADB keyboard I still use (though I have a spare or two kicking around) is a MacAlly, and they still use a form factor more or less similar to the old Apple Pro Keyboards even for some of their USB keyboards (the iKey, I believe). Their laptop keyboards are traditionally too delicate as well.

That said, I never really liked the clicky keyboards people seem to love. They just feel like you're putting too much effort into them. I also have one of those PS/2 mini-keyboards, which I actually used for a while in a very cramped computer space, but got tired of. The laptop-shallow key travel didn't do it for me, I guess.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Geoffreyerffoeg]

Give me a dozen "media keys" that I can configure to launch Mozilla, Mathematica, aim:goaway [AIM away message], etc. over shift keys that are too far from the key being shifted to manage a combination with one hand.

Re:Modern crappy keyboards

[Anonymous Coward]

I support this initiative.

Phone

[elgatozorbas]

If only I could attach this one to my cell phone...

Re:Phone

[Zorilla]

If only I could attach this one to my cell phone...

Sounds like a new gag for Trigger Happy TV: Really loud SMS messages.

To go with the extra-large keyboard...

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

The extra-large trackball. If you've ever seen one of these things, it's soccer-ball-sized!

Re:To go with the extra-large keyboard...

[famebait]

page sez:
Designed for two to six year olds with a range of cognitive and physical abilities,

So if you have a six year old with only one cognitive or physical ability, this is not for them.

Re:To go with the extra-large keyboard...

[Hognoxious]

If I remember correctly, they were discontinued and there was a lot of complaints about that. Even though they were designed for kids they were popular with disabled people. I figure they could be fun for some games too (I used to play one of the old Madden NFL sims in co-op mode, steering a lineman with my foot when I got bored of the built in plays).

Re:To go with the extra-large keyboard...

[Queuetue]

My favorite thing about Windows 95 was the .wav file that yelled "Easy ball is my new friend!" ... I kept that around for years as my startup sound on various *nixes - wish I could find it now. :)

Re:To go with the extra-large keyboard...

[Anonymous Coward]

mmm.. Samantha Fox Strip Poker... mmm...

Re:To go with the extra-large keyboard...

[elecbrick]

The ball is 4 inches across, much smaller than a regulation soccer ball.

This thing is amazing. There is nothing else like it. We picked up a used one after they were discontinued and have been using it daily for the last 6 years on the kids computer. It still works great. Microsoft hardware is immensly superior to their software.

The only reason I would not use one for every day use is the single button. Three buttons and a scroll wheel work much better in X11. That and the touchpad is build into my laptop. The ball is a litte awkward to carry everywhere.

Re:To go with the extra-large keyboard...

[SpaceJunkie]

I have always used trackballs at home. Its a shame I cannot convince my company to invest in any. When you work with veyr large monitor resolutions - be it for development or CAD (or both if you are developing CAD plugins) then they really make a difference - and dont leave me with sore wrists.

It would also be nice to get a wireless keyboard/trackball combo. I settled for seperate wireless USB key and wireless trackball.

Nice ball - shame the site couldnt be bothered to use any CSS to specify no repeat on the image. On my monitor(1600x1200) it repeats the title bar.

Re:To go with the extra-large keyboard...

[utexaspunk]

The only reason I would not use one for every day use is the single button

here you go...

Wow

[Anonymous Coward]

/.ed already.

Arrrgh!

Re:Wow

[paz5]

as mirco mentioned "And as this still imply being limited by MySQL connections being maxed out, here's the link to the picture in itself"

It still loads quite quickly for me so there should be no problem (the full page at the original like does not however).

Slashdotted

[elgatozorbas]

They had better built an extra-big server.

Re:Slashdotted

[ikea5]

with that extra-large keyboard, at least they can soft reboot the mechine rather easily.

Re:Slashdotted

[Zorilla]

They had better built an extra-big server.

If not, I hope they have a novelty jumbo-size fire extinguisher within the premises.

Re:Slashdotted

[Anonymous Coward]

Try visiting the site with image loading turned off. It's a lot friendlier, and in fact still works for me. Then you can load only the images of the mod itself.

Re:Slashdotted

[kyrre]

They are probably in for a extra-large bandwidth bill.

Re:Slashdotted

[alex_ware]

http://modasylum.com/articles/lyo/plexi_keyboard/b ig/final.jpg
urm no i cant find delete you need a delete key to ctrl alt del

Re:Slashdotted

[jamesh]

depends how big. ctrl-alt-del might be a two person job.

"Sorry to wake you Joe, but the server needs a reboot and I need to to come into the office and stand on the delete key while I press the other two."
...
"No, Fred can't do it, he's not heavy enough"

Re:Mirrors

[byssebu]

(Forgot to write about the keyboard...) It's cool with big keyboards but they fit better in David Lynch movies or in cartoons :=

Re:big

[Anonymous Coward]

over-compensating?

Interesting note.

[Anonymous Coward]

Even the best keyboards are at about 85% of the size of optimum because they were modelled after typewriter keyboards to make it easier for typists to adapt.

The first typewriters actually had properly sized keys, but they discovered that an unfortunate degree of jamming would occur as efficient typists would outpace the little hammers with the letters on them! Rather than trying to use some revolutionary alloy in the hammers to decrease their weight, it was determined that a cheaper solution was needed for mass-production -- and they settled on shrinking the keys, which slowed down even the best typists to an acceptable 50-60WPM (although later models did decrease hammer timing.)

So today we are left with an antiqutitated model, and as with dvorak key layouts larger keys provide a technically better alternative that is unfortunately incompatible with what most current typists are comfortable and efficient with.

Re:Interesting note.

[Hognoxious]

Even the best keyboards are at about 85% of the size of optimum

Are you sure your hands aren't 17.6% too large?

Re:Interesting note.

[Oligonicella]

"Rather than trying to use some revolutionary alloy"

Ever consider that happened long enough ago that there weren't any "revolutionary alloys" available?

P.S. Dvorak doesn't improve speed. That's a fallacy. Navy did a study, no improvement (even with newly trained typists).

Re:Interesting note.

[ScrewMaster]

P.S. Dvorak doesn't improve speed. That's a fallacy. Navy did a study, no improvement (even with newly trained typists).

That's only because the Navy used fallic symbols on their test keyboards.

Re:Interesting note.

[Anonymous Coward]

>Rather than trying to use some revolutionary alloy in the hammers to decrease their weight, it was determined that a cheaper solution was needed for mass-production -- and they settled on shrinking the keys, which slowed down even the best typists to an acceptable 50-60WPM (although later models did decrease hammer timing.)

I thought the QWERTY layout was invented to do exactly that. It's the first time I ever heard about that "key size" legend, and I'm 31.

Re:Interesting note.

[neilmoore67]

The first typewriters actually had properly sized keys, but they discovered that an unfortunate degree of jamming would occur as efficient typists would outpace the little hammers with the letters on them! ... and they settled on shrinking the keys, which slowed down even the best typists to an acceptable 50-60WPM

Isn't the whole QUERTY design supposed to increase the mean distance between subsequent key presses, to slow people down to avoid jamming the keyboards, but we've just stuck with it for consistency?

Re:Interesting note.

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you sure your hands aren't 17.6% too large?

It's all proportional, even though they keep telling me size doesn't matter. (To be honest I think they're just jealous.)

Re:Interesting note.

[Al Dimond]

So legacy typewriter support is responsible for destroying my wrists to the point that I can hardly toss a frisbee?

I never quite understood the whole "implement a mechanical impediment to typing speed" thing, why not just tell the typists, "if you don't slow down the typewriter will jam"?

That way they eventually could have worked out the tech and made user-friendly keyboards.

Re:Interesting note.

[Anonymous Coward]

Isn't the whole QUERTY design

How does one misspell QWERTY?

Re:Interesting note.

[clarkcox3]

They could be typing on a Divorak keyboard

Re:Interesting note.

