How Many Tact Switches Have You Worn Out Just by Commenting on This and Other Forums?

[GammaGlobulin]

Friends,

 

Have you ever considered just how many tact switches have bitten the dust, solely due to your millions of comments on social media?

 

I know that I have.

 

Here is an image of a tact switch, just in case you might not know.

 

 

Can you even imagine the amount of abuse this tiny thing endures, day after day, as you post away?

 

Truly, it’s surprising that these little tact switches last as long as they do.

 

I still recall when the VERY BEST tact switches were used on mainframe computer consoles.

 

I especially loved the WANG LABORATORIES COMPUTER console keyboards for their mini-computers. That was a long time ago.  But you could type super fast, and super accurately, on a WANG AN (王安)  console, as I recall.

 

 

Actually, the best keyboard I ever used was the IBM Keypunch Machine keyboard..
 

 

The above is what I used to use, anytime I wanted to communicate with the IBM 360/370. Such a beautiful piece of equipment.  And, no doubt, many of you still remember sitting down in front of it, from time to time, while debugging your Fortran.

 

It was no joke that those keyboards never broke.

 

Ergonomically speaking, my all-time favorite keyboard is still the WangAn (王安)  console keyboard, which increased my typing speed by at least 10 percent.

 

So anyway, how many keyboards have you destroyed on this forum?

 

And, what is your favorite keyboard for typing on TV?

 

Tactfully yours,

Regards,

Glob

 

Note:  If you know what it feels like to type on an IBM 360/370 console, then you are an antique, as well.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[Lacessit]

I go back as far as the first Amstrad, CPC 464 with 64 KB of RAM. Green text on a black screen.

 

Being a one finger typist, I never wore out a keyboard.

 

I can't say tact is in my skill set.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

3 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I go back as far as the first Amstrad, CPC 464 with 64 KB of RAM. Green text on a black screen.

 

Being a one finger typist, I never wore out a keyboard.

 

I can't say tact is in my skill set.

 

 

Hmmm...

 

If you truly are a on-finger typist...

 

Then,... have I got a NOTE4 to sell you!

 

I am surprised that you never even tried your hand using a DEC-10 computer console...

 

 

 

Where I was, in 1973, these were a dime a dozen.

 

At that time, in Philly, there was a lot of main-frame sharing going on between institutions, as I recall.

 

You must now be a spring chicken if your first computer experience was on a home computer.

 

The Amstrad home computer was not released until about the early 1980's.

 

That was the time when John Travolta was doing....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

10 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Hmmm...

 

If you truly are a on-finger typist...

 

Then,... have I got a NOTE4 to sell you!

 

I am surprised that you never even tried your hand using a DEC-10 computer console...

 

 

 

Where I was, in 1973, these were a dime a dozen.

 

At that time, in Philly, there was a lot of main-frame sharing going on between institutions, as I recall.

 

You must now be a spring chicken if your first computer experience was on a home computer.

 

The Amstrad home computer was not released until about the early 1980's.

 

That was the time when John Travolta was doing....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was not a computer nerd, my first exposure to computers was in 1976 when I switched fields from glass manufacturing to steel. At the time, the steel industry had computers running on perforated paper tape.

My typing may be laborious; however, I do have patience.

Staying alive is only worthwhile if there is also quality of life.

[stoner]

next i will hear how great computers used to be compared to today. 

[HappyExpat57]

Dear gawd - you have WAY too much time on your hands.

[GammaGlobulin]

24 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I was not a computer nerd, my first exposure to computers was in 1976 when I switched fields from glass manufacturing to steel. At the time, the steel industry had computers running on perforated paper tape.

My typing may be laborious; however, I do have patience.

Staying alive is only worthwhile if there is also quality of life.

Speaking of glass:  I still disagree with you that glass does not act, in some circumstances, and in some ways, as a supercooled fluid.  You stated, rigidly, that glass is an amorphous solid, and that glass does not exhibit many of the same properties of a supercooled liquid.  OK.  Let it pass.  Because, I was speaking, as you recall, about the grinding of glass, and NOT about the behavior of antique, colored window glass on some ancient church.

