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If you look at the typewriter, from early mechanical models to the later electronic models, you will find a Caps Lock key. However, the typewriter was not abusive to users in the way that the keyboard is. It seems that the designers of the keyboard took a superficial look at the typewriter and mimicked its layout. They did not take into consideration the design principles that went into the typewriter.
On the typewriter, the Caps Lock key is not a toggle key. Pressing the key does not switch between states. No matter how many times you pressed the key, the end result is the same; caps-locked.
When you pressed the Caps Lock key, it remained physically depressed. You could see and feel that the typewriter was in caps-locked mode. The best the keyboard provides is indirect indication with a LED lit in the corner of the keyboard, amidst an array of other LEDs.
On the typewriter, the caps lock mode was very transient. Pressing either Shift key would release the caps lock. A typist that did not notice a caps-lock state would automatically be released from this mode as the shift key is pressed to begin the next sentence. As such, tHE eRROR oF tYPING lIKE tHIS never occurred on the typewriter.
The design of the typewriter Caps Lock key seems to consider human behavioral norms. The keyboard abuses these behaviors. There are no logical reasons for the keyboard not to follow the design patterns set forth by the typewriter. On the contrary, the keyboard brought an opportunity to improve upon the design. It is a shame we are still stuck with the results of this wrong turn.