[Moraelin]

As far as I know (or "the way I heard that legend") the problem QWERTY "solved" wasn't that of speed. It was one of physical proximity. If you haven't owned one of those old purely-mechanical typewriters, basically:

1. The mechanism was basically based on thin metal levers, with a key at one end and a small metal hammer with an embossed letter on it at the other end. You pressed the key, the little hammer was pushed towards the paper. (You had to actually hit the keys pretty hard, too, especially when you wanted 2 carbon copies.)

2. Because it was a mechanical contraption, rather than wires, the whole mechanism was arranged in the only way that was easy to make and robust to operate: with as little overlap as possible. I.e., for keys that were physically near each other (e.g., A and Q, or A and S), the hammers would also be near each other.

3. Unfortunately, due to the very construction, the closer two hammers were, the easier it was to jam the typewriter if you pressed both at the same time. E.g., if you pressed Q and W at the same time, the machine would pretty much always jam, whereas pressing Q and P at the same time would almost never jam.

So the problem was basically not how fast you typed, but whether you pressed two adjacent keys at the same time. E.g., if you typed "assassin", and starting pressing the S before the A was released, or viceversa, you'd have a good probability to jam the thing.

I.e., again, QWERTY was not supposed to slow people down, per se, but rather simply to reduce the probability that two consecutively used hammers would be phyisically near each other. That was the problem: the hammers, not the keys, not the typist speed as such. However, due to the purely mechanical (and somewhat primitive) relationship between keys and hammers, the easiest way to solve that was to rearrange the keys too.

Think "side-effect", rather than "goal."

The "goal" for the key layout itself was actually the opposite: to convince that time's PHBs that the new layout _doesn't_ slow people down too much. Or at least less than stopping to unjam the typewriter did.

Hence the "QWERTYUIOP" row. The rigged tech demo involved was basically "look! I can type TYPEWRITER quickly! It must be an optimal layout!" So all the keys in that word had to be on the same row. Even at the expense of being less effective at preventing jams.

Just, you know, in case you thought idiotic technical decisions being taken by complete incompetents required computers. There you go. A business decision, which was sold based on a rigged and non-representative tech demo. And we're still stuck with it :)

Re:Interesting note.

[PeDRoRist]

It sure doesn't but its main benefit over QWERTY, according to Dvorak users, is increased comfort (less finger/wrist injury due to less finger/wrist movement) Having never used a Dvorak keyboard, I can't say which one is better for me in terms of comfort, but I sure have already suffered wristache after using a QWERTY keyboard for too long.

Re:Interesting note.

[aardvarkjoe]

QWERTY was not supposed to slow people down ... Think "side-effect", rather than "goal."

Not quite. As a matter of fact, qwerty's layout actually helped improve typing speed as a side effect of moving common letter combinations apart. QWERTY makes it more likely that when typing, you alternate hands, which is faster than typing with just one hand.

Re:Interesting note.

[EvanED]

I would strongly reccomend trying Dvorak for a couple weeks if you start having wrist problems. Get a copy of Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing version 5 or something (apparently the later ones don't have Dvorak...) and run through the exercises.

I've had wrist problems, and I find the Dvoark layout to be stupendous compared to QWERTY.

(Granted, I don't have exactly a scientific rationale for saying this because I modified two variables when I switched. Before I would do sorta an advanced form of multi-finger hunt-and-peck on QWERTY. No real rhyme or reason for how I hit the keys. When I changed to Dvorak, I decided I better learn how to properly touchtype. So that probably helped the comfort too. But it is so much better I can't believe that would account for all of the improvement.)

Re:Interesting note.

[rleibman]

P.S. Dvorak doesn't improve speed. That's a fallacy. Navy did a study, no improvement (even with newly trained typists).

I can't vouch for the average, but I went from 70 to 80+ by switching keyboards, though that may have something to do with the fact that I relearned things correctly. Now, if you forget statistics for a while, why wouldn't speed improve? Your fingers type a lot less distance.
Having said all that, comfort is the greatest reason to switch. My wrists just don't hurt anymore. The only pain I have is in my middle right hand finger from the stupid mousewheel (which is way to useful to give up).

Re:Interesting note.

[Sunnan]

P.S. Dvorak doesn't improve speed. That's a fallacy. Navy did a study, no improvement (even with newly trained typists).

That's a myth. The dvorak layout is excellent.

As other posters have noticed, though, the primary gains are ergonomical rather than in speed.

Re:Interesting note.

[Megahurts]

just nitpicking:

Unfortunately, due to the very construction, the closer two hammers were, the easier it was to jam the typewriter if you pressed both at the same time. E.g., if you pressed Q and W at the same time, the machine would pretty much always jam, whereas pressing Q and P at the same time would almost never jam.

Since every key must strike the same location for proper text alignment, simultaneously pressing two keys will guarantee a jam. However, it is easy to see how when closely timed, a larger distance between levers does reduce the likelihood of jamming.

Re:Interesting note.

[Anonymous Coward]

No. Hitting any two keys at the same time will ensure that at least one of them will not strike the paper.

However, the closer the hammers are to each other, the more likely it is that the hammer swings will cross in such a way as to jam.

If the hammers are far apart, they will not contact until one of them is on the page. Both hammers should swing back to the resting position without jamming.

Re:Interesting note.

[Hognoxious]

I'm kind of surprised nobody said "huh? Surely you mean 15% too big?".

Maybe I underestimated the /. crowd...

Re:Interesting note.

[stephanruby]

I can't speak about the Dvoark keyboard either, but I can confirm that any type of variation over your routine is probably a good idea.

When I first got wrist pains at work (and didn't have medical insurance), I added an extra usb trackball mouse on the left side of my keyboard at work and I changed my keyboard and my mouse to some funky ergonomic models at home. That, plus an improved posture at the keyboard and a number of frequent walking breaks, that did the trick for me. The symptoms subsided and went away.

Is this what you get........

[EvilLordSoth]

........ After mashing your small keyboard with your fingers that are too fat too type ? If so I want a drinking bird with my fat fingered keyboard !

Text of the first couple of pages.

[Anonymous Coward]

The site seems almost to be slashdotted, so here is the text of the first pages... from a Karmawhoring Anonymous Coward ;-)

Today: Building your own X-Large Keyboard

by

Since the modding world interested me, I always wanted to create real objects that aren't using premodded stuff. Not to say that I got my own opinion about that kind of stuff =P. Anyway, many modders have always wanted to create an object then others never think about. In that same way, I decided for myself to make a one of a kind keyboard that would be unique. There are certainly others reasons why I created it, like for helping people who need it for any physicals problems that require big-key keyboards for helping them with access to computers. After having created it and having many comments about it, I decided to write a little guide about how it works and how it is possible to build your own. I hope that it will give you ideas about creating your project using PS/2 or other interface via a controller. If you have any comments or question feel free to ask me.

DISCLAIMER

This guide is presented for informational purposes only. By reading this and attempting any of the modifications/instructions within, you agree that the author, Modasylum.com, its staff, and affiliates are released from any liability from any damages resulting from said modifications/instructions performed.

Material :

* Plexiglas sheets (6mm thick for the keys, 4mm for the top and back sheets, 2mm for the inside sheets)
* Wires (suggested 2 colors, 24agm, 200 feet)
* Old Keyboard controller (USB, PS/2 or DIN)
* 12, 3 inches bolts
* 96 nuts (same size as the bolts)
* Thin metal sheet (1 foot square)
* Wood rod (1/4 inch thick)
* Epoxy glue
* Plexiglas glue
* Tiny wood screws or micro electronics switches
* Memory foam
* Polishing kit (for plexi)
* Letters stickers
* Different pieces of wood and metal (optional for making templates)

Tools:

* Table saw
* Drill press
* Solder gun
* 1/4" drilling bits (flat end)
* 1 1/4" hole saw (depends on the key size)
* Everyday tools (screw drivers, bits, etc.)
* Clamps

How it works

The main part of a keyboard is the controller that links the keys to the computer. Every controller has different interfaces (USB, PS/2, DIN, etc.) and input pin orders (those that are connected to the keys). Basically, all keys are little push switches that are linked between two input pins; when the switch is activated, the controller sends an encoded signal to the computer. With that information we know that's it's possible to make a keyboard out of switch linked to the PCB. The concept for the project will be to fabricate them in manner that when a key is pressed, there is a contact made between the two inputs pins. For our project, we'll need to have the chart of which pins correspond to which letter or keys on our keyboard. I suggest using the two plastic sheets that are in your keyboard and check where all contacts are going and write it on paper for future use. Here are those for my controller, but I highly suggest you check yours because they could be different from one keyboard to another.

