n177ac@tamuts.tamu.edu (Daryl Biberdorf) (02/13/91)
Having owned my 3B1 for 9 months now, I still don't like the AT&T keyboard very well. It's way to 'stiff' feeling and the initial resistance to a keypress is too high. I tend to type fast, and it seems like I'm always skipping characters on it. Anyway, has anyone tried to use a better keyboard with this box? Ideally, I'd like a late-model IBM 101-key keyboard, a keyboard like the Amiga 3000's, or a Northgate model. How difficult would this be to do (if no one's already done it)? How different is the AT&T keyboard interface from that of a clone? --Daryl Biberdorf, n177ac@tamuts.tamu.edu OR dlb5404@rigel.tamu.edu Texas A&M University
thad@public.BTR.COM (Thaddeus P. Floryan) (02/14/91)
In article <12086@helios.TAMU.EDU> n177ac@tamuts.tamu.edu (Daryl Biberdorf) writes: > >Having owned my 3B1 for 9 months now, I still don't like the AT&T >keyboard very well. It's way to 'stiff' feeling and the initial >resistance to a keypress is too high. I tend to type fast, and it >seems like I'm always skipping characters on it. > >Anyway, has anyone tried to use a better keyboard with this box? Wellll, some of the "previously-owned" systems I've bought came with 3B1 keyboards whose "feel" might be to your liking; they were too "soft" for me and I ended up buying new, taut/tight keyboards for my use. 'Sfunny, I type extremely fast and have a light touch on the keys but need to have a positive feedback for accurate typing ... the soft keyboards were the source of never-ending frustration for me. Maybe you (or others) want to swap some taut keyboards for soft ones? Send email. Thad Floryan [ thad@btr.com (OR) {decwrl, mips, fernwood}!btr!thad ]
phoenix.UUCP (Yong Ren,,,) (02/16/91)
> In article <12086@helios.TAMU.EDU> n177ac@tamuts.tamu.edu (Daryl Biberdorf) writes: > >Having owned my 3B1 for 9 months now, I still don't like the AT&T >keyboard very well. It's way to 'stiff' feeling and the initial >resistance to a keypress is too high. I tend to type fast, and it >seems like I'm always skipping characters on it. > >Anyway, has anyone tried to use a better keyboard with this box? I don't know whether some other keyboards will fit this machine, but when I bought my new keyboard from Discovery Electronics, they told me there are two kinds of keyboards for 3b1, one feels softer than the other. I got the softer one, and most of my friends who have used my machine think the keyboard feels much better than those on IBM PC or Mac's. And isn't it cheap! $35 dollars for both the new keyboard and mouse, with two telephone cables.
dnichols@ceilidh.beartrack.com (DoN Nichols) (02/16/91)
In article <6299@idunno.Princeton.EDU> yren@idunno.Princeton.EDU!phoenix.UUCP (Yong Ren,,,) writes: >> In article <12086@helios.TAMU.EDU> n177ac@tamuts.tamu.edu (Daryl Biberdorf) writes: >> >>Having owned my 3B1 for 9 months now, I still don't like the AT&T >>keyboard very well. It's way to 'stiff' feeling and the initial >>resistance to a keypress is too high. I tend to type fast, and it >>seems like I'm always skipping characters on it. >> >>Anyway, has anyone tried to use a better keyboard with this box? > >I don't know whether some other keyboards will fit this machine, but when >I bought my new keyboard from Discovery Electronics, they told me there >are two kinds of keyboards for 3b1, one feels softer than the other. I >got the softer one, and most of my friends who have used my machine think the >keyboard feels much better than those on IBM PC or Mac's. And isn't it >cheap! $35 dollars for both the new keyboard and mouse, with two telephone >cables. I FAR prefer the stiffer keyboard. I have three machines, two 3b1's and one 7300. One of the 3b1's came with the newer keyboard (the stiffer one), and the other two with the older, softer keyboard. (They may be identifed by the tactile indicators on the home keys (F & J)). If the tactile indicator is a vertical line, to the left of the letters, it is the older keyboard, while if the tactile indicator is a horizontal line under the letters, it is the newer keyboard. I was lucky enough to be able to purchace replacement keyboards from Wierd Stuff, following a note on the net. (The soft ones are being saved against the possibility of failure of one of my machines' keyboards.) I believe that in general, touch typists prefer the stiffer keyboard, while two-finger typists will prefer the softer ones. (I LIKE the feel of the keyboard on a IBM-PC, just don't like the layout, and the underlying OS. and cpu :-). If I hadn't been able to obtain these keyboards, I would probably offer to trade my softer ones for the stiffer. BTW, the softer keyboards are marked as being made in USA, while the stiffer ones are marked as originating in Japan. Happy Typing DoN. -- Donald Nichols (DoN.) | Voice (Days): (703) 664-1585 D&D Data | Voice (Eves): (703) 938-4564 Disclaimer: from here - None | Email: <dnichols@ceilidh.beartrack.com> --- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
rmfowler@texrex.uucp (Rex Fowler) (02/18/91)
