campbell@maynard.BSW.COM (Larry Campbell) (05/31/87)
In article <16906@amdcad.AMD.COM> phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai) writes: > >Why would you want a PC instead of a terminal? Well, in addition to >the fact that it can be cheaper (particularly if you want graphics) >the IBM monitor makes really nice characters and the IBM keyboard >feels VERY nice. I don't know how well the clones do in this area. Bah. The IBM keyboards are detestable. They are much too noisy for office or home ... perhaps they'd be suitable for a factory floor. Their layout is atrocious. And until recently they obnoxiously overloaded the numeric keypad with function and cursor keys. Everyone agrees that NumLock is a total botch. And the IBM monitor? Gack. Either you're talking about a CGA and IBM color monitor, since you mention graphics, or you're talking about the monochrome adapter. The CGA is garbage -- you'd go blind looking at it for eight hours a day. The monochrome adapter does deliver nicely formed characters at a reasonable resolution, but the IBM monochrome green screen has such a long persistence that when the display scrolls, it smears like Tammy Bakker's mascara. Now, you could build a nice terminal out of an AT clone, with one of the new keyboards with separate cursor keys and without the raucous IBM clackety-clack, and either an EGA with a multisync monitor or a mono adapter and any non-IBM amber display. But you're sure not going to build a decent terminal with IBM hardware. My main terminal at work is an AT clone, with a new-style silent keyboard, a Hercules knock-off mono card and an amber monitor. I like it a lot. I would never trade any of the components for their IBM equivalents. -- Larry Campbell The Boston Software Works, Inc. Internet: campbell@maynard.BSW.COM 120 Fulton Street, Boston MA 02109 uucp: {husc6,mirror,think}!maynard!campbell +1 617 367 6846
aad+@andrew.cmu.edu (Anthony A. Datri) (06/01/87)
Bullpuckey. Just because YOU don't like the pc keyboard doesn't mean that the rest of us don't. I love the pc keyboard's feel. What are you going to use the numerical keypad for anyway? Do you make your living at data entry? You want noisy? Try typing on a sun2. The pc layout is no worse than any other layout. You get used to it. What are YOU using as a terminal? A beehive? Something that offers a large scrollback region like kermit on the pc does? There's a big difference between a pc clone and a pc. Many of the clones I've seen have terrible keyboards. Of course, you should all be using gigi's
darrylo@hpsrlc.UUCP (06/01/87)
In comp.sources.d, campbell@maynard.BSW.COM (Larry Campbell) writes: >In article <16906@amdcad.AMD.COM> phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai) writes: >> >>Why would you want a PC instead of a terminal? Well, in addition to >>the fact that it can be cheaper (particularly if you want graphics) >>the IBM monitor makes really nice characters and the IBM keyboard >>feels VERY nice. I don't know how well the clones do in this area. > >Bah. The IBM keyboards are detestable. They are much too noisy for >office or home ... perhaps they'd be suitable for a factory floor. >Their layout is atrocious. And until recently they obnoxiously overloaded >the numeric keypad with function and cursor keys. Everyone agrees that >NumLock is a total botch. 1. Although I agree the layout is not the best, I think that the *FEEL* of the IBM keyboard is second to NONE. There are MANY keyboards that feel as if one is typing on a bowl of grits, but IBM's (at least the older versions) is not one of them. I'll take noise over a mushy keyboard anytime. 2. I also agree that the keypad should be broken into a separate cursor and numeric keypad, but I don't generally like the way manufacturers have gone about it. The beauty of the cursor keypad is that, once the hand is over the keypad, one only has to move a finger no more than HALF AN INCH to access one of several functions (while editing), like move the cursor, page up and down, move the cursor to the beginning or end of a line, etc. Best of all, this can be done WITHOUT looking at the keyboard (since one only has to move a finger no more than half an inch). There are manufacturers which break apart the cursor keypad into separate areas like cursor and function (home, delete, insert, etc.), and this makes it extremely difficult to press keys without looking at the keyboard. > >And the IBM monitor? Gack. Either you're talking about a CGA and IBM >color monitor, since you mention graphics, or you're talking about >the monochrome adapter. The CGA is garbage -- you'd go blind looking ^^^^^^^ You didn't mention that the screen blinks as it scrolls :-). >at it for eight hours a day. The monochrome adapter does deliver nicely >formed characters at a reasonable resolution, but the IBM monochrome >green screen has such a long persistence that when the display scrolls, >it smears like Tammy Bakker's mascara. > >Now, you could build a nice terminal out of an AT clone, with one of >the new keyboards with separate cursor keys and without the raucous >IBM clackety-clack, and either an EGA with a multisync monitor or a mono >adapter and any non-IBM amber display. But you're sure not going to >build a decent terminal with IBM hardware. > >My main terminal at work is an AT clone, with a new-style silent >keyboard, a Hercules knock-off mono card and an amber monitor. >I like it a lot. I would never trade any of the components for >their IBM equivalents. I don't get it -- do you hate IBM or their hardware??? Clone hardware generally acts just like IBM's hardware, down to the noxious blinking of the CGA. >-- >Larry Campbell The Boston Software Works, Inc. >Internet: campbell@maynard.BSW.COM 120 Fulton Street, Boston MA 02109 >uucp: {husc6,mirror,think}!maynard!campbell +1 617 367 6846 >---------- -- Darryl Okahata ucbvax!ucbcad!ames!hplabs!hpcea!hpsrla!darrylo <== best path hplabs!hpcea!hpsrla!darrylo <== alternative CompuServe: 75206,3074 Disclaimer: the above is the author's personal opinion and is not the opinion or policy of his employer or of the little green men that have been following him all day.
ron@topaz.rutgers.edu.UUCP (06/02/87)
The noxious blinking of the CGA is software! Programs that don't use the BIOS to scroll the display don't get cause their users to get ill. -Ron