Date:         Fri, 5 Mar 2004 09:34:16 -0500
Reply-To:     Nathaniel_Wooding@DOM.COM
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Nat Wooding <Nathaniel_Wooding@DOM.COM>
Subject:      Re: OT: Using ibm 122-type keyboards with terminal emulation soft
              ware going to a mainframe
Comments: To: "Choate, Paul@DDS" <pchoate@DDS.CA.GOV>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Paul

Many, many thanks for the research. I had done some Google searches but not
stumbled on the site that mentions the Affirmative keyboard. This site
appears dedicated to moving from the SNA environment to using TCP/IP
hookups.

As a brief recap for the community, I am trying to find a pc keyboard that
will function like my IBM mainframe 122 key keyboard. The 122 type has
extra pf and function keys that can add a lot of productivity to mainframe
editing and other work. A number of 122 key keyboards come with ps2
connectors and will work with terminal emulation software but only up to a
point -- the extra pf and function keys are ignored. It appears that some
of these are intended for unix applications.  Some do come with drivers
that are supposed to handle the extra keys. The board that I have been
testing does not use drivers and this looks to be my problem.

Paul points to a site that offers solutions both for finding suitable
keyboards as well as being able to continue to use older mainframe printers
after you switch to a lan. Best of all, it even offers alternatives and
shows pros and cons.

At this point, I will probably go with a board by Affirmative that offers
the functionality plus give "feel" of the IBM board (these were very-well
made units that in my opinion are far better for typing than the cheap
boards normally shipped with pcs).

Nat