A neat little blast-from-the-past: someone dug out an old Symbolics terminal with the wacky keyboard.
Sure, having “Hyper” and “Meta” keys seems a little odd. But I remember how weird it was when keyboards started coming with a Windows key next to the spacebar.
Speaking of ancient keyboards, I’ve got a shiny new computer on my desk at work, hooked up to an ancient Apple Extended Keyboard.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/05/a-tale-of-two-k/
It’s old, and beige, and discolored, but it’s also made of solid metal, clacks like I’m always making airline reservations, and would still function after being used to bludgeon someone to death.
New keyboards suck.
Its funny you mention that little “Windows” key…I remember the first time I saw that on a keyboard, and also thought it weird. Has anyone actually ever used that key? I don’t think I’ve ever pressed it, even by accident. Well, at least that’s a plus. Unlike that stupid “Esc” key, which I’ve often pressed by accident, thus losing a whole 10 minutes worth of work.
OK, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna press the #$%^ Windows key….
Huh. Suddenly I feel all light headed and funny. Sort of like I’ve had…a lobotomy.
BTW, new keyboards do suck. I have one of the old clackity-clacka models at home, and I love it. I’m pretty sure there’s 10-year-old pizza from when I was in college stuck under the keys. Doesn’t matter, still works. And if it didn’t, I could take it apart, clean it, and put it back together. Amazing concept, that repairability.
Shit, I’ve been out of college for 10 years.
You could run the old Model Ms through a dishwasher to clean the crap out. Now that’s a keyboard.
Now, of course, you can get a new keyboard for three bucks. So who bothers cleaning or repairing them any more?
I wonder if the rubout button works?