The plans

Before beginning the construction on a project like this one, it's important to make some drawings and be sure that everything will fit perfectly. The concept is really simple: two rods are attached under a Plexiglas square (top of the key). Those rods pass through two thin sheets of Plexiglas and a little piece of metal is attached under the base of the rods so that an electric contact can be made when the key is pressed. Another sheet of plexi will be under the metal pieces with tiny electronic switches or screws on it. When the key is pressed, the pieces of metal will make a contact between two screws, or press the micro switch (depends on your preference and budget).

Re:Text of the first couple of pages.

[blackest_k]

and now
Account for domain modasylum.com has been suspended

that didnt take long

Re:I know of the sterotype of fat computer geeks

[Trent05]

That's what dialing-wands are made for!!

Gibson

[tokul]

How about building your own Gibson article?

Re:Gibson

[isbhod]

i dunno man, didn't you see that documen^H^H^H^H movie, Gibsons are too easy to hack.

Is it so big that it takes 2 people to CTRLALTDEL?

[SalsaDot]

... because the web server could sure use one now!

Re:Too late... site already smoking in the dust..

[salec]

Thank you, Google!

http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:0m1IZm2UR8M J: modasylum.com/reviews.php%3Freview%3D37+modasylum+ review%3D37&hl=en&start=1

Or you can buy one

[PhilHibbs]

from Bigkeys

Re:Or you can buy one

[witcomb]

I would love to see someone use vi on that thing. Look where they dropped the ESC key, all the way on the right.

Re:Or you can buy one

[Anonymous Coward]

from Bigkeys

From their front page:

If you've reached this page, it's because JavaScript is disabled in your browser, OR you're using an older browser that isn't compatible with frames and JavaScript technology. The BigKeys web site uses this technology to make navigation of our site easier.

Didn't make navigation of their site easier for me.
One more lost potential customer.

Re:Or you can buy one

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sure they're crying about losing a moron who can't even use IE properly as a customer. Loser.

Re:Or you can buy one

[cecille]

Sweet keyboard layout too...I see they've ditched the standard qwerty setup for a sweet, sweet abcdef setup. That should make it MUCH easier for people to use....er...no.

Re:Or you can buy one

[Jbrecken]

Sweet keyboard layout too...I see they've ditched the standard qwerty setup for a sweet, sweet abcdef setup. That should make it MUCH easier for people to use....er...no.

For one thing, their keyboards are available in QWERTY or ABCD. For another thing, if you're a little kid just learning the alphabet, (one of their target audiences) abcd order probably is actually easier.

Re:Or you can buy one

[drinkypoo]

If their keyboards are of the same quality as their website, there is no temptation whatsoever to purchase one.

I want a keyboard that is about 25% larger in each dimension, because my hands are (at least) 25% larger than most hands. It should have at least 101 keys and a "proper" layout. Why doesn't anyone make something like this?

Re:Or you can buy one

[strider_starslayer]

Much as you probabally don't want to hear the word microsoft: A microsoft natural touch keyboard will do exactly what you want it to do- it's FULL size (most modern keyboards have had there keys reduced in size by about 25%), just like the old IBM keyboards.

Another good option is a belkin natural touch; I have one of those too, the belkin is lighter and also opperates as a USB hub, which is nice, but the tactile responce on the microsoft keyboard is excelent, it makes a good and proper 'clikety-click' with each keypress, which I find allows me to type faster for whatever reason (possibly because with the very audable click of each key my brain dose not have to process weither or not it applied enough pressure.)

Outside of natural touch keyboards, the word of the day seems to be, smaller, cheaper, breaks easier...

Re:Or you can buy one

[drinkypoo]

The microsoft keyboards are no larger than the old keyboards. The old keyboards are not big enough. Hence, the microsoft keyboard will not help me.

What kind of name is natural touch anyway? What's natural about typing? :P

I have an apple keyboard, which has acceptable tactile response though less physical response than I would like. It's a "pro" keyboard and it seems to be about full size, though I haven't compared it with my (damaged) IBM keyboard or anything.

Re:Or you can buy one

[strider_starslayer]

It's called natural touch because it has the 'split' down the middel of the keys, allowing your hands to rest in a more 'natural' position while typing. I find that the natural touch (or ergonomic depending on who you talk to) setup dose really make there seem to be more space on the keybaord, because your hands are not crammed against each other while typing.

too many connections

[Anonymous Coward]

Warning: mysql_connect(): Too many connections in /usr/hsphere/local/home/modasylu/modasylum.com/ele ments/scripts.php on line 5
couldn't open Modasylum.com central database, error given was Too many connections :)

Nope - doesn't work for me

[Anonymous Coward]

I can't get that link to work, so either you're karmawhoring or there's a problem with the link you posted.

Re:Nope - doesn't work for me

[lachlan76]

The link was to review 37, the article is about guide 37. The link should be to guides.php?guide=37 not reviews.php?review=37

Re:Too late... site already smoking in the dust..

[salec]

Oh, nooo, damn you, Google! That was some other review, for vandal-proof switches...

Tomorrow: Build your own Monitor

[Democritus2]

Yesterday was build your own mouse out of string and glue. Today it is build your own keyboard. Tomorrow it will be, build you own monitor out of an old mirror and a commodore 64.

Re:Tomorrow: Build your own Monitor

[JamieKitson]

Friday it will be reconstruct your webserver after slashdot linked your FA.

Re:Tomorrow: Build your own Monitor

[los furtive]

Me (looking into the mirror) : "I can't tell if its a pimple or a pixel."

Girlfriend: "POKE it anyways."

If that doesn't say how geeky I am, nothing will.

Re:Tomorrow: Build your own Monitor

[AndroidCat]

It's alive! Bwahahaha, I have created a monitor! Wait .. Igor, hand me those plans again, would you? Damn this dyslexia.

Re:Tomorrow: Build your own Monitor

[emtboy9]

Tomorrow it will be, build you own monitor out of an old mirror and a commodore 64.

Damn, I wondered why my latest pr0n downloads looked so bad. I thought I was just pulling from the wrong usenet group.

Re:Tomorrow: Build your own Monitor

[Anonymous Coward]

If that doesn't say how geeky I am, nothing will.

Dude you have a girlfriend ...you are not geeky enough.

Site doesn't work

[carcosa30]

Why is it that sites linked from slashdot almost never work?

Re:Site doesn't work

[LordLucless]

Because they have been linked to by slashdot.

Re:Site doesn't work

[lucas teh geek]

Obligatory "you must be new here"

you think people click the links to READ information? NO! of course not! its a Legitimate way that the OSDN can DDoS sites they dont like; SCO, RIAA, MS, etc. in this case there was a secret dispute between timothy and mod asylum, so he gave them a right good slashdotting

note: this post may not be entirely factual

Re:Site doesn't work

[lucas teh geek]

heh.. on closer inspection, it appears you have a slashdot ID one third the size of mine, so maybe you're just slow :P

Re:Site doesn't work

[nevets]

you think people click the links to READ information?

Yes people do! Only the ones that post forget to do this part ;-)

Re:Site doesn't work

[Anonymous Coward]

It's really because the submission queue is so massivly long that the articles that come out the top to be posted are very very old, either the website has since been abandoned or is still running on ancient servers that are connected over 2400bps modems.