 

As for computing in Australia, I cannot say much, because there is really probably not much to say.

 

But let me say this:

 

In 1973, I was here...

 

 

And, in my day, we had no need to fool with PAPER TAPE.

 

We had girls running around changing vacuum tubes, instead.

The vacuum tubes would burn out quickly, and there were THOUSANDS of them.

On some days, the girls would work a double shift just changing their vacuum tubes.

 

As I recall, the room that held ENIAC was located at the front-right corner of this building you see.

It was a HUGE room, if I recall correctly.

 

And, in fact, this room remained vacant until I left Moore's in 1973/74, just a dusty black room, people seldom entered.

 

At the time, this building seemed dumpy and dusty and run-down, even.

Those were the days before computing became such a moneymaker.

 

At that time, learning assembly language was a bit strange. Those were the days before hexadecimal became so popular, as it is now.

 

Most computing we did was batch processing using the trusty IBM cards.

And, I wonder just how many IBM cards were ever used before computing finally changed???

One Trillion?

 

 

All that I can say is that those IBM Punch Card Machines were PERFECTLY built and a true engineering marvel.

 

Those IBM keyboards were a pleasure to use, compared to what I am now typing on, produced by Logitech, just cheap disposable plastic, and of a quality not even fit to hold Ramen Noodles.

 

Also, if one were lucky, it was sometimes possible to get a date with the girls who changed the vacuum tubes on our computers at The Moore School.

You just needed to offer them a cooling fan, and then they would be willing to talk to you.

 

Those girls really got overheated changing vacuum tubes inside the computer.

 

 

[Lacessit]

10 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Speaking of glass:  I still disagree with you that glass does not act, in some circumstances, and in some ways, as a supercooled fluid.  You stated, rigidly, that glass is an amorphous solid, and that glass does not exhibit many of the same properties of a supercooled liquid.  OK.  Let it pass.  Because, I was speaking, as you recall, about the grinding of glass, and NOT about the behavior of antique, colored window glass on some ancient church.

 

As for computing in Australia, I cannot say much, because there is really probably not much to say.

 

But let me say this:

 

In 1973, I was here...

 

 

And, in my day, we had no need to fool with PAPER TAPE.

 

We had girls running around changing vacuum tubes, instead.

The vacuum tubes would burn out quickly, and there were THOUSANDS of them.

On some days, the girls would work a double shift just changing their vacuum tubes.

 

As I recall, the room that held ENIAC was located at the front-right corner of this building you see.

It was a HUGE room, if I recall correctly.

 

And, in fact, this room remained vacant until I left Moore's in 1973/74, just a dusty black room, people seldom entered.

 

At the time, this building seemed dumpy and dusty and run-down, even.

Those were the days before computing became such a moneymaker.

 

At that time, learning assembly language was a bit strange. Those were the days before hexadecimal became so popular, as it is now.

 

Most computing we did was batch processing using the trusty IBM cards.

And, I wonder just how many IBM cards were ever used before computing finally changed???

One Trillion?

 

 

All that I can say is that those IBM Punch Card Machines were PERFECTLY built and a true engineering marvel.

 

Those IBM keyboards were a pleasure to use, compared to what I am now typing on, produced by Logitech, just cheap disposable plastic, and of a quality not even fit to hold Ramen Noodles.

 

Also, if one were lucky, it was sometimes possible to get a date with the girls who changed the vacuum tubes on our computers at The Moore School.

You just needed to offer them a cooling fan, and then they would be willing to talk to you.

 

Those girls really got overheated changing vacuum tubes inside the computer.

 

 

IIRC my first encounter with computing was actually a Friden calculator, when I worked in iron ore mining ( 1966 - 1972 ). Before that, I was using a slide rule, which I still have.

