Keyboard Magic. (or How Did You Learn Typing Without One of These?)

Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard (DMPK)
"Great value in a keyboard that fits your digital lifestyle"
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DESCRIPTION
This new KEYBOARD is a variation on the familiar 104 Key model. It features a sculptured shape, a built-in, removable palm rest, 23 special purpose buttons and a new, 105th key that adds an extra set of functions to the F1 through F12 Keys. As if that were not enough, a Sliding control allows users to Zoom in and out of a given document or image.

It combines the antique QWERTY* layout cluster (61 Keys) with a 16 Key Row of "Function" Keys above that cluster; added 10 Navigation Keys to the right of it, beyond which is the now familiar 17 Key Number Pad adapted from the "10 Key Adding Machine" still in use. All of these oversized keyboards were meant to address the desire for special commands that came into being with the advent of computers. Today, we can have a 105 key device; the extra one (F Lock) being located just above the (Num Lock) key.

The (F Lock) provides a way of assigning a second set of functions to the 12 "Function" keys (F1 thru F12). This does not supersede the Combination 'Shortcut' routines; as in Ctrl+F3 or Alt+F5. Rather, they supplement menu commands as found in software interfaces.

Thus (in order F1 to F12):
Help, Undo, Redo, New, Fwd, Open, Close, Reply, Send, Spell, Save, and Print.
*Patented in 1868, sold to Remington 1873.
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BUTTONS
Some of the buttons are referred to as "KEYS" so bear with me if I stick with 'buttons':

AUDIO Volume +/- and Back on 3 small silver buttons arranged vertically along the left hand edge.
Video/Music Controls : Play/Pause, Stop, Fast Back, Fast Forward, arranged on faces of 4 small black buttons. Clockwise along the top edge
My Favorites 5 larger silver buttons numbered, below that is an Asterisk/Star which is used to Add or Access the files or programs of users' choices.
My Documents, My pictures, My Music Near top dead center edge, Silver ICONS on black buttons.
Mail, Web/Home, Messenger on 3 buttons similar to and right of above group of "Mys".
Calculator, Log Off, Sleep 3 black buttons to right of F Lock Key.

SLIDER on left center edge of the QWERTY Key Cluster. Up & Down symbols. Zoom in or out. A percentage appears along the bottom of the PC Screen.

PHYSICAL FACTS

20.4" wide x 10.3" deep x 2.6" height
(8.3" deep without removable palm rest.)
3 Pound weight.
Silver & Black.

The DMPK comes with an adapter to allow its use in PS/2 or USB Ports. This feature sold it to me.

COMPATIBILITY

Just because DMPK is listed as being compatible with MS Vista, it may not be unless a special driver is downloaded. That was the case with ours.

Operating System:
Windows Vista, Windows XP Pro/Pro64, Tablet PC, Win 2000 SP4++
MAC OS Xv10.2-10.4x (not Xv10.0-10.1)

Internet Hot Keys:
MSIE 5.0+, MSN Explorer 7.0 or 8.0, Netscape Navigator 6.1, 6.2,7.0, AOL 7.0, 8.0 9.0
Macintosh: MSIE 5 for Mac, NetScape v6.1, 7.0

Multimedia Hot Keys:
Windows PC, MS CD Player, Windows Media Player,
Macintosh: iTunes

Programs Supporting Keyboard and SLIDER:
http://microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/default/mspx

WARNING: Some functions may require on line connections that could result in long distance charges.

EXPERIENCES

Everything was attempted except the volume controls and messenger buttons. The SLIDER did not work about half the time. When it did work, there were surprises galore. Such as: Desktop Icons could become gargantuan or nearly invisible, as could the background image. This function is neat if one is vision challenged, especially useful for text. It also provides a full page view of the images or documents/lists/ menus without fuss.

Many items are redundant to Software Menus but I found the "My's" very useful - no navigating all over the place to find your pet project.

The owner used to hand papers to a typist in the old days. She learned better when that species was obsoleted and companies found out it was better to use a $50,000/yr Engineer to do the work of a $4.00/hr typist. She is an author with several published textbooks and a novel in the chute. She also writes on line courses for recertification purposes. So, her opinion is crucial - she especially appreciates the stepped keyboard which is a big assist to a touch typist.

OBSERVATIONS/COMMENTS

Another all-in-one effort that I think will take up a lot of unnecessary time to learn. And tempt some to simply waste time. Some of the ideas embedded in this Unique Keyboard are worthwhile and there is something for every user.

I'm not sure the world needs more than 200 neat new things to remember.
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NOTES to How Did You Learn...?:

THE ANSWER: I learned to type in 7th grade, only 10 weeks of it were needed to teach touch typing on a typewriter that had no letters on the keys. 35 WPM (after typos) was the minimum to Pass the speed test.

Here is where the species actually meets the hardware. Oddly, with all the improvements we have witnessed in the culture, the Backspace Key is still extra large. For those really BIG misteaks, No doubt!

In fact the only key larger is the Enter one; which lets users insert empty lines. If one misses hitting it, there is always the DOWN Arrow.

Nobody should underestimate the large SPACE key, partly preserved in its enormously functional size from the 1890's. The great objective of the Computer Industry is miniaturization. Thus, the space bar has been shrunk to about a third of its original size. I perceive from it and the other ones that much work on computers is made up of nothingness.

Input devices have changed since my first encounter with Computing - a Junior College Course in COBOL/Fortran programming. There, one prepared a program by punching rows of holes in sets of cards. The machine that actually punched the holes had a KEYBOARD on it for the convenience of the operator. When the card stack was finished, it could be placed in a "Card Reader" that could detect a hole, where it was in the card, and INPUT or send an electronic signal to a "Compiler". Each letter had a code of on/off and 16 combinations, I think. The compiled data was INPUT to the Computer or CPU; which acted on the instructions and eventually printed out the program and the results.

If a mistaken entry were detected, the Lab Tech would glow with satisfaction behind his dutch door as he handed it back to you without a printout. It happened on occasion that the tech would "Fumble" the handoff, spilling and mixing the card order so crucial to a line by line program. The best machine in the house was a Card Sorter that could reassemble the card stack in proper order. Crowds gathered to worship in front of this marvel at the ingenuity of our species. That was really HIGH TECH because, unlike so many "Cool" ideas, that card sorter actually SAVED TIME. And lives.

Twenty years later, I watched my son do this work on a Cathode Ray Tube. No Cards! Still, he had to use a keyboard to INPUT his mortal thoughts in English to a device that translated English to a machine language and 'Ran the program'. I used to take him up to UC Irvine in the early morning hours when he could get a Station. He owns his own very hi-tech company and is consultant to many mega-companies. Everyone of them carries a KEYBOARD to which a PC is attached.
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For more on QWERTY see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qwerty_keyboard