My opinion of a what a _proper_ workable keyboard is one without a capslock key, and the CTRL key in it's place where it should be, the
One of the very few things I miss from the MS platform is having a CTRL key as the main mod key -- IMO it's a somewhat better reach for a touch-typist than Cmd (main mod key on the Mac, next to the space bar).
I disabled the Capslock key because I never use it -- now I think about it, it's taking up room which could be used for Usefulness. Should try to think of some really useful thing I could bind to it if I ever find out how.
backslash key should be in the right place which is below backspace and above ENTER/RETURN. The " and @ keys are only the wrong way round on an MS keyboard.
Great, disambiguation! In combination with what Ted writes about the up-for-grabs keyboard bindings of The Typewriter Years, it's fairly conclusive. I will write an e-mail to the local Mac user group and tell them they were absolutely right and it *is* MS imperialism. I shall start retraining my fingers if at all possible (I did notice that even if it infuriated me because of where I learned to touch- type (on computers running the MS platforms), it's a slightly easier and more intuitive reach for quote-and-shift-quote than a short reach for single quote and shift-2 for double quote... and if Apple did that because of careful thought about the UI, I have no quarrel with them at all) For somebody like me who does fiction writing, it may actually be worth re-training for.
So OSs which *aren't MS* don't have that association between shift-2 and double-quote, and it was totally up-for-grabs in the typewriter years before the dominance of the computer.
Therefore the idea that Adrian and I both had about the 'standard UK keyboard layout' was based on the massive and unfair market dominance of a single company which decided to define various things by imperial fiat. I am tempted to add, what d'you expect of a company for whom Start stops the computer and Alt-F4 stops the app with the focus (Apple's approach of Cmd-Q stops the app with the focus so roolz by comparison!).
Bare in mind Ruth, that MS does EVERYTHING differently. I am especially reminded of this as I reboot our AV and SMTP server for the 3rd time today on my "Tomy's My First Server Farm 2003".
(giggle)
Mac's have quite a nice unixish keyboard layout with no numlock key which is marvellous.
Their userbase evidently based on designer/consumer/not accountant. Which if you aren't very businessy is a plus point.
Rich
Ruth