Mysteries of the Griffin iMate
projectgus.com
projectgus.com
This may be a limitation of the keyboard itself. I remember looking into low level keyboard remapping over a decade ago in OS X (via ~/Library/Keyboards), and I have a vague memory of reading what was at the time an ancient piece of Apple reference material that some keyboards do not distinguish between left and right modifier keys.
On ADB Standard keyboards(M0116) left and right corresponding modifiers are logically indentical and can not be discriminated one another by the converter. This is ADB keyboard limitation, not converter's. Apple Extended keyboard(M0115/M3501) can discriminate them except for 'Command' key.
Also, on Mac OS 9, the iMate doesn't just allow the use of ADB keyboards, but as far as I know actually acts as a proper ADB bridge, so dongles, modems[1] and other ADB peripherals work as well.
[0] It's like having sunshine in your fingers! [1] Yes, there were a few ADB modems, and yes, they were slow.
Personally, for me, the primary attraction is the feel of the old Alps switches. I don't want to dedicate my desk to some battleship (ok nerds, I know that "battleship" keyboards are even bigger). And I can get that from modern switches in a more manageable chassis. I currently have the "Zilent" switches from Zelio which give me good tactility without too much clickiness.
I think these are the wacky keyboards where they had the "D" and "K" keys marked with a nub to indicate home keys. Drove me crazy enough that I'd deface them by shaving off the original nub and put a "proper" ridge into the f and j keys.
As a bonus, it'll confuse the hell out of anyone who doesn't touch type.
I have these caps on my keyboard and I can confirm this. I think I actually like it since it helps my muscle memory type one way on my laptop and another on my vertical staggered external keyboard. I bought an original for the caps and switches. Almost all the switches had been desoldered and replaced with Alps compatible Matias click switches which weren't even soldered in. Stinks. Could have raised a stink but whatever.
The point to “d” and “k” was that even if one of your hands was shifted by a letter, you’d still feel the nub, but you’d feel it on the wrong finger and know.
By moving the nub to “f” and “j”, they broke that contract. It’s harder to notice the absence of a nub than it is to notice it’s under the wrong finger.
These two devices had different home key setups (one with nubs, one with deep indentations) -- they had different number pad setups (one was "normal 10key" the other was setup like a telephone number pad) , and obviously my job was to be a super fast but accurate typist.
So when I got to school and was confronted by yet another cursed keyboard I snapped and "fixed" them. I would like to think everyone in the lab except the rich kid with a IIci in his dorm who was just using the laser printer to print his fanfics appreciated it.
Your logic is sound; I'm not going to disagree on principals but my fingers would get really agitated when trying to use those things.
... yet.