Re: The Apple IIGS ADB Keyboard Lives!

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

Randy Shackelford <shack@onyx.southwind.net> wrote:

>Supertimer <supertimer@aol.com> wrote:
>
>: The ADB connectors are a bit flimsy, but the IIGS keyboard layout
>: is no smaller than the standard keyboard.  It is smaller because the
>: border has been removed on all sides except the middle of the top
>: (DataDesk is exclaiming that this design "saves 30% in desktop space").
>
>It has those dinky keycaps and is too small. The original standard keyboard
>has full size keycaps and is bigger. It has the same key layout as a IIgs
>keyboard. You're thinking the standard II, which looks a lot like the IIgs 
>keyboard but with bigger keys and the ctrl and caps lock keys switched.

The keycaps have a standard sized layout.  When I put my IIGS
keyboard next to my new HUGE Extended Keyboard I, the actual
spacing of the keys and their sizes are exactly the same.

The tops of the keycaps are also the same size.

What is different is that the IIGS keyboard's keycaps have a stair
stepped design.  The tops are the same size as the Extended I's.
The bottoms of the keycaps are also the same size.  But rather than
gradually sloping from the small tops to the large bottoms, the
IIGS keycaps eliminate the middle.  That's why you THINK the
keycaps are smaller.  In reality, they are not any smaller than other
ADB keyboards.

I personally like the stair-stepped design.  It leaves a smaller gap
between keycaps so that gunk is less likely to fall in.

>: As for feel, I like it better than the new Apple Extended Keyboard
>: (version I, not II) that I got for the IIGS.
>
>I missed keystrokes a lot with it since it gives about the same feedback as
>a PC Jr keyboard. You know you're typing on a solid keyboard when you use the 
>original standard keyboard. It's far better. Since it's been out of production
>for so long, the only copies you're likely to find now are extremely high
>mileage with bad cases of sunburn. Too bad. Of course all ADB keyboards are
>gonna become scarce since Apple supplies USB keyboards with new boxes. What
>abominations they are too.

Have you actually typed on a PC Jr?  Whole different ballgame.
The PC Jr. had the same keys as the Timex Sinclair units, namely
calculator style keys.  The IIGS keyboard feels solid in
comparison.

I guess you must be referring to the fact that the IIGS keys have
less "travel" when pressed.  But the same can be said about the
keys of any PowerBook keyboard.