KPFLEGER@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Karl Robert Pfleger) (03/18/89)
I'll put my vote in for Northgate keyboards, and I'll add a vote
for their clones too.
I bought a Northgate 286 (winner of best buy of '87 award from
Computer Shopper magazine) in Dec. '87. It came with a Northgate
101-key enhanced keyboard, and I swear buy it. This is almost an
exact copy of the IBM 101-key enhanced keyboard released with the
PS/2's, but I think it's better. I was editor-in-chief of my high
school yearbook last year, and we used two IBM's to enter copy.
One had an IBM enhanced keyboard and one had a regular IBM keyboard.
And after working with all three on an everyday basis for six months
I definitely like my Northgate best of them all. It is almost
exactly like the IBM enhanced except that the return key is bigger
and the backslash/pipe key is to the right of right shift key. I
like both these changes. The backslash key takes a little getting
used to, but it is really nice once you're used to it. Maybe it's
because I started out on these two enhanced keyboards, but I LIKE
the function keys up on the top row. And I also like the extra
arrow keys and cursor control keys. I like the Ctrl and Alt keys
on the enhanced. How can you live without an Alt key on the left?
Best of all I like the Esc key way up away from everything because
I usually end up hitting it rather frustrated.
Furthermore, after many afternoons typing for two hours on the
IBM keyboards and proceeding home to type the night away on my
Northgate, I can definitely say that it gives a much better feel
and tactile response (I like the click too) than the IBM's. The
Northgate 101 enhanced keyboard has a switch for AT's or XT's
(I'm sure you could do something with AT&T's though, probably
just a different model) and it weighs a little less than the IBM.
I'd also like to say that Northgate can really put together some
nice clones. I got an AT clone with a 65MB RLL formatted HD, a
12MHz 80286 processor, a 720K 3 1/2 drive (B), a 1.2MB 5 1/4 drive
(A), a 12" Samsung monitor, a Herc compatible graphics board, 2
serial and 2 parallel ports: all for just over $2000, plus an
80287-10 for another $300. The HD is not only huge, but super-
fast. It is still the best clone offer I've ever seen. Now they
have a 386 tower for just over $3000 which looks like it can
compete with PS/2 80's and Compaq 386's. I love mine.
- KPfleg BITNET kpfleger@PUCC
ARPANET kpfleger@phoenix.princeton.edu
If you try and make something work better, it probably won't,
but if you don't try, it definitely won't. It's your call.