Re:Site doesn't work

[clarkcox3]

Or, maybe he was joking

Re:Site doesn't work

[Anonymous Coward]

And maybe "lucas teh geek" was too!

Is it just me...

[deutschemonte]

...or does this keyboard kind of suck?

I mean, I was thinking of a big QWERTY style keyboard.

This one just looks like it is designed for very old/young/simple people. The letters are all in alphabetical order and it is decorated with primary colors that harken me back to the McDonald's Play Areas of yore.

If you really want to impress me, make a keyboard out of the spare parts from several Dance Dance Revolution dance pads.

A giant keyboard you have to step on to get to work, now that would be cool, not practical, but cool none the less.

Re:Is it just me...

[Hognoxious]

A giant keyboard you have to step on to get to work, now that would be cool, not practical, but cool none the less.

I saw (a piano) keyboard like that in a toyshop once. I think you could roll it up. Useful for crossing bust roads too!

Re:Is it just me...

[scratchbuild]

How about a giant, flat, version of a one-handed *chording* keyboard?

So now you got to breakdance to type!

And to give it street cred, it's got to be made out of corrugated cardboard.

Re:Is it just me...

[kfg]

This one just looks like it is designed for very old/young/simple people.

This simply demonstrates that if you make it yourself you can make it in any fashion and with any key layout.

If you don't like the key layout, make a different one. He is showing you how you can be in control of your control devices. It's about hacking, not replication. It's not about impressing. It's about knowledge.

You go make a keyboard out of Dance Dance Revolution dance pads, because now you know how.

KFG

Re:Is it just me...

[Anonymous Coward]

A giant keyboard you have to step on to get to work, now that would be cool, not practical, but cool none the less.

Does Tom Hanks come with it?

Re:Is it just me...

[Dogtanian]

A giant keyboard you have to step on to get to work, now that would be cool, not practical, but cool none the less.

Heck, I normally *hate* geek toys (if ThinkGeek were relying on me, they're fscked), but I'd seriously consider buying one of them if they were under $150 or so. Yeah, it would have to be huge, but... I want one too.

Re:Is it just me...

[Anonymous Coward]

Interesting idea you gave me. Imagine having a keyboard with a connected pad (for the feet) for some keys, like page up, page down, home, end etc. etc.

Could be useful for fps gaming.

Re:Is it just me...

[kfg]

Oh sure. I've played around modifying various controlers for use in unintended ways, including foot switches. As an experiment I even made a foot mouse once. I didn't use it long enough to get very good with it, but it was surprisingly easy to use, including clicking with toes.

I never did try it for gaming (I really don't play FPSes), but it did allow me to mouse around the desktop without removing my hands from home on the keyboard when doing document processing.

I imagine I looked a little odd though. Bonzo Goes to College.

KFG

Re:Is it just me...

[SpaceJunkie]

How about a twister keyboard - and a computerised version of the game . More dubious characters could rig it beforehand and invite attractive members of the opposite sex to play.

Or the Yoga keyboard? Type up your work while putting yourself in healthy yet compromising positions...

Novelty teddy bear keyboards - with a belly full of keys for very young children.

Fingertip membrane chording keyboards - you wear them like gloves, and just touch fingers to thumbs to type.

Well To let you know...

[jellomizer]

Because I am a Slashdot subscriber I was able to see the site before it was Slashdotted. The Keyboard looks like it was made for Kids in the classroom.
The Keyboard layout was alphabetical. With all the vowels in a different color and so were the numbers.

Re:Well To let you know...

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean like this?

Re:Well To let you know...

[Anonymous Coward]

...and the largest key is "Caps Lock"

We are teaching kids the important stuff.

Re:Well To let you know...

[SpaceJunkie]

Dude - that is opne of the funniest things I have seen- in a long, long time.

Man - if I had heard about it.. I live in London too... Could have helped the goons.

Re:Well To let you know...

[Anonymous Coward]

you know.. asdfjkl; isn't the only keyboard standard alive ;) be openminded..

For a small fee...

[Anonymous Coward]

We'll ship you your own keyboard enlargment pills! No mod nescessary. Minimum 3" guaranteed!!

Pointless...

[Anonymous Coward]

You'd never find a screen huge enough where those those big letters would fit on :-]

Re:Or you can buy one ...

[Dark$ide]

from Bigkeys ... for one hundred and fifty nine dollars. I think the self build should come in a bit cheaper than that.

The finished Pic

[Anonymous Coward]

no broken sql required

http://modasylum.com/articles/lyo/plexi_keyboard/b ig/final.jpg

shame its not a qwertyuiop based keyboard

BANG!!!!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Warning: mysql_connect(): Can't connect to MySQL server on 'mysql.jetstreamhosting.com' (61) in /usr/hsphere/local/home/modasylu/modasylum.com/ele ments/scripts.php on line 5
couldn't open Modasylum.com central database, error given was Can't connect to MySQL server on 'mysql.jetstreamhosting.com' (61)

Re:Mirrors

[Anonymous Coward]

Slashdot should have some sort or mirror support for linked pages.

you must be new here :)

obligatory spam.... aaa-cnddddkl--dssss

[Anonymous Coward]

enlarge your kb, NOW! 100% GUARANTEEDED

keyboard, mouse, enlarge, bonus, beowulf, etc, etc... few keywords ;)

Re:Too late... site already smoking in the dust..

[AVee]

Thank you for linking.

Re:Seems they need an extra large server!

[Anonymous Coward]

its got worse its now saying it can't even connect to the mysql server

How about small keyboards?

[Bubblehead]

Well, I have been on a quest for years to find the smallest usable keyboard. My desk is fairly small, and a small keyboard footprint makes a real difference. Small means no number pad, and usable means well-arrarnged control keys (cursor, Home, End, etc.)

I used to have a Cherry ML4100, which I really liked, but I just wore it out (letters wore off, unreliable action).

Now I switched to the really slick looking Blu Illuminated Keyboard. But I am not that happy with it: The feel is too hard and inconsistent, and worst of all, where I'd expect the left Ctrl key, is the "Fn" key (for alternate keys). Still, the looks make up for it.

Re:How about small keyboards?

[npistentis]

try the Gyration kit- the keyboard is extremely small, and the mouse can be used off the surface. both are RF.

Re:How about small keyboards?

[Anonymous Coward]

Now I switched to the really slick looking Blu Illuminated Keyboard.

It looks like they haven't done a very good job at erasing SCO from the top left corner of it!

Re:How about small keyboards?

[olderchurch]

I'm extremly happy with my happy hacking keyboard. Just the name was enough for me to purchase it. I use it a lot to type while the keyboard is on my lap and my feet on the table. And with this size I can stow it anywhere I like.

Re:How about small keyboards?

[Luyseyal]

Looked at Fentek mini's? I use this one... although this one and this one look pretty swank, too.

-l

Re:How about small keyboards?

[multipartmixed]

You forgot the important features -- you put the control key in the right place, and plug it into a sun.

I love mine.

Re:How about small keyboards?

[Psiren]

Me too.. and I just can't find what I want. All I need is a standard keybaord, without the numeric keypad. I want the cursor keys and pgup/pgdn etc exactly where they are on a normal board, I just don't need the 4 inches extra on the right that the keypad takes up. Anyone seen anything like this? Preferably available in the UK?

Re:How about small keyboards?

[JawzX]

I know I know, it's ADB, but have you looked at the old Apple Adjustable Keyboard? Small, flexible angle adjustment, remote number pad, and still has nice key action...I still wouldn't give up my Apple Pro KB II for one, but it's a nice piece as far as mini-keyboards go.

Re:How about small keyboards?

[SlipJig]

See my sig. I'm really happy with the TypeMatrix EZR-2030.

Re:How about small keyboards?

[Anonymous Coward]

I like your sig, but you should remove the of so it reads:

"De daemons dream electric sleep()"

has the same ring (and allusion to the tale) as your current version but is conceptually superior.

