Category: Article

Emacs Keyboard Design 29: More Standard

keyboard-layout-29.png

  • The right side keys should remain in ANSI layout
    • Complies with POLA
    • Returned them
  • Put CapsLock above Backspace
  • SpaceFn makes you want to use TMK’s awesome firmware
    • Remind my self that POLA is still an important goal
  • How are people carrying their keyboards?
  • A good keyboard body negates needs for a case
    • Dell keyboards are a perfect example
  • How similar is this to an ANSI layout
    • Background color legend
      • Green: Identical
      • Yellow: Moved
      • Turquoise: New
      • Red: Removed
        • Only the number pad was removed

keyboard-layout-29-compared.png

  • Thoughts
    • Every Emacs user who has reconfigured their modifier keys on a Windows or Mac laptop will be OK with this
    • Every user who has used an ANSI layout will be OK with this
    • Users who value the number pad will not be OK with this
    • The modifier clusters make sense

Emacs Keyboard Design 26c: The More Things Change

Agile keyboard design rocks. You slowly whittle away at the thousands of options that you think you want. You slowly whittle away at the hundreds of features that you need. You slowly whittle away at reality and cost. You eventually end up with what you didn’t know that you needed.

Emacs users want and need a keyboard that

  • Is available everywhere
  • Is inexpensive
  • Is supported first class on Linux, OS X, and Windows
  • Is familiar
    • Everybody learned on an ANSI 104 keyboard and knows it well
      • Leverage this
        • Good for sales as “just another keyboard”
  • Refinements and preference are
  • Make it easy to track changes

keyboard-layout-26c.png

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