A far cry from a smartphone, where the calculation function is a very minor accessory in a sea of apps.

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

IIRC my first encounter with computing was actually a Friden calculator, when I worked in iron ore mining ( 1966 - 1972 ). Before that, I was using a slide rule, which I still have.

A far cry from a smartphone, where the calculation function is a very minor accessory in a sea of apps.

In 1967, I had an ultra-long slide rule made of fine wood and ivory, maybe 18 inches in length.

 

This slide rule originally belonged to my grandfather who was a chemical engineer.

 

 (One thing I soon learned is that a very long slide rule is NOT more accurate than a standard slide rule.  Also, I had several very small slide rules.)

 

The LARGEST slide rule I have ever seen was the slide rule used for teaching purposes, probably about 7 feet long and 1 foot wide, attached to the wall of our classroom.

 

Thank you for the memory!

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

my first encounter with computing was actually a Friden calculator

These days, do you prefer Reverse Polish Notation (RPN)?

[GammaGlobulin]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

my first encounter with computing

 

[Lacessit]

42 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

These days, do you prefer Reverse Polish Notation (RPN)?

Gimme a break here, my specialty is chemistry. I scraped through on maths examinations, although later became quite proficient in statistics.

[GammaGlobulin]

6 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Gimme a break here, my specialty is chemistry. I scraped through on maths examinations, although later became quite proficient in statistics.

No harm intended, I assure you.

 

The only reason I asked this question is because....

 

HP used to produce calculators, almost exclusively, for calculation based on RPN.

 

And, THIS is the reason I ALWAYS purchased HP calculators, just because those guys used RPN.

 

THEN, more recently, past three decades, maybe, HP caved.

 

And now, HP is not different from TI, in this respect.

 

Anyway, scientific calculators are already provided as free apps for your phone.

 

If you have an android phone, then you might look at this link:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.efalk.rpncalc&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1

 

But don't install it unless it looks good to you.

 

There is, as I recall, a better calculator app that allows you to switch back and forth from RPN to Algebraic mode.

 

 

In my opinion, HP calculators are great.

And, RPN is the fastest for complex calculations.

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

Truth be told, I have used up quite a few Logitech keyboards of this kind...

 

When just one of the TACT SWITCHES goes fluey, the entire keyboard is useless.

 

BUT...these keyboards are extremely cheap.

AND... I still consider them VERY RELIABLE.

I will just continue to buy them.

I LOVE them, in fact.

Cheap and OK, but NOT GREAT. 

 

 

And so, if I had to write a song about my KEYBOARD OF CHOICE, then I would sing it, ... sort of like this:

 

 

CHEAP

and

GOOD

like

QUEEN

 

so cheap

so good

Rock ON!

 

 

[Ralf001]

I run non mechanical.

[SiSePuede419]

Heat sensitive touch screen.

 

Amazing how many people actually brag their technology is outdated and obsolete.

 

And are proud of it. ????

[Lacessit]

7 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Truth be told, I have used up quite a few Logitech keyboards of this kind...

 

When just one of the TACT SWITCHES goes fluey, the entire keyboard is useless.

 

BUT...these keyboards are extremely cheap.

AND... I still consider them VERY RELIABLE.

I will just continue to buy them.

I LOVE them, in fact.

Cheap and OK, but NOT GREAT. 

 

 

And so, if I had to write a song about my KEYBOARD OF CHOICE, then I would sing it, ... sort of like this:

 

 

CHEAP

and

GOOD

like

QUEEN

 

so cheap

so good

Rock ON!

 

 

I relate more to this. The guitar solo is one of the best of all time.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

7 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Heat sensitive touch screen.

 

Amazing how many people actually brag their technology is outdated and obsolete.

 

And are proud of it. ????

Thank you.

 

Please photograph your keyboard, and show it here, just as did I.

 

We are always looking for the next reinvention of the wheel.

 

By the way... I doubt you have ever tried typing on a Wang Laboratories console.