Re:How about small keyboards?

[SpaceJunkie]

Its a shame the cursor keys are so hard to use. But saying that - any hard core first-person shooter gamer never uses the cursor keys anyway.

How long did it take you to get used to using the fn key like that?

Re:How about small keyboards?

[Anonymous Coward]

But you'd lose out on the PKD reference.

Re:How about small keyboards?

[Anonymous Coward]

.
IBM made a small keyboard based on popular model M design (part # 1391472)

84-keys.

buckling-spring keys

all the keys are in same "standard" position as standard 101-key keyboard (no re-learning to type)

cable is removable for PS/2 or AT use

individual keys can be moved to different positions for QWERTY or DVORAK layouts or different positions of international keyboard formats (French, Swedish.. etc..)

these IBM model M keyboards last forever

can still switch to numeric keypad mode by using "NumLk" key

http://www.shoppalstores.com/ibmmodelm/ has them available for sale at $60/each

Re:Seems they need an extra large server!

[Anonymous Coward]

worse yet account suspended

i read the first couple of pages before i stopped being able to get anything

does anyone have a mirror?

Obligatory Simpson's Quote

[samhalliday]

"The fingers you have used are too fat. Please mash the keypad with your palm now."

Re:Obligatory Simpson's Quote

[lazybeam]

... to order a special dialling wand ...

No Keypad!!

[A Guy From Ottawa]

How about building me a keyboard with no keypad. What a useless extension (unless you're an accountant or something).

All it does is force me to reach further for the mouse and give me pains in my wrists.

I've only been able to find one retailer whose keyboards look like they were donated by the 80s:
http://www.intolect.com/mkbvaldetail.htm

Re:No Keypad!!

[zhar]

You could always try the Happy Hacking Keyboard No number pad. Or capslock for that matter.

Re:No Keypad!!

[freqres]

Without the numpad how would I enter trix filenames with ALT-xxx in them?

Re:No Keypad!!

[cecille]

ah, yes, but it's invaluable when you're a student stuck with a "computer" job, where "computer" means "data input".

Re:No Keypad!!

[ZagNuts]

But what about Nethack?!?!? Laptop mode sucks.

Re:No Keypad!!

[freakmn]

Umm... I use mine for quickly typing in IP addresses. If only there was a colon on the numpad, for port use. To clarify: A button that types the character called a colon, not an actual colon...

Re:No Keypad!!

[Anonymous Coward]

" How about building me a keyboard with no keypad. What a useless extension (unless you're an accountant or something).

All it does is force me to reach further for the mouse and give me pains in my wrists."

Why don't you do like I do? Move the mouse to the left side of the keyboard and use the left hand.
Leave it in right hand mode and the changeover is fairly automatic after a few false grabs. (Of course, I tend to type one handed anyway, so my left hand is free to thumb through manuals, shove comestibles into my face, whatever.) };->

Re:Too late... site already smoking in the dust..

[werwerf]

Poor guys:

Account for domain modasylum.com has been suspended

Guess we /. crowd are sometimes nasty...

Account suspended

[gsasha]

Wohoo! They managed to get the account suspended. Now we won't see this mod for a long time...

Re:Account suspended

[SenFo]

Yeah, that must suck for him.

Re:Err, that's "Logitech". With a capital L.

[Zwaxy]

Is there anything people won't misspell nowadays?

Honey, I shrunk the CygWin [twu.net]

It's "Cygwin".

Here ya go, no google cache needed

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.modasylum.com/1guides.php?guide=37

each time you advance to the next page, put a "1" in the URL as seen above. They changed the filename of the guides.php to 1guides.php.

Re:Here ya go, no google cache needed

[ZenJabba1]

and how long do you think it will take before we bring it down again :)

Re:Here ya go, no google cache needed

[Anonymous Coward]

We did that for a reason >:(

The guide is now up as the front page of the site, and instead of guides.php/ enjoy :)

Re:Here ya go, no google cache needed

[Anonymous Coward]

you still trying? or have you given up.. haven't gone back down yet , asshole

Just go here.

[mrbcs]

Everything is on one page:

keyboard design

[psykopotat]

I've seen a few posts about general keyboard designs. What I dislike most about the whole thing is having constantly to transfer my right hand back and forth between the keyboard and mouse. What a waste.. allocating 5 fingers for 2 buttons. I'm personally waiting for this to come out - http://www.combimouse.com Also does anyone remember when the F-Keys were on the left hand side of the keyboard? So much easier for all key cominations with the F-Keys on the left

Re:keyboard design

[Anonymous Coward]

My keyboard has 12 F-Keys down the left hand side of the keyboard. 1990 model Northgate Omnikey/102, cost $125 back then, still going strong.

Re:keyboard design

[jadenyk]

I have to say, that thing is pretty cool, but there are too many changes to the qwerty layout for me. (Mostly where the keyboard meets the mouse.) In a few revs, I'll bet that thing will be pretty nice though.

I use a SUN USB keyboard - the only odd thing about it is that the Control key and the Caps Lock key are basically switched around. It took some getting used to, but now that I'm used to it, I find it much easier to use.

Re:keyboard design

[lidocaineus]

If you can handle the learning curve, These are the best thing ever.

Re:keyboard design

[psykopotat]

I agree, I've written software to map the right hand part of the keyboard as the keypad while caps is pressed, works pretty good.

It saves the effort of repositioning your right hand while coding. Coding involves alot of cursor movement with the keypad arrows and insert,home,pgup,pgdn and del so this method gets rid of right hand transitions to the keypad.

I also wrote software for mapping the right hand part of the keyboard over to the left hand part of the keyboard while the spacebar is pressed so I could keep my right hand all the time on the mouse and the left hand would handle 90% right hand input.
This involves a bit of a learning curve (to steep for most people I'd guess) but I don't mind. Also, there seems to be a patent out on this method, as this guy found out - http://www.halfkey.com

Reading my posts you may have figured out that I seriously dislike the popular keyboard+mouse setup , mostly because of the right hand transitions, anyone having similar thoughts and has found solutions?

Re:keyboard design

[Al Dimond]

On my computer at home I use an old keyboard with the F-keys in both places, plus 20 programmable function keys, which are useful when typing special characters in different languages. 'Tis a nice keyboard, but it's loud as all hell.

Re:keyboard design

[drinkypoo]

IBM made/makes a keyboard with a zero travel mouse (I think they call it a trackpoint?) in the middle between g and h. They're probably not the only ones but I trust IBM to make something like that last far more than I trust basically anyone else to do so. I wouldn't try to replace my mouse with it - imagine trying to play a FPS with a ZTM - but it would be a nice way to be able to carry out ordinary mousing tasks without moving your hands.

Re:keyboard design

[Anonymous Coward]

What I dislike most about the whole thing is having constantly to transfer my right hand back and forth between the keyboard and mouse.

Mouse? What's that?

Get a keyboard (or laptop) with a trackpoint pointer (IBMs or Toshiba Tecras). No need to every take your fingers off the "home row" unless you're trying to do something intricate with the mouse. If your job involves lots of typing (programming, word processing), it works extremely well.

I still have an external mouse hooked up to the laptop, but it's covered in a thick layer of dust.

Re:keyboard design

[Anonymous Coward]

What a waste.. allocating 5 fingers for 2 buttons. I'm personally waiting for this to come out -

Um. Okay. Your solution has been around for a decade or more. I use it 9 or 10 hours per day. "IBM Thinkpad." You never leave home row. I have three mouse buttons below the spacebar and the pointing device is between the G and H keys.

Re:keyboard design

[sapped]

IBM made/makes a keyboard with a zero travel mouse (I think they call it a trackpoint?) in the middle between g and h.

I used one of those for a year on my thinkpad. It eventually made my wrist hurt so much that I had to get a wrist support. After moving off the Thinkpad for two months my wrist was OK again.

Re:keyboard design

[EvanED]

I use a SUN USB keyboard - the only odd thing about it is that the Control key and the Caps Lock key are basically switched around. It took some getting used to, but now that I'm used to it, I find it much easier to use.

