I know that this is going to sound lazy, but I just hate reaching my hand over to type on the Number Pad! I'm a fast typer (95WPM average), and I'm really used to keeping my hands pretty much stationary while I type.

I propose switching the Number Pad with the rectangular part of the keyboard containing the Print Screen, Insert, Home, Scroll Lock, and arrow keys. I guess that you'd still have to move your hand to type in those numbers, but hey, it'd be that much closer.

Oh, and I hate typing numbers with the top row.
-- heroofmight, Apr 18 2005

Old keyboard http://wotsit.thing...haj/keyboards.shtml
They don't make them like they used to [nineteenthly, Apr 18 2005]

The earlier IBM PC keyboards did have the keyboard there. On some laptops, such as the Tandy 100, the numbers 1-6 were shifted letters. In other words, this is baked.
Incidentally, due presumably to the huge prices of these old machines, the build quality of these keyboards is awesome.
-- nineteenthly, Apr 18 2005


Most laptops have a 'Function' able dual set of numeric keys that share usage with the iop,jkl,bnm keys or others in that general vicinity.
-- zen_tom, Apr 18 2005


I love those old IBM keyboards. I use them whenever possible.

My ThinkPad bakes this overly (burns it?) by having the numpad be the letters UIO JKL M,. after you press Num Lock (that is, if you press Num Lock, UIOJKLM,. etc become 789456123 etc).
-- disbomber, Apr 18 2005


Now what's needed is a context analyzer; if you start typing oijkl.jm, the computer should realize you intended that as a number, and translate it. No num-lock needed.
-- phundug, Apr 18 2005



random, halfbakery