Could the IBM PCJr's keyboard have been a bit better?

[depletedvespene]

It is well known that the IBM PCJr, released in late 1983/early 1984, was a total and utter disaster. It is also well known that its (initial) keyboard, in particular, was atrocious — so much, that it was replaced by a "second generation" keyboard that was only horrendous (which would turn out to be the only hardware change of note in the PCJr's short, sad story).

This recent post by tatsurou showcased that keyboard and his ideas on how to turn it into something more up to date, and it made me start wondering... could the (second generation) PCJr keyboard have been better designed in the first place, made to be less horrendous? (as opposed to tatsurou's project, which so far involves gutting his unit and making something new loosely based on the case)

What follows is strictly an intellectual exercise — some people will think it's putting lipstick on a pig; some will say it's beating the dead horse. Actually, it's more like putting lipstick on the unearthed skeleton of the proverbial horse... a fun thing to do, right? Here we go, then!

Let's see a nice picture of the (decidedly not nice) PCJr keyboard, taken from this article from The Register.

IBM PCJr keyboard - as originally designed.

keyboard_full_travel_large.jpg (732.18 KiB) Viewed 2059 times

The keyboard's physical layout is indeed quite poor, even when limiting ourselves to the accumulated knowledge of late 1983, back when the "top" layout was the one in the Model F AT keyboard, and quite a while before the Enhanced Layout was released. This is what we'd now call now a 65% form factor; sports a single, poorly placed Fn key; despite its diminutive size, wastes a lot of space with some inexcusable quirks (the right side of the second row is the worst offender); places important typographical symbols in the Alt layer for no good reason; the 7U space bar is unnaturally shifted to the right, again for no reason. Also, the keyboard has weird stepping on some keys, and although this isn't necessarily bad... it's handled inconsistently.

Let us try to move things around to fix these defects, with the following restrictions in mind: 1) the size and width of the keyboard can't change; 2) it must retain its "spirit", so it will still be recognizable as a PCJr keyboard instead of some generic replacement.

I first replicated the layout in Keyboard Layout Editor:

KLE diagram for the IBM PCJr, as originally designed.

KLE_PCJr_1.png (19.14 KiB) Viewed 2059 times

Then, I started moving things around, and came to this:

KLE diagram for the IBM PCJr, as I think it could have been.

KLE_PCJr_2.png (18.25 KiB) Viewed 2059 times

Main features of note in this adjusted layout:

• The symbols \, |, ` and ~ have been moved off the Alt layer, where they should have never been in the first place.
• The MAE-like Enter key has been replaced by a simpler key without the binding issues the original had and with a size that's more acquiescent to a 65% form factor; yes, I'd have preferred to enlarge it by 0.25U or 0.5U, but that wasn't feasible.
• The key stepping is more consistent; the arrow cluster has a better separation from the rest of the keys; both up and down arrow keys have the same stepping flaps (which avoids the weirdness of the original layout's differing shapes).
• Del is in a much more natural placement.
• The Fn key has been moved to the left side of the bottom row, freeing the user from the unnatural chords the top-right Fn key called for, specially when dealing with the arrow cluster. That said, I couldn't help myself and added a second Fn key on the right side, as should always be done with all mods — after all, there are Fn combinations on the left side of the keyboard as well.
• The assigned Fn-arrow chords should be swapped, as they contradict what is usual nowadays, but we'll let that pass.

Note how there's less wasted space in the bottom left corner. The same thing happens in the top right area, where the wasted space goes down from 3.5U to 1.5U; the new 0.75×2U expanse looks quite less dumb than the former "case protrusion". That said, it does sprout the temptation of widening the keyboard by 0.25U, to allow adding two 1U keys there (and, in cascade, allow enlarging the Enter key to 1.75U). However... it won't be the case when we see it in action: based on the KLE design I did, I made a mock-up (with good ol' Paint™, as master graphic editors are wont to do) of how the keyboard would now look.

IBM PCJr keyboard - as I think it could have been.

keyboard_full_travel_large2.jpg (340.55 KiB) Viewed 2059 times

That top right area seems perfect for placing the logo — certainly better than the bottom left! This would free that corner for something else, like a properly placed Alt key... but let's not get into that, as we then won't stop until we have recreated a modern 65%.

