[Coco] CoCo 1/2 arrow keys versus CoCo 3 arrow keys

[L. Curtis Boyle]

If it’s for editing a text file, I can go with either the Coco 1/2 or the Coco 3 setup. But for games, the Coco 1/2 setup is *way* better. Which is why I like Rick Ullands nifty new keyboard membrane replacement, that lets you flip a switch to remap ALT/CTRL as up/down arrows.

L. Curtis Boyle
curtisboyle at sasktel.net



> On Jan 11, 2023, at 11:34 AM, Allen Huffman via Coco <coco at maltedmedia.com> wrote:
> 
> The things we think about over lunch. TL:DNR - did you prefer CoCo 1/2 cursor keys, or CoCO 3 cursor keys?
> 
> My first computer was a Commodore VIC-20. The Commodores used a werid cursor key setup, with two keys at the lower right of the keyboard. One was up/down (when shifted) and the other was left/right (when shifted). This was odd, but they were side by side and it was easy to have one hand on shift, and the other on the two cursor keys and move around — once you got used to it.
> 
> When I saw the TRS-80 keyboards with left and right keys on the left side, and up and down keys on the right, that looks better. But they didn’t do anything (except backspace for left).
> 
> CoCo had cursor keys but no cursor control built in, and Commodore has cursor control but no real cursor keys.
> 
> At the time, I thought it was weird that left/right was on one side and up/down was on the other, but as you got used to it, playing games like that was super easy — with a thumb on the spacebar to “fire” or whatever.
> 
> When the CoCo 3 came out, they moved all cursor keys together on the right side. That looks great, but it was the end of me being able to play games using keyboard on the CoCo. It was just too awkward.
> 
> Yes, later systems (PCs, etc.) gave us cursors on the right side, though the arrangement ended up having LEFT/DOWN/RIGHT side by side, with UP above the down. This seemed easier to use than the CoCo 3.
> 
> Which did you prefer? CoCo 1/2, CoCo 3? And do you like modern PC/Mac cursor key arrangements?
> 
> --
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