bernie@watarts.UUCP (07/08/83)
I agree with John Wavrik's comments on the TRS-80 keyboard; the early ones were subject to terrible keybounce, but the later ones are among the best keyboards I've ever used. The entire keyboard is software defined, so you can detect any key or combination of keys quickly and easily under software. The result is that all the better operating systems for the 80 (e.g. LDOS, NEWDOS...) have sophisticated keyboard routines. LDOS supports N-key rollover, autorepeat, and full typeahead. (The only other "cheap" micro I know of that has typeahead is the IBM PC, and it uses a processor in the keyboard to do it). LDOS also lets you generate *any* ascii character from the keyboard, along with a generous set of additional codes for controlling special functions. The keyboard "feel" is excellent (though it tends to be a bit quiet for my taste; I like auditory feedback as well as tactile). (Note that I'm again referring to the later keyboards; the early ones were extremely cheap and felt awful). The later keyboards also have a full numeric keypad, which is some else you find missing in a lot of low-end micros. --Bernie Roehl