If you had, then you would know what I'm talking about.

 

If the heat sensitive touch screen is as good as you say...

Then...please quote the evidence which proves what you say...

 

Give us the numbers, please....

In terms of WPM in a typing contest...

 

Tks!

 

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

21 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I relate more to this. The guitar solo is one of the best of all time.

 

 

Freddie Mercury was so CHEAP.

And Freddie was so GOOD.

 

Even Logitech will never be able to compete with his CHEAPNESS and GOODNESS.

 

And, ...

Another one bites the dust...

 

RIP,  Dear Freddie

 

He bit the dust, far too young.

 

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[khunjeff]

12 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

By the way... I doubt you have ever tried typing on a Wang Laboratories console.

If you had, then you would know what I'm talking about.

I certainly used that type of Wang console, which was used for our classified networks into the 90s. I'm not a touch typist, so I don't recall much about the keyboard - only that the machine was slow and the screen was poor.

[GammaGlobulin]

5 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

I certainly used that type of Wang console, which was used for our classified networks into the 90s. I'm not a touch typist, so I don't recall much about the keyboard - only that the machine was slow and the screen was poor.

Thank you!

I really enjoyed reading your comment, just because I thought there was nobody left in this world, but me, who had used this console.

 

Here is my observation about the WangAn keyboard...

 

The keys were UNIQUE due to the slightly deeper concavity of each key.

This concavity provided important tactile feedback which helped the typist maintain proper finger orientation while typing.

 

I first used the WangAn keyboard in Taiwan, sometime around 1988, plus or minus one year.

 

====

I do not say that the WangAn computer was not slow.

And, in 1988, while in Taiwan, I probably did not notice that the CRT was not as good as it should have been.

 

[GammaGlobulin]

I really do not know how to put this delicately, without punning, but:

 

Freddie Mercury, during his too-short life, provide so much pleasure to so many millions, and for FREE!

And not only in the bathhouses, but he provided pleasure anywhere and everywhere he could find it.

 

Years ago, I sent Freddie's Vacuum song to my old (80+) friend in NYC, a Linguistics Prof at Columbia.

He loved it.

 

Freddie, in my opinion, was not cheap.

He was FREE!

 

 

I have watched the Vacuum Song, over and over, maybe a million times, during the past many years.

 

Each and every time, I find myself tickled PINK, all over again.

 

Truly, I love this guy.

 

But, as you can see, I think he needed some dental work, because I detect a bit of receding gums here.

 

Love you, Freddie.

Rock On.

Nobody will ever be able to replace you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[GammaGlobulin]

3 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I really do not know how to put this delicately, without punning, but:

 

Freddie Mercury, during his too-short life, provide so much pleasure to so many millions, and for FREE!

And not only in the bathhouses, but he provided pleasure anywhere and everywhere he could find it.

 

Years ago, I sent Freddie's Vacuum song to my old (80+) friend in NYC, a Linguistics Prof at Columbia.

He loved it.

 

Freddie, in my opinion, was not cheap.

He was FREE!

 

 

I have watched the Vacuum Song, over and over, maybe a million times, during the past many years.

 

Each and every time, I find myself tickled PINK, all over again.

 

Truly, I love this guy.

 

But, as you can see, I think he needed some dental work, because I detect a bit of receding gums here.

 

Love you, Freddie.

Rock On.

Nobody will ever be able to replace you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, Freddie,

 

You have such great

 

T

I

T

S

&

A

S

S

!

 

 

 

[KannikaP]

What a load of co88lers this thread is!

[Stevemercer]

Here is my worthless contribution. I have nothing at all to add about ancient keyboards and will put up with whatever I am given.

 

I am forced to use a laptop for various reasons and the in situ keyboard is no attraction. The fingers slip off the keys producing unique command combinations that have weird outcomes for the computer. For example, I am happily typing away on this message, look up at the screen, and find the text box has disappeared and somehow I am watching a Queen video (and not a very good one at that).

