From: Gary Britt 

Frank, I'm not sure what you mean by Northgates are *slow hardware*.  They
have the hardware ability to produce repeat rates not found on any modern
keyboard.  Of course windows doesn't take advantage of that hardware
ability, but the hardware is capable of quite fast and proper response,
even with modern CPU's.

My Northgate Omnikey's work fine here on a P4 3.06 GHZ with HT all USB only
laptop, plugged in via a connector that takes the 5 pin DIN down to a PS/2
connector and then another connector that takes the PS/2 connector to a USB
connector.  If it works through all of that (and even through a ps/2 KVM on
my home setup) it should work with anything.  Of course that's assuming the
Northgate keyboards are in decent condition I suppose, and that you use
quality connectors.  There are many lower quality ps/2 to USB connectors
for example that will not work properly with the Northgate Keyboards or
with the real genuine old IBM keyboards.  There are even websites devoted
to identifying the quality connectors that handle power requirements and
other specs properly in all regards so as to let the old solid IBM
keyboards work with today's computers on a USB port.  Quality ps/2 to USB
connectors on the other hand not only work with the Northgate/IBM keyboards
but also work with a PS/2 KVM switch added to the mix.

Definitely good advice about having a backup registry.  However, the
changes I listed should be quite safe.  If you change something in the
registry entries from what I've given the wrong way (like lowering the
autorepeatdelay below 200), you could lock yourself out of being able to
get the machine past the login screen.

If you have you're machine set to auto-login where no password needs to be
typed in then if there was a problem you could easily use your mouse to
delete the offending registry entry and reboot, or use your mouse to select
a system restore point and reboot.  Deviate from the entires I've given
(especially the entry for the autorepeat delay) the wrong way on a machine
that needs a password typed in and yes you could end up with no ability to
get past the log in screen.  I *know* this from experience in figuring out
the needed entries, and I had to reboot into the recovery console and use a
backup registry that I had created before starting this testing to return
my machine to working condition.

Definitely good advice about being prepared with a backup of the registry,
but the registry changes I've given should be quite safe.  Even for
keyboards of lesser quality than the almost indestructible Northgate
Omnikeys.

Gary

Frank Haber wrote:
> Caveats, not because I'm on your case but because I'm an insufferable
> pedant:
>
> 1. Genuine Northgates have very slow hardware.  They won't work at all
> on several of my machines.  Therefore YMMV.
>
> 2. Do run tests and be cautious.  Nothing like being locked out of your
> machine just because of a little keybounce.

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