Many people here would tell you that this is the "correct" setup. :-p

Actually, I have a normal computer set up to do that. It's pretty easy with X if you're running Unix (and even easier with Gnome), and there's a utility in I think the Windows Resource Kit that will let you remap just about any key under Windows.

It has the added "bonus" of, along with the change to a Dvorak layout (for which the keys aren't marked because the permanent marker's ink that I use periodically to label the keys wears off in relatively short order), probably making my computer to just about anyone...

Re:keyboard design

[Anonymous Coward]

"Remember"? I can't stand to use anything else - Im typing this on a NorthGate OmniKey/102 - now thats a real keyboard. F keys where they belong (and always have belonged), Control key where it goes, nice big enter key... none of these MS-specific nonsense keys, nice good click to it, no mushy crap.

Re:keyboard design

[stephanruby]

"What I dislike most about the whole thing is having constantly to transfer my right hand back and forth between the keyboard and mouse."

Try activewords.com

Doh!

[maduro55]

Looks like they've suffered from the /. effect. Suspended acct.

419?

[logic-gate]

The site was slashdotted suspiciously quickly. Or should I say "snipped"????

I hope they used the big scissors. It would only be appropriate.

Re:Too late... site already smoking in the dust..

[wpanderson]

The case for some sort of linked-to-from-/. cache site grows ever larger.

Re:Phone Keyboard

[Anonymous Coward]

This already exists if you've gotta cool smartphone!
Checkout the SendoX accessories and click on the little picture of the keys at the top. :) The keyboard works really well and is great for text/email/general 'desk' use.
Steve/

QuickHex

[Audigy]

I'm surprised nobody here has mentioned it yet... but the numpad is invaluable to me for typing in hex.

Left hand on letters, right hand on numpad. ...I do a lot of stuff at work where we have 20-digit hex passwords, and I'm always typing offsets into debuggers and stuff at home trying to break programs I test...

You guys should try it; it's pretty cool. :)

What about the "action"?

[Halo-]

The site is throughly suspended, so I can't RTFA, but I'm very interested. I've wanted to make my own "custom" keyboard for some time, but the limiting factor for me is how/where to get switches which have the proper "action".

Size and placement is great, but the way a key feels when pressed, how it "breaks", and the speed and feedback it returns with are just as important. Most keyboards I've taken apart either have a fairly specialized switch molded directly into the base plastic, or use a rather complicated system of guide wire slides and a simple membrane switch. Neither of these is really suited for reproduction or modification by the average tinkerer.

So, the question is, does anyone have any cleaver suggestions?

It reminds me of this from bash.org:

[Fizzleboink]

<anamexis> oh man
<anamexis> I was opening a coke, right
--> Beefpile (~mbeefpile@cloaked.wi.rr.com) has joined #themacmind
<anamexis> and it exploded
<anamexis> ALMOST all over my keyboard
<anamexis> but I got it away just in time
<-- Beefpile has quit (sick fuckers)
<anamexis> :<

Re:It reminds me of this from bash.org:

[networkBoy]

now _that_ is funny.
as to the parent, I'm sorry for my fellow Americans being a bit dry on the humor. :-(

Speling eras.

[don.g]

For all intensive purposes, they're near enough.

Re:Speling eras.

[Saeed al-Sahaf]

For all intensive purposes...

Did he mean...

For all intents and purposes ?

Another example of the oral transformation of language by people who don't read much...

Re:Speling eras.

[clarkcox3]

Did you read the page he linked to? It discusses the etymology of "for all intents and purposes", and goes on to mention the corruption "for all intensive purposes".

Re:Speling eras.

[Saeed al-Sahaf]

Yes, but it still discusses it in terms of a corruption .

Re:Speling eras.

[katarac]

For God's sake man, that's why it's funny that he used it that way! It was a joke!

Re:Speling eras.

[don.g]

That was certainly the response I intended to illicit.

its dead

[sosuke]

we killed it, the site has been suspended

Re:its dead

[Anonymous Coward]

i didn't read that anyone posting a mirror, did you? 3 hours, good job guys! :)

Re:help censor the american media

[Anonymous Coward]

STFU fucktard

Source for IBM Model M keyboards --

[oneiros27]

They're still being made, with a little variation (you can get the original, in black, with 104 keys, with a trackball built in,122 key models, wireless, with mag stripe reader, etc. )

I have no experience with the company, I just know they exist. [I still have a couple more original Model Ms in storage.

Re:Source for IBM Model M keyboards --

[Llynix]

I still have a couple more original Model Ms in storage.

Are you willing to sell them? I'd love a couple more. I hate typing on anything but a Model M.

Re:Source for IBM Model M keyboards --

[Anonymous Coward]

No need to deal with spooky ebay auctions.

IBM model M keyboards for sale

Re:Source for IBM Model M keyboards --

[Anonymous Coward]

Another good manufacturer of "old" keyboards is NMB Technologies Inc.. The keyboard I'm using was origionally attached to a 486 10mhz. Do an ebay search for NMB keyboards if you want other options for good old keyboards.

One handed keyboard

[Anonymous Coward]

Matias Corp They have had a one handed keyboard for years. I have one and it works very well. You just have to learn how to type all over again. Electronically it is a full size keyboard. Every key serves quadruple or quintuple duty.

Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[MadMan2]

"Account for domain modasylum.com has been suspended" is the cryptic message now appearing on the site. It thus appears that the site has either been hijacked by some uncanny aliens, or has been impounded by the CIA, the FBI, the NSA and the Home Security Dept for revealing Pres. Bush's equipment (in which case I'm wondering about his mouse ;-))

However, what I wanted to say is the following:
It isn't the first time that a site has been slashdotted to such an effect. In this case the number of hits were so extraordinary that the provider decided to close the site.
I don't think this was the sitemakers' intention. Nor slashdot's. Or was it?

Isn't it time we start wondering about the ethics of showing mentioning certain sites?
For example: some amateurs invent something new for fun. Due to the slashdot effect their allocated and paid for bandwith is drastically drained because some nerd or other thought this might be fun to mention on /. Is it not a good idea for the /.-team to quickly mirror the small sites so that, in the event of the site being ./-ted, the authors at least have the pleasure of having their work, plan, initiative still shown (even though the price of ./-fame is the closing of their account)?

In other words: does ./ have an ethical responibility towards smalltime websites being shown?

Let's ponder on this for awhile...

MadMan
--
What does a fish know about the water in which it swims all its life? (A. Einstein, Memoirs)

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[mcSey921]

No. Small time websites have an ethical responsibility never to do anything cool enough to get /.'ed ;)

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[Anonymous Coward]

Jetstream decided to shut it down. Hopefully we will be getting a dedicated server so we wont go down as quick.

Even if we have used a pile of bandwidth i think its still good, anybody whos really interested can bookmark it and come back that way we gain some new readers.

Ryanmt (Modasylum admin)

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[Anonymous Coward]

Isn't it time we start wondering about the ethics of showing mentioning certain sites?

Nope. People have been wondering about it since long before you came around. It's even in the slashdot FAQ.

And by the way: it's slash dot, not dot slash.

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[drinkypoo]

This is hardly new sentiment. The best way to go about this is that for a small site, the author should be contacted, and the site mirrored if they give their permission, but I'd link to it anyway. If you don't want people visiting your webpage, don't link it.

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[unorthod0x]

Yes, it's such a complicated issue that they're still thinking about it 4 years after the FAQ entry:

http://slashdot.org/faq/suggestions.shtml#su900

"So the quick answer is: "Sure, caching would be neat." It would make things a lot easier when servers go down, but it's a complicated issue that would need to be thought through in great detail before being implemented.

Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 6/14/00"

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course Slashdot doesn't have a responsibility here. Whatever sells them banner ads, no matter its cost to individuals, right?

