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The Modernization of Emacs

Dave Hansen iddw at hotmail.com
Thu Jun 21 17:40:14 EDT 2007 
On Jun 21, 9:49 am, Robert Uhl <eadmun... at NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote:
> Twisted <twisted... at gmail.com> writes:
>
> > Given that in its out-of-the-box configuration it's well-nigh unusable
> > without a printed-out "cheat sheet" of some kind, of the sort that
> > were supposed to have died out in the 80s, getting it customized poses
> > something of a catch-22 for anyone trying to get started using it.
>
> I don't see that.  C-h t is your friend if you're starting out.  The
> only keystrokes a user really needs to remember are C-x C-s and C-x C-c;
> everything else simple text editing needs works as expected (arrow keys,
> backspace and so forth).  Granted, text-mode is friendlier than

I'm not so sure C-h t is anybody's friend anymore.  Every version of
Emacs that I've used since 1984 has supported the arrow and page up/
down keys.  And every version of the tutorial that I've read (the
latest just a couple years back) insists on starting the user out with
C-f, C-b, C-p, C-n, C-V, and ESC-V, with some lame explanation like
"touch-typists shun the arrow and page keys, and besides, they might
not be supported on the next terminal you use."  Like ESC, I suppose.
Furrfu.

Regards,

   -=Dave
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