Re: The Apple IIGS ADB Keyboard Lives!

[Randy Shackelford <shack@onyx.southwind.net>]

Supertimer <supertimer@aol.com> wrote:

: 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.

That leaves less space for your fingers, so in effect they're smaller. You 
have to press the keys dead center or you miss strokes. Plus you can take 
apart all the other types of ADB keyboards to clean 'em. I've never tried to
take a IIgs one apart since it looks like it'll ruin it. The older types use
normal switches and newer ones have the membrane style. I don't know what you
call the IIgs setup.

:>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 remember it, they called it a chiclet keyboard. They sucked.

: 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.

Powerbook keyboards more resemble a //c keyboard aside from not clicking.
I miss keystrokes on my 520c as well. I don't notice any difference in
"travel", just that my extended II is a lot more solid. I'll take my 
AppleDesign and standard II over a IIgs as well. 

I know you're fond of arguing this stuff ad nauseum when someone lets on like
a IIgs or any part of it is less than the absolute best and most perfect
thing ever made. Here's my last word on it: I have an original standard kbd
on my IIgs and the two IIgs keyboards I own are in the basement. The original
standard beats the snot out of the IIgs in my opinion. I only use extended
keyboards on Macs since they beat the snot out of standard keyboards. I
can't do without my page keys but that's a non issue on a IIgs since they
don't do anything.

You're welcome to your own opinion on which keyboard to use.
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