In article <1991Feb16.045206.323@ceilidh.beartrack.com> dnichols@ceilidh.beartrack.com (DoN Nichols) writes: >and one 7300. One of the 3b1's came with the newer keyboard (the stiffer >one), and the other two with the older, softer keyboard. (They may be >identifed by the tactile indicators on the home keys (F & J)). If the >tactile indicator is a vertical line, to the left of the letters, it is the >older keyboard, while if the tactile indicator is a horizontal line under >the letters, it is the newer keyboard. My keyboard has the vertical lines to the RIGHT of the f & j letters. It feels like a fairly stiff keyboard.. > > BTW, the softer keyboards are marked as being made in USA, while the >stiffer ones are marked as originating in Japan. Mine says Made in USA >-- >Donald Nichols (DoN.) | Voice (Days): (703) 664-1585 >D&D Data | Voice (Eves): (703) 938-4564 >Disclaimer: from here - None | Email: <dnichols@ceilidh.beartrack.com> > --- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero --- -- Rex Fowler <rmfowler%texrex@cirr.com> UUCP: egsner!texrex!rmfowler
dnichols@ceilidh.beartrack.com (DoN Nichols) (02/18/91)
In article <1991Feb17.185345.27854@texrex.uucp> rmfowler@texrex.uucp (Rex Fowler) writes: >In article <1991Feb16.045206.323@ceilidh.beartrack.com> dnichols@ceilidh.beartrack.com (DoN Nichols) writes: > >>and one 7300. One of the 3b1's came with the newer keyboard (the stiffer >>one), and the other two with the older, softer keyboard. (They may be >>identifed by the tactile indicators on the home keys (F & J)). If the >>tactile indicator is a vertical line, to the left of the letters, it is the >>older keyboard, while if the tactile indicator is a horizontal line under >>the letters, it is the newer keyboard. > >My keyboard has the vertical lines to the RIGHT of the f & j letters. >It feels like a fairly stiff keyboard.. My apologies. I was working from memory, and as usual, memory is not a thing to trust implicitly. I dug out the keyboard in question, and the vertical lines ARE to the right. The sensation of stiffness comes more from the crispness of the breakpoint in key travel. (The point at which the preceived force drops noticeably). A re-check (without using a force guage) says that the force to bottom the key is probably nearly the same, but the key FEELS more positive. (Goes down to cellar, says "Now where did I put that force guage?", scratches head, comes upstairs, picks up Ohaus weight set.) Now, it takes 65g to depress the 'f' key on the new kbd, 51g on the old kbd. (At these levels, the key will slowly depress while I'm looking for the next size weight.) (erases lots of 'f's from article) So, the old keyboard is lighter (slightly, at least for one key), and the new one has the greater feel of crispness, which is what I REALLY want, since it gives me better tactile feedback.. Wish I had the equipment to profile the effort needed throughout the entire keystroke. > >> >> BTW, the softer keyboards are marked as being made in USA, while the >>stiffer ones are marked as originating in Japan. > >Mine says Made in USA Yep, matches the vertical grooves for the home keys. [ ... accumulated .sig(s) removed ... ] DoN. -- Donald Nichols (DoN.) | Voice (Days): (703) 664-1585 D&D Data | Voice (Eves): (703) 938-4564 Disclaimer: from here - None | Email: <dnichols@ceilidh.beartrack.com> --- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
kak@hico2.UUCP (Kris A. Kugel) (02/21/91)
In article <12086@helios.TAMU.EDU> (posted to comp.sys.3b1), n177ac@tamuts.tamu.edu (Daryl Biberdorf) writes: > > Having owned my 3B1 for 9 months now, I still don't like the AT&T > keyboard very well. It's way to 'stiff' feeling and the initial > resistance to a keypress is too high. I tend to type fast, and it > seems like I'm always skipping characters on it. > > Anyway, has anyone tried to use a better keyboard with this box? . . . . > > --Daryl Biberdorf, n177ac@tamuts.tamu.edu OR dlb5404@rigel.tamu.edu > Texas A&M University Just goes to show. I HATE the un-springy AT keyboard on my 6300+, and really like the one on my 3b1. So, can I get a "stiff" keyboard that'll work for my 6300+ ? (not ready to buy today, but interested in eventually getting better keyboard (maybe attached to new computer)) Kris A. Kugel ( 908 ) 842-2707 uunet!tsdiag.ccur.com!hico2!kak {daver,ditka,zorch}!hico2!kak internet: kak@hico2.westmark.com
pete@nyet.UUCP (Pete Hardie) (02/21/91)
In article <6299@idunno.Princeton.EDU> yren@idunno.Princeton.EDU!phoenix.UUCP (Yong Ren,,,) writes: >I don't know whether some other keyboards will fit this machine, but when >I bought my new keyboard from Discovery Electronics, they told me there >are two kinds of keyboards for 3b1, one feels softer than the other. I >got the softer one, and most of my friends who have used my machine think the >keyboard feels much better than those on IBM PC or Mac's. And isn't it >cheap! $35 dollars for both the new keyboard and mouse, with two telephone >cables. I have recently acquired a PC7300 as a playmate for nyet, my 3b1. The 7300 has a very different feel to its keyboard, much softer, less 'clicky' Personally, I'm not sure which I prefer, since the softer one is quieter, but mushier. If anyone REALLY want to trade styles, I'd consider it. -- Pete Hardie mail: ...!emory!stiatl!slammer!nyet!pete "Well, Darkness has a hunger that's insatiable, And Lightness has a call that's hard to hear" -- Indigo Girls