on 10-13-04 3:29 AM, Tim Collier at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I don't mean to be sarcastic in this,
<ghetto> That's right, bro, cage the rage. One love! ::raises hand for a high five:: </ghetto> > but if you could explain why you > would *need* this, some of might benefit from your situation. Um, I never said that I "needed" this. It's just something that I do because I can. But you're asking, so I'm telling. > What possibly could you do with 4 keyboards connected to one computer? Different keyboards have different feel and functionality. Right now, I'm typing on an Model Number M0116 keyboard. This is the one that originally shipped with the Mac SE. It is a fairly "crisp" keyboard, probably the most crisp Apple 'board I've found so far. It is also fairly compact. This makes it good for some general-use situations. However, I can't conveniently manipulate volume on RealPlayer with this keyboard. For that, I have an Apple Adjustable Keyboard (stop laughing!). This keyboard has dedicated chiclet-type keys that allow you to adjust volume and, indeed, mute the sound quickly by using just one key. Yes, I know that there are other ways to do this from the keyboard, but I like to be able to do things with just one hand out of sheer laziness. And I'm probably the only person on the planet who likes the feel of the chiclet keys. The AAK is also an ergonomic "split" keyboard which allows you to adjust the angle your arms are held at. Besides which, it looks very cool and impresses people, many of whom don't know that Apple ever made a foray into the ergo keyboard market. However, it does not seem to be a very "crisp" keyboard so I only use it some of the time. The difference in crispness between these two particular devices has always puzzled me, because the AAK and the M0116 both seem to use Alps keyswitches. Maybe the boards used a slightly different switch model or implementation (or something)? The AAK also came with a separate smaller module that has page up/page down buttons, a delete key, and arrow keys, among others. I like to use this module by itself for browsing because it can perch on one knee while my trackball is on the other. It allows me to perform some basic keyboard functions with one hand while using the trackball with the other. This is especially useful when editing text. The AAK is listed in LEM as a "Road Apple" due to its unreliability. I suspect this board may be like a British car in the sense that it's either problem-free or never out of the shop. At any rate, you don't see too many of these floating around these days. Which is why I switch to an Apple IIGS keyboard whenever I'm eating or drinking near the box. This is a small, crisp board that I can spill things on and not have to fret over. No way am I going to risk dumping a soda on (or crumbs into) an AAK or a M0116 'board. Lastly, I have a IBM Model M keyboard that is a joy to use. This is one of the old "buckling spring"-type 'boards that you either love or hate. The buckling spring action means that your fingers are slowed down gradually compared to the modern "membrane"-type keyboards. The membrane-type boards only stop your fingers at the very end of the key throw. This usually means that you end up mashing the keys because there is very little tactile feedback. There was a report alluded to briefly on /. that indicated the old buckling-style keyboards are better for your hands because of the gradual deceleration. Of course, there is a problem with this board, too. It is *loud.* If anyone else is around, using this board is not a good idea because the noise will drive them insane. No joke. It is also a behemoth of a keyboard. > Do you have more hands and arms than the average person? > With newer Macs we could add 100+ USB keyboards and REALLY be productive. Ah, I see: you're assuming that I try to use all of these keyboards simultaneously. As I've indicated, I like to use different boards for different tasks and for their different qualities. I leave all four of these hooked up because, well, who wants to be constantly shuffling cables or flipping a KVM switch when I can have access to all of the boards all of the time by just picking one up. Of course, all of this can get a bit chaotic. Here's a pic of what my workspace looks like. I think I'm using the Model M keyboard here: http://www.redcoat.net/pics/ARBEITSP.jpg Cheers, James Fraser -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