Had the PCJr keyboard been released like this back in the day, it would have actually been usable (YMMV). Of course, the PCJr would still have been a total and utter disaster (YMMNV)... but we shouldn't bother with that, should we?

[Chyros]

Could the IBM PCJr's keyboard have been a bit better?

Well, it couldn't have been any WORSE, at least xD .

I went on in my video about its shortcomings to some length, although nowhere near as lengthy as this when it regards the layout. Then again, not being a touch typist, I'm probably a bit more flexible than many users when it regards layout.

[AJM]

Very interesting post!
That original PCjr layout is really quite neat. I wouldn't change a lot actually.
If you don't mind me saying - the suggested "improvements" are - as is so the often case - too much influenced from the standpoint of a modern 60 % user.
For example:
- The DEL key is exactly where it should be. I need this key only after moving around or marking text using the cursor keys, so it makes no sense at all to put it somewhere at the top.
- Correct me, if I'm wrong, but I'm sure the Fn key at that time was only used to access F1 - F10 in the top row, so it makes some sense to put it there.
- If you have cursor keys, there is not really a need for a Fn key in the modern sense.
- The space bar was not really moved to the right, it was shortened less on the right side than on the left side - compared to its big XT brother (apparently to make room for the admittedly quirky placement of the logo).
- And at last, the wasting of space (which I'm also not a fan of) on the right side and in the lower corner one must nearly call "prophetic" or indeed modern, since this space wasting is the standard for every TKL, HHKB or 65-68 % keyboard today.

[depletedvespene]

- Correct me, if I'm wrong, but I'm sure the Fn key at that time was only used to access F1 - F10 in the top row, so it makes some sense to put it there.

You are wrong.

The Fn key is also used for Home, PgUp, PgDn and End nav commands, and for Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause, Break and Echo.

- And at last, the wasting of space (which I'm also not a fan of) on the right side and in the lower corner one must nearly call "prophetic" or indeed modern, since this space wasting is the standard for every TKL, HHKB or 65-68 % keyboards today.

Well... the fact that people today do it doesn't mean it's actually right. And in the case of the right hand side of the second row, in the PCJr, it comes out as absurd, modern sensibilities or not.

[AJM]

- Correct me, if I'm wrong, but I'm sure the Fn key at that time was only used to access F1 - F10 in the top row, so it makes some sense to put it there.

You are wrong.

The Fn key is also used for Home, PgUp, PgDn and End nav commands, and for Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause, Break and Echo.

In this case I would agree, that the placement is not useful.
But as I just read now, the Fn key wasn't actually pressed together with the other key like a modifier, but Fn was pressed, released and then the other key was pressed, which is an entirely different concept and makes my head ache a lot.

- And at last, the wasting of space (which I'm also not a fan of) on the right side and in the lower corner one must nearly call "prophetic" or indeed modern, since this space wasting is the standard for every TKL, HHKB or 65-68 % keyboards today.

Well... the fact that people today do it doesn't mean it's actually right. And in the case of the right hand side of the second row, in the PCJr, it comes out as absurd, modern sensibilities or not.

Thank you, that's exactly my point: Only I phrase it like "Just because something has been made diffently back then compared to today, doesn't make it automatically weird or wrong."

[zrrion]

You moved the keys and everything but didn't move Page up/down to the up/down keys and move home/end to left/right? Thats the worst thing about that layout (apart form the bizarre stepping of course)

Move caps lock to fn+c since scroll lock is already fn+s and thats all you actually need to do to make the layout better for when it was made. Its still a little to close to XT for me, but the design decisions for this board as a companion to the XT are understandable.

[depletedvespene]

You moved the keys and everything but didn't move Page up/down to the up/down keys and move home/end to left/right? Thats the worst thing about that layout (apart form the bizarre stepping of course)

I kept them as is because this is still a PC Jr layout (now, take a look at those keys in the KLE diagram...)

Move caps lock to fn+c since scroll lock is already fn+s and thats all you actually need to do to make the layout better for when it was made.

Was tempted, chose not to for the same reason (and that would have been a prime spot for the AltGr key, had that existed at the time).