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[vinit79]

:) Actually it is a bit complicated due to copyright issues. They would need the copyrights before caching a page (I know Google does it but it might be that they dont care about legal issues , if some one sues, direct them to the pigeons :)

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[ispeters]

...since long before you came around.

Although I agree with the general sentiment of your post, did you notice that you responded to someone with a 4-digit ID? Of course, you posted AC, so there's no way of knowing how long you've been around, but MadMan2 has been here for longer than 99% of Slashdot.

Ian

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[Geoffreyerffoeg]

No, because people tend to change their sites if they know it'll go onto Slashdot.

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[Pastis]

what about an auto agreement with akamai or something similar?

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[drinkypoo]

I'd say their site goes through some changes when it gets linked to slashdot unexpectedly, too.

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[quixotic411]

This is just more of timothy 's worrrying about nothing and useless, banal posting.

Keep it up

Re:Account for domain modasylum.com has been...

[Anonymous Coward]

That's actually not what happened at all.. SQL ate shit so we suspended the account for a few minutes to rewrite the page without as many sql queries.. brought it back up and slashdot couldn't touch it.. it stayed up the rest of the day..

Re:Err, that's "Logitech". With a capital L.

[Anonymous Coward]

"Congradulations" is a maronic one I see far too often.

Receive traffic to your modasylum.com website...

[Anonymous Coward]

and you get suspended. How dare you expect people to actually visit your website.

the best keyboard.. EVER..

[Anonymous Coward]

give me an atari 800 keyboard anyday.

i'm talkin original, not that 2nd gen "xl" bs either.. big, selectric-like, nice clicks, sexy glossy look.. mmmm.. gets me hot just thinking about it.

Re:the best keyboard.. EVER..

[taradfong]

Heck, no I want an Atari *400* keyboard! Coke-proof and finger strengthening.

aging eyes

[zogger]

I already hit the eyeball limit with cell phones. I won't even consider buying any of the new small ones I see out there, ridiculous tiny,ludicrous keypads, and can't see what's on the screen all that well. And forget PDAs, won't even consider one the way they are now. I'll stick with my brick phone as long as possible. Heck, I'd like to go back to my bag phone really, as much as I even use a cell phone.....

Anyone seen

[value_added]

a keyboard that's fully customisable? Not sure what it would really consist of, but being able to swap keys around and have the lettering on the key changed (maybe using a decal or physically swapping the keys themselves.

Re:Anyone seen

[hxnwix]

IBM model M keyboard

Re:Anyone seen

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow.. brand new IBM model M keyboards from 1987! . he even has TRACK-POINT and TRACK-BALL model Ms in their original boxes . http://www.shoppalstores.com/ibmmodelm/

Ergo Type M?

[Bodhammer]

Anyone know of an ergo design keyboard that feels like an IBM Type M keyboard?

Thanks, Bod

Want a power button on my keyboard!

[CDS]

What I want is a power button on my keyboard (NOT one of the stupid "sleep" buttons)

My PC is inside a little cupboard under my desk, and you have to open the door in order to turn it on. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, but I have a 15-month old daughter who has figured out doors and thinks buttons are pretty cool things (geek in training!) so I need one of those safety catches on the door to keep it closed.

In a nutshell, it's a pain to use. What I would like is a power button on the keyboard that connects to the power on/off pins on the motherboard so I could disconnect the button on the case and just use the one on the keyboard (and therefore wouldn't have to open that darn cupboard door to turn it on)

Yeah I'm lazy. I know.
yeah I could make one myself (my current keyboard has a "sleep" button that I could hack and run a 2nd wire down to the PC or something) but as I mentioned in the previous sentence, I'm lazy :)

Anybody know of such a beast?

Re:Want a power button on my keyboard!

[smellystudent]

1 - map the sleep button on the keyboard to power off in your keyboard drive.

2 - enable "wake on keyboard" in your BIOS.

Re:Want a power button on my keyboard!

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a Belkin Ergo Keyboard with just such a thing. You should be able to find them at OfficeDepot, Staples, etc. Be careful what you ask for, though. Your 15 month old daughter will likely turn your pc off more with the button than without it. I hit it at the most in-opportune times, and there's no 'cancel'

Re:Want a power button on my keyboard!

[fishdan]

This is an age old problem

Re:Want a power button on my keyboard!

[Anonymous Coward]

I hate to point out the obvious (ok, no I don't)... ...but couldn't your 'geek in training' just push your new power button on the keyboard?

Re:Want a power button on my keyboard!

[Anonymous Coward]

My Iwill KA266R has a keyboard poweron feature. I have it set to CTRL F1. Beats pushing the little button way down on the CPU...

Action Item

[virg_mattes]

> Most keyboards I've taken apart either have a fairly specialized switch molded directly into the base plastic, or use a rather complicated system of guide wire slides and a simple membrane switch. Neither of these is really suited for reproduction or modification by the average tinkerer.

Then a redefinition of "modification" is needed here. In the keyboards I've disassembled, I found it not difficult (not simple, but simple enough) just to saw the board apart through the base. Keep in mind that this makes for a lot of work resoldering the connections, and you have to be able to build a funtional keyboard from components, so it's not a project for someone simply modding an existing keyboard. But if you're willing to do the wiring and chip-work, you can cut the keys down to the bed and use the spring/contact assemblies, and position and cap them however you like. I agree that it's not a simple tinkering job, but it's not as tough as it seems at first blush. Get yourself some information on wiring up a keyboard controller and bust out your soldering iron, and you can have the keyboard of your dreams for very little money.

Virg

Re:Action Item

[Halo-]

Interesting approach. I'd pretty much resigned myself to the need to spend a ton of time soldering and provide my own controller, but I hadn't thought about cutting the board.

Thank you.

What I would like to see...

[Anonymous Coward]

What I would like to see is a keyboard with little LCD screens on all the keys. The keys would normally display the lower case letter/symbol associated with the key. When the shift key is pressed, the keys would display the upper case letter etc. When the ctrl key is pressed the keys would display whatever function was associated with the the ctrl key.
It would also be nice to have a numeric keypad that is actually functional, layed out like a desktop calculator. I hate having to move my hand back to the regular keys to type a comma or the = key.

The guy needs to read

[Youssef Adnan]

Building Your Own Extra-Large Server before you can post his link to Slashdot :-)

Re:The guy needs to read

[Anonymous Coward]

This was posted by someone else. whenever I have submitted to /. in the past , I have taken precautions to ensure it'd survive , this was a shock that was revealed to me very early. I still don't know the person that submitted it..

numbers 0-9

[Numinous83]

Why are keyborads
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
instead of
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
?

Re:numbers 0-9

[paz5]

Typewriters initially did not have numbers on them at all. Could it be that the first ones with numbers had only 1-9 and people were to use O as 0 and that when the 0 was added they placed it at the end so that the numbers would not be shifted over?

Re:numbers 0-9

[zakezuke]

Could it be that the first ones with numbers had only 1-9 and people were to use O as 0 and that when the 0 was added they placed it at the end so that the numbers would not be shifted over?

You are correct, and actually early typewriters had no one either. Lowercase "L" was used in place of 1. My invoice for my 1966 ford f-250 shows evidence of both L and o for 1 and 0 for all the prices, with errors XXXXed out when the typer accidently used an upercase L.

see here

Needless to say, the prior generation needed to adapt to the fact that a computer cared about the fact that 0O and l1 were indeed diffrent letters, where in years past it didn't make a flipping bit of diffrence. The current generation is lost on that typewriter as it's missing numbers.

Re:numbers 0-9

[Zerbey]

You are absolutely correct. My first typewriter that I used for many school essays was an ancient 1930s model that a friend gave me (weighed about 30lb!). It didn't have a 1 key so you had to use a lowercase "l". To make exclamation points you had to do a full stop, then hit backspace and add an apostrophe.

As an aside, I think all computer students should be forced to learn how to type on an ancient manual typewriter for at least a month before they're even allowed near a modern keyboard.

