Re: [9fans] Re: First attempts

[Brantley Coile <brantley@coraid.com>]

http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/xerox/alto/AltoSchems/

John Floren wrote:
> On 8/23/06, David Leimbach <leimy2k@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> On 8/23/06, John Floren <slawmaster@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > On 8/23/06, John Floren <slawmaster@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > > On 8/22/06, Dave Eckhardt <davide+p9@cs.cmu.edu> wrote:
>> > > > Personally I'd like to see a "Maze War" clone (that was perhaps
>> > > > the original first-person-shooter game).  I bet there's code
>> > > > kicking around you could start from.  You could do an IP version,
>> > > > or maybe use a set of named pipes on a handy Plan 9 file server
>> > > > to do your networking instead.
>> > > >
>> > > > Dave Eckhardt
>> > > >
>> > >
>> > > I saw something a few months ago about Maze War; it was perfect with
>> > > the mouse and chording keyboard thing.
>> > >
>> > That's what I get for not paying attention. I meant to add that this
>> > was Maze War on the Alto, which of course was the machine that *had*
>> > the chording keyboard.
>> >
>> > John
>>
>> I think I want a chording keyboard too...  I wonder who could be
>> convinced to make one since my EE-fu is possibly the worst ever.
>>
> 
> Well, first ask Xerox for the schematics and specs on theirs... I
> wonder if they would give them to you, since they no longer produce
> it. Perhaps if you assured them you only want to make one unit for
> yourself, they would. Of course, then you have to convert from
> whatever their unit outputs to PS/2, but it would be a nice thing to
> have.
> 
> If you get anywhere, find any schematics, etc., post them here or send
> them to me. My EE-fu might be sufficient.
> 
> (New subject) Weren't the chording keyboard and the mouse designed to
> go together? If I could type with one hand while having the other on
> the mouse, I could see how Plan 9 would be *perfect*. As it is, I
> still get annoyed when I have to take my hands from the keyboard (yes,
> I've read all the stuff about how it isn't /really/ faster, but I
> can't really believe that it's faster to grab the mouse and click than
> it is to alt-tab--at least in some cases).
> 
> 
> John