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    Backspace Above Enter

    • Started by AndyJ
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    • Registered: 14-Dec-2022
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    21-Jul-2024 16:27:46#1 Backspace Above Enter

    I was just looking at Unicomp's web site.  They have a listing for a "Sun Unix Space Saver Keyboard."  It's a 105-key layout with a short spacebar, Capslock, Alt, and Diamond on the left, Diamond, Alt-Graph, Compose, and Control on the right.  That is, Control and Capslock are swapped, with Control up by the "A" key.

    The other interesting thing is the usual Backspace key spot is filled with two 1u keys, "|\" and "~`".  The 1.5u key over the ANSI-style Enter is Backspace... which for some reason is white instead of gray.

    I'm mentioning this here because this is where I first encountered "move the Backspace key down to above Enter".  I didn't realize there were actual production keyboards made that way.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
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    22-Jul-2024 08:55:41#2 Re: Backspace Above Enter

    Ah yes, the Sun Unix Spacesaver is a classic; it's even called ULTRA Classic, hehe. But the one Unicomp displays, although labeled 105-key, is still an ANSI board with a pretty normal ANSI form factor apart from the things you mention. This is a bit confusing, as ANSI boards are often called pc104 boards (in Linux XKB for instance) and ISO boards, correspondingly, are called pc105. That extra top-right key is the reason, of course. Too bad it's in a pretty awkward position to be used for anything really useful, but this way does have the merit of making the Backspace key more accessible!

    There are ISO boards too, and they look pretty much as expected.

    I know that some Unix/Linux users prefer to have their Ctrl key (or Esc or something else) in the traditional CapsLock position, and I agree it's cool that this board actually implemented that. I'm pretty sure it sends the right key codes for Ctrl and Caps too, so it's not just a key cap swap.

    It's odd today to call this keyboard a Space Saver, as it's large by today's standards. But compared to the other keyboards of its time it saves space by reducing the margin between keys and board edge.

    Last edited by DreymaR (26-Jul-2024 13:56:09)

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    24-Jul-2024 16:18:47#3 Re: Backspace Above Enter
    DreymaR said:

    This is a bit confusing, as ANSI boards are often called pc104 boards (in Linux XKB for instance) and ISO boards, correspondingly are called pc105. That extra top-right key is the reason, of course. Too bad it's in a pretty awkward position to be used for anything really useful, but this way does have the merit of making the Backspace key more accessible!

    I dunno, my IBM Model F/AT has a 1u Backspace key on the top right corner, with a 1u "|,\" next to it.  It's right there on the corner of the alpha block, prime real keyboard estate. I've used Model Fs so long I think of 2u Backspace keys as being oddball.

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