Re:numbers 0-9

[rduke15]

Maybe because they were meant to be used by humans, who start counting at 1, not by geeks who would count 3 apples on a table as "0, 1, 2. Plus one, that's three apples".

Re:Seems they need an extra large server!

[Anonymous Coward]

Heya.. I own modasylum normally when we submit an article to slashdot , we beef up and add another server. Someone submitted this to slashdot without permission and there went the server haha , it also took out any site on the server using sql , The suspended was just a temp fix while we renamed guides.php , i'll have the guide back up shortly , if you want to know when it's back up email me @ modasylum@gmail.com i'll get you the link as soon as it's up..

Solution: right or left hand simplified keyboard (

[nomel]

The dvorak right and left hand simplified keyboards would work. support even comes with windows. al;l you have to do is take a screwdiver to your keyboard to re-arrange the keys, then select the proper keymapping. The main benefit is, you will be able to type fast anywhere you go, in like a chord board. Supposedly, Dvorak made it for a General or something that lost his hand while serving.

.

This might help.

[juuri]

Matias Tactile Pro Keyboard

Re:This might help.

[JawzX]

looks like a nice board, I might have to try one...

Mirror small sites directly on SlashDot

[GoPlayGo]

If any small site is featured on SlashDot's first page, it could be mirrored directly on SlashDot and that be the URL posted. The small site URL would be mentioned of course, in a cover page for the mirror.

It is no reward for putting good work up on a small site if it attracts the SlashDot community to land on it like a 16 ton weight.

Re:Mirror small sites directly on SlashDot

[Anonymous Coward]

There may have been plans for such a thing once upon a time. See cachedot.slashdot.org. I have no idea how long that subdomain has existed. However, copyright issues are no doubt the biggest obstacle to caching, and there's simply not a way around the law.

Re:Mirror small sites directly on SlashDot

[UserGoogol]

See themonkeysareaftermymedicine.slashdot.org. I think you'll find that Slashdot's nameserver automatically redirects all unused subdomains to slashdot.org.

Re:Mirror small sites directly on SlashDot

[Anonymous Coward]

Then why is cachedot the first result of this Google search? That's how I stumbled across it. Someone is linking to it for some reason.

Good news...

[Ynazar1]

...for the people who could use the original X Box controller. Finally they have a keyboard that is sized right!

It's back online

[Anonymous Coward]

the article is back online.. With a temp fix that doesnt' hose up mysql... meh..

[OT] not willing to sell

[oneiros27]

I've sold a few when I had a larger stockpile, and I gave one away at someone's going away party (signed by the office staff, with keys replaced to spell a message, and a 'Made for Windows XP' sticker added) but my packrat nature keeps me from selling any more, unless I can trade them for something else that might be useful.

Looking at eBay, there's one going for $40, with 15 min left, and one at $8 (no bids yet) w/ 5hrs left.

What about the Type6?

[Ayanami Rei]

Because the Type 5 doesn't come in USB... are you telling me the PC version of the Type5 is a regular PS/2 keyboard with the 10 side-keys acting like multi-media keys?

Anyway, I've got tons of Type 6 keyboards lying around at work from country kits on our rackmount suns, do you find them less enjoyable than the type 5?

Re:What about the Type6?

[sparcnut]

Because the Type 5 doesn't come in USB... are you telling me the PC version of the Type5 is a regular PS/2 keyboard with the 10 side-keys acting like multi-media keys?

The type5 only works with the Sun keyboard interface (it's not PS/2), so you can only use it with a Sun system unless you buy or make a converter box and hook it to a PC. The side keys aren't mapped by default in X on Linux, so you can map them to other functions, and I suspect you could override the mappings under Solaris as well. I suspect you could do something similar on Windows with appropriate API voodoo (after using a converter box of course).

Anyway, I've got tons of Type 6 keyboards lying around at work from country kits on our rackmount suns, do you find them less enjoyable than the type 5?

The type6 is pretty much a PC keyboard branded by Sun. It doesn't have the quality or feel of the type5 (it's more like the Logitech Elite), but the upside is it's USB and generates standard PC keycodes so you can use it with pretty much anything that has USB.

Keyboard as the computer

[WebCowboy]

The A500 was indeed a computer self-contained within the keyboard unit (complete with an internal hard drive and floppy on the side)--my Atari ST was the same (although early hard drives were external--the monitor sat on top of them).

That being said, the need to make the overall case large enough to fit an entire 16-bit computer designed with 80's technology gave a lot of real-estate to put the keyboard. I think my Atari ST's keyboard is nearly as wide as my Microsoft "natural" ergonomic keyboard--ant the ST keyboard isn't split in two with a big space in the middle. Furthermore, it has fewer keys so the keys themselves are bigger.

The other thing that annoys me besides size is that in order to get a keyboard that doesn't feel mushy/crappy you have to get one that has all these dumb little "net" buttons to launch different apps, or one that has a weird shape (the ergonomic one I mentioned) or other oddball styling. I know that I should expect to pay extra for a quality keyboard, but I DON'T want to pay extra for all those useless little buttons I never use (and in some cases can't use at all when not running Windows). Nor do I want a neon green keyboard, or a silver one with illuminated keys, or one with a bulge and a gap running down the middle.

Does anyone know if IBM or others still sell those nice "clickey" keyboards that don't require taking out a second mortgage to purchase?

Re:Keyboard as the computer

[Anonymous Coward]

The A500 didn't have an internal hard drive, the addon hard drive for it was an external unit that plugged into a connector on the opposite side from the floppy drive.

The later A600 and A1200 models could be fitted with internal hard drives though, officially 2.5" IDE units but you could in fact squeeze a 3.5" IDE drive in there (as is the case with my old A1200).

Posted AC since I still haven't gotten round to finding a nickname that hasn't been taken yet!

Re:Keyboard as the computer

[Bush Pig]

> Does anyone know if IBM or others still sell those nice "clickey" keyboards that don't require taking out a second mortgage to purchase?

I don't know if you can still buy them, but my son scored a heap of them by dumpster-diving out the back of where he works - I'm using one now. He's got about a dozen of them in case (not likely) the ones we're using wear out or something.

They're great. You could use them to pound nails.

Feel the power of ROOT

[ecloud]

When I saw it was made from plexiglas with round holes in it, my first thought was he was going to have it backlit in orange and tied to a stereo so it makes a deep bass "thump" every time you press a key, like in Hackers or whatever movie that was.

Powerbook Keyboard

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd pay good money for a full-sized backlit Powerbook-style keyboard. Did Apple buy the patent for that?

Then you should be interested in this

[Atario]

At the Metreon in San Francisco, they have a bar set up in the middle of several large installations of HyperBowling. The trackballs use actual bowling balls. 'S pretty fun.

See some photos here.

I'd rather have one of these...

[mnemotronic]

At last, someone is making a replacement for my beloved Northgate Omnikey.

Re:I'd rather have one of these...

[Anonymous Coward]

Too bad it costs 200 smackers. Way over my budget, so I'll have to continue scavenging for used 102's that no one thinks are worth more than ten bucks.

Re:Receive traffic to your modasylum.com website..

[Anonymous Coward]

whenever we post to /. we always take precautions , well someone posted this to /. and noone warned me or the host.. The suspension wasn't really a suspension just a temp solution while we fixed the page to not do sql queries as many times as it was , this has been fixed , hammer away and it may lag but will stay up , the normal course of action would have been a load balanced mirror.. someone dropped the ball and I am not happy about it --Bikr

ddr

[dan2550]

I made a homebrew Dance DAnce Revolution dance pad using this same method. The first attempt however didnt work because some keyboard manufacturers put a bridge outside of the IC, so it would not work unless it was totally rewired. what i ended up doing was to just reassemble the keyboard, and put a molex jack sticking out the side.

who cares. i wont be interested in this

[waspleg]

until the follow up story on how to add speed holes and neon lights to make it faster.

then it will be bigger AND faster

and we can move on to step three, which is making it better