 

Last week I spilt Coca Cola all over my laptop and thought it was a goner. The next day it started normally, but the keyboard and mouse did not work. We live in a small town and I took it to the sole computer shop not expecting much. To my surprise, they called my wife back that afternoon to say the laptop was working fine - they had replaced the in situ keyboard. The new keyboard is obviously the same size/configuration as the old one, except the keys are more slippy. There must be hundreds of different laptops and keyboard configurations hence my surprise they happened to have one in stock for my machine. The shop charged 650 Baht.

[GammaGlobulin]

27 minutes ago, Stevemercer said:

Here is my worthless contribution. I have nothing at all to add about ancient keyboards and will put up with whatever I am given.

 

I am forced to use a laptop for various reasons and the in situ keyboard is no attraction. The fingers slip off the keys producing unique command combinations that have weird outcomes for the computer. For example, I am happily typing away on this message, look up at the screen, and find the text box has disappeared and somehow I am watching a Queen video (and not a very good one at that).

 

Last week I spilt Coca Cola all over my laptop and thought it was a goner. The next day it started normally, but the keyboard and mouse did not work. We live in a small town and I took it to the sole computer shop not expecting much. To my surprise, they called my wife back that afternoon to say the laptop was working fine - they had replaced the in situ keyboard. The new keyboard is obviously the same size/configuration as the old one, except the keys are more slippy. There must be hundreds of different laptops and keyboard configurations hence my surprise they happened to have one in stock for my machine. The shop charged 650 Baht.

One can only presume that you are using a laptop.

 

If this is the case, then please check behind your laptop for a keyboard port.

 

After you determine what kind of socket you have, then just go out and buy a very cheap keyboard, and plug it into your laptop.  And then, all will be right with your world.

 

Also, it's obvious to me that your new keyboard is slippery, since you misspelled slippery, and typed SLIPPY, instead. Also, a goner is 

 

Now, my friend, you cannot expect me to take your comment SURIOUSLY, right?

 

Still:

Thank you VERY MUCH for your comment, because...

 

Google's BARD is really good at helping people to solve problems.

 

And so, I would urge you to talk to BARD, instead of me.

 

AND, let this be a good lesson to ALL of us.  There is NO LONGER any need to remain in the dark about such simple issues as the one broached by this commenter.

 

(Also, who or what is forcing you to use your laptop?)

 

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[GammaGlobulin]

40 minutes ago, Stevemercer said:

Here is my worthless contribution.

No worries!

 

Bard has this solution for you, but you will need to check the attached PDF file to get Bard's answer.

 

(You see, I have already promised myself that I will....NEVER...post any AI garbage on TV.  Still, I will attach Bard's reply for you, to this comment.)

 

((The commenter posted, as he himself stated, a "Worthless Contribution", and so, now, he gets a Worthless Solution from Bard.))

 

 

 

 

TV FRIEND CocoCola Problem.pdf

Edited July 20, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[swm59nj]

I doubt many people privately owned those very old computers. Because they were extremely expensive  

I never had to replace a keyboard on any desktop I owned.  And for the last five years I have been using a laptop without any issues.  I don’t think keyboards malfunction from too much use. On a desktop they will usually malfunction connecting to the system.  
As for Tact.  That is what a number of people on here have the lack of.  

[Stevemercer]

16 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

No worries!

 

Bard has this solution for you, but you will need to check the attached PDF file to get Bard's answer.

 

(You see, I have already promised myself that I will....NEVER...post any AI garbage on TV.  Still, I will attach Bard's reply for you, to this comment.)

 

((The commenter posted, as he himself stated, a "Worthless Contribution", and so, now, he gets a Worthless Solution from Bard.))

 

 

 

 

TV FRIEND CocoCola Problem.pdf 27.98 kB · 1 download

Thanks very much for your help.

[Neeranam]

I think I have worn out 10 different laptops for posting on this forum, as well as a few work keyboards.