In , on 08/09/06 
   at 11:32 AM, Alan Beagley  typed:

>I am not left-handed, but I too use Gateway AnyKey keyboards because 
>they have twelve F-keys on the left where they belong. My first word 
>processor for the PC was WordPerfect, which made extensive use of F-keys 
>in combination with the Alt, Shift and Ctrl (sometimes more than one of 
>the latter), and I could execute most of these with just one hand and 
>without looking. Using WP with a keyboard with only top-row F-keys was 
>not nearly as easy; I have no idea why IBM changed the layout.

While I preferred the 10 Fkeys at the left, I realized that, working at
IBM at the time, it was easier to switch than fight, since almost every
keyboard I would encounter there would have the 12 keys at the top. 
Fortunately, I have fairly large (hamfisted?) hands, so can still manage
many of the combo incantations one-handed.

My last Northgate keyboard died a few years ago - wouldn't respond.  But I
do have a good warehouse of real IBM, Lexmark, and PC Keyboard keyboards
with the good clicky-feel (and none of the ^(*^*(& windows keys) - one I
picked up at the local (very rural) trash transfer station a month back
from an IBM PS1 (also collected the mouse, passed on everything else) in
perfect barely used condition.
 
-- 
 Julian Thomas:   jt{at}jt-mj.net    http://jt-mj.net
 In the beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State!
 Warpstock X - October 12-15 2006; Windsor, Ont.  I'll be there - will you?
 -- --
 All power corrupts, but we need the electricity.





 
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