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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: N8N on Sat, 13 August 2011, 18:45:37

Title: this has been bothering me. Why "tenkeyless?"
Post by: N8N on Sat, 13 August 2011, 18:45:37

Isn't the numpad usually 17 keys?  Why not "seventeenkeyless?"

am I just thinking about this too much?

Title: this has been bothering me. Why "tenkeyless?"
Post by: aggiejy on Sat, 13 August 2011, 19:09:50

Ha, perhaps.  10 numbers... so they came up with tenkey somewhere along the way.  Don't over think it. ;)

Title: this has been bothering me. Why "tenkeyless?"
Post by: Rafen on Sat, 13 August 2011, 19:14:18

I never really paid attention to how many keys were on the numpad until you said something about it. Now you have me wondering why it's called that also.

Title: this has been bothering me. Why "tenkeyless?"
Post by: DesktopJinx on Sat, 13 August 2011, 19:46:35

This comes from the adding machine, and the eventually-standardized layout of the numeric keys on them.

A quick Googling of ten key history produces

http://www.xnumber.com/xnumber/mechanical3.htm

If you dig through really old books on resumes/CVs or business skills, you may come across references of ten-key as a skill, and even ten-key speed -- surely very important for accountants.