Keyboards identifying their keymap

Every time I buy a Dell laptop, or run an Ubuntu live CD I find I am running with the wrong keyboard map file, which means it defaults to US layout typically (why do we all have different locations for punctuation keys anyway!?)

So my USB keyboard is detected I can see form /var/log/messages:

input: Dell Dell USB Keyboard as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.1/usb2/2-2/2-2.1/2-2.1:1.0/input/input14
kernel: [ 9575.364318] input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.10 Keyboard [Dell Dell USB Keyboard] on usb-0000:00:1d.1-2.1
kernel: [ 9575.375861] input: Dell Dell USB Keyboard as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.1/usb2/2-2/2-2.1/2-2.1:1.1/input/input15
ubuntu kernel: [ 9575.404288] input,hidraw1: USB HID v1.10 Device [Dell Dell USB Keyboard] on usb-0000:00:1d.1-2.1

(Seems to detect it twice, USB1.1 and USB2.0)

So as it already has the name string "Dell Dell USB Keyboard", would it be any harder to also encode "en" in that? (or "en_US" etc)

Now we all just need to unify on one standard keyboard layout, probably adopting the international US one with some adaptation to add Alt+Number for every currency (rather than having £, $, 円, €. Also with good sized Enter and Space keys, and my small keyboard layout if on a portable.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 adopts keyboard

Good review of Dell Inspiron Mini 9 inch laptop, up to the point where they say the keyboard layout is actually a negative:

"Perhaps the loudest complaint heard against the Mini 9 is its keyboard. The unit’s small footprint necessitated a tweaked keyboard layout which repositioned some keys, shrunk others and dropped some entirely."

My feeling is that Dell have made a good call on this, I've proposed my design in the past, and it is a good step in that direction! If you're reading this Dell, drop the: CapsLock, WinKey, WinMenu, RightShift, Delete and F-key overlay too :)

New Asus Eee, but old keyboard

There is a new Asus Eee coming out, but it unfortunately still has an old cramped keyboard layout,! I posted my modern design sometime ago, Dell have since followed suit., at least by ditching the F-keys.

..so come on Asus! Drop down to 58keys, and make them big enough to touch type on!

Dell adopts fewer keys like me

Interesting to see that Dell has just adopted my idea of dropping the F-keys on their up and coming Mini Inspiron ;) They just need to drop CAPS LOCK, DEL and the Windows keys now. The Dell comes in at 50 keys total, still not bad -- the keyboard just needs to be at least 27 cm wide to be usable by a touch-typing adult.

Now.. will any manufacturers come out with a DOVAK keyboard layout? ;)

Modern keyboard layout design

I'm disappointed with current keyboards so I thought I would design my own layout ;-) I've looked around at desktops, laptops and mobiles and they just haven't moved with the times. Even Nokia's N810 PDA has a keyboard layout which seems to have been inspired by Sharp's MZ80K with a grid pattern QWERTY. Nokia E90 and E91 is just as bad (or worse.. as it isn't touch screen..!)

Starting with my Dell Laptop, I see may superfluous keys, taking up valuable space, drop the following:
Blue numeric keypad overlay
NumLock
Pause
PrintScreen (move it on to "+" key to be used with Fn).
Insert (has this ever been useful?)
All F keys, move their F function onto the number 0-9 keys.
"¬`|" key removed, and Esc moved down.
"|\" key.
WindowsFlag key
Right Ctrl key
Right Alt Gr key
ContextMenu key
Caps Lock key
PageUp (moved onto normal key, used with Fn)
PageDown (moved onto normal key, used with Fn)

Certain keys aren't big enough, Shift, Space, Backspace, Delete and Enter, so these should be a decent size.

This leaves a modern optimal layout of:

Esc, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, -, +, DEL
Tab, Q, W, E, R, T, Y,U,I,O,P,[,],ENTER
Shift,A,S,D,F,G,H,J,K,L,;,@,
Ctrl,Z,X,C,V,B,N,M,,.,? UP
Fn, Alt, SPACE LEFT,DOWN, RIGHT

Down to 58 keys!

Use this on mobile platforms like Nokia 810, cut out the punctuation+arrow keys to take it down to 40. Move some characters onto normal keys to save even more space, so Alt+S gives $, Alt+L gives £, Alt+E gives Euro

Now we just need some standard locations of the quote and @, as they are pretty handy on English keyboards, but foreign keyboards like American and Norwegian do have some weird locations. Can't they just use the same locations as the UK convenient ones?

Check out this wacky keyboard design, it's a shame no vendor has dared to change keyboard layouts in the last 20 years!

I've tried out the Asus Eee, but the keyboard is traditional and wastes space, with my layout it could just work. The new Eee 900 is 22.5cm wide, I think 26cm wide would be better to fit in a fuller QWERTY, but it could be enough. HP 2133 Mini-Note PC is 25.5cm wide, which would be a better choice for similar size, but the keyboard is still a legacy cluttered layout.

I'd like to try out a DOVAK keyboard layout, but it would be hard when i needed to use a QWERTY layout on someone else's PC.

Happy Hacker keyboard looks ok, but it is still too big at 28cm, and it's not got an international English layout, spot the @, #, " are swapped around from standard. Each key only needs to be 1.8 cm square.