Was there ever a PC keyboard similar to Amiga full keyboard?

[Amiga_Nut]

What I mean is the same sort of layout as F1-F10 and none of that home/end/printscreen crap above the cursor keys like the A500,1200,1500,2000,3000,4000 keyboards?

Or did PCs always have way too many keys on them like the F1-F12 rubbish now?

[save2600]

Or did PCs always have way too many keys on them like the F1-F12 rubbish now?

I've got an old IBM clicky keyboard from '84 and it's not as cluttered as an A1000's keyboard. Keys are designed to be ergonomically pleasing too. The PCJr.'s keyboard OTOH has a lot less buttons.  :lol:

[mongo]

The original PC had an 83 key keyboard.

[tone007]

that home/end/printscreen crap above the cursor keys

I'll take those over a useless, oversized Help button any day.

[B00tDisk]

I never, ever saw an app on my Amiga that used the help button.  

I have to admit, this thread's a riot.  "Useless keys".  Uh-huh.  I'll take my Model M and it's "useless" keys over just plain not having them any day of the week, thanks.

[save2600]

Oh man... I had totally forgotten the function keys being off to the side like that. Thanks for the memories! That's the keyboard I learned DBaseIV on waaaaay back in high school. Good 'ol green screen monitor et al.   :lol:

[hardlink]

I never, ever saw an app on my Amiga that used the help button.  ...  I'll take my Model M

DOPUS classic: Help key toggles help mode that shows function of GUI elements when clicked. Hard to believe you haven't seen this app.

FinalCalc: Help key opens AmigaGuide help system.

And this just from about 13 seconds of testing, there are many more.

A keyboard that does not have too much over the cursor keys and is -both- an IBM clone and Amiga keyboard is the Nothgate:

http://www.amiga-hardware.com/download_photos/omnikeyultra_big.jpg

I have  Model M's and I like the Northgate better! (Similiar switch mechanism, but the Northgate has a more rigid steel base)

[Speelgoedmannetje]

I'll take those over a useless, oversized Help button any day.

Indeed, I use page up/page down and home/end very often.

[B00tDisk]

DOPUS classic: Help key toggles help mode that shows function of GUI elements when clicked. Hard to believe you haven't seen this app.

FinalCalc: Help key opens AmigaGuide help system.

And this just from about 13 seconds of testing, there are many more.

Never used 'em.  I said "on my Amiga"

I always thought DOpus and other directory tree things were a waste of time - a fallback to the Windows 1.0 way of doing things.

Anyway I've got a pair of model-M clicky keyboards that have outlasted anything else I've ever used for typing and will probably outlast me!

[Digiman]

lol I guess the answer for OP is no then....I assume it's for Amiga related project?

I use a Cherry keyboard which feels just like my A2000 keyboard. I'm not an office biatch so no need for more than delete key on PSP 8.1 to clear block/screen.

MEGA ST/STE keyboard is similar too btw.

[HotRod]

Indeed, I use page up/page down and home/end very often.

Me too but on an amiga keyboard I use them on the numpad. The numlock key are useless and should be removed.

Also it's great to have easy access to the bracket signs on the numpad on the amigakeyboard if you program.

[kolla]

Indeed, I use page up/page down and home/end very often.

On AmigaOS, aren't those keys just mapped to shift+arrow key anyways?

[lsmart]

I'll take those over a useless, oversized Help button any day.

Well - what´s your hotkey for commodity exchange then? 3rd party developers ignored the key, but I never understood why. Unfortunately AmigaOS4 and KeyRah have a different expectation what this key is on a PC-Keyboard. :furious:

So we have perhaps lost the key that could have made the difference in user-friendlyness.

[slaapliedje]

Sorry to bring up a 4 month old thread.  I just wanted to add the same thoughts about the HELP key.

The Atari 800XL had a Help key and no actual "Function keys", though the Atari 1200XL did.  But I never did find any programs besides the built in basic stuff that would use the Help key.

Those were odd keyboards, they had a "Inverse" key, though I swear on my model it actually had an Atari symbol and was referred to as the "Atari" key, much like the Amigas have the A keys.

http://mrinterface.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/Preview/Atari%20800XL_1.JPG

http://www.gregterzian.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/1200xl_1.jpg

Whoa, looking at those things now, they aren't even standard QWerty.  I need to look again at mine (I have the 800xl, a 130XE and somewhere a 65XEGS that has the keyboard, just need to find that one...)

Shift 8 is the @?  Harsh.

slaapliedje

[XDelusion]

I've got an old IBM clicky keyboard from '84 and it's not as cluttered as an A1000's keyboard. Keys are designed to be ergonomically pleasing too. The PCJr.'s keyboard OTOH has a lot less buttons.  :lol:

That photo of yours is orgasmic in nature!!! DROOL!!!!

And no, I'm not talking about your avatar!