Ask Slashdot: Why Is the Caps Lock Key Still So Prominent On Keyboards? 698
Esther Schindler writes: The developers at .io are into tracking things, I guess. In any case, a few weeks back they decided to track team performance in terms of keyboard and mouse activity during the working day. They installed a simple Chrome plugin on every Macbook and collected some statistics. For instance, developers have fewer keypresses than editors and managers—around 4k every day. Managers type more than 23k characters per day. And so on. Some pretty neat statistics.
But the piece that jumped out at me was this: "What's curious—the least popular keys are Capslock and Right Mouse Button. Somewhere around 0.1% of all keypresses together. It's time to make some changes to keyboards." I've been whining about this for years. Why is it that the least-used key on my keyboard is not just in a prominent position, but also bigger than most other keys? I can I invest in a real alternate keyboard with a different layout (my husband's a big fan of the Kinesis keyboards, initially to cope with carpal tunnel). But surely it's time to re-visit the standard key layout? What keys would you eliminate or re-arrange?
But the piece that jumped out at me was this: "What's curious—the least popular keys are Capslock and Right Mouse Button. Somewhere around 0.1% of all keypresses together. It's time to make some changes to keyboards." I've been whining about this for years. Why is it that the least-used key on my keyboard is not just in a prominent position, but also bigger than most other keys? I can I invest in a real alternate keyboard with a different layout (my husband's a big fan of the Kinesis keyboards, initially to cope with carpal tunnel). But surely it's time to re-visit the standard key layout? What keys would you eliminate or re-arrange?
Caps Lock used to power a huge lever. (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
The Capslock key inherited the position occupied by the Shift-Lock key. Some keyboards still mark it as shift-lock. In the old mechanical typewriters, the shift lock actually moved the entire framework holding the rack of all the levers that held the letters. It required considerable force to push.
...and you could tell from the look and feel of the shift key that it was down. And using the shift key automatically unlocked the shift lock (on many keyboards at least).
If you really want to have that key, it probably ought to go back to that: some kind of mechanical lock on the shift key. Perhaps a smallish button actually physically on one corner of the left shift key.
Re:Caps Lock used to power a huge lever. (Score:5, Interesting)
I wish it still behaved as shift-lock: affecting all characters, not just letters. When I use caps lock, it's almost always because I'm typing an environment variable or #defined constant. And that means I'm going to be typing lots of _ characters. If caps lock behaved like shift lock, I wouldn't have to press shift for every one of them.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Caps Lock used to power a huge lever. (Score:5, Funny)
Maybe it's time underscore was its own key anyway...
How about where the capslock is now
Re: Caps Lock used to power a huge lever. (Score:4, Insightful)
On a UK and Irish layouts, certainly, and likely others too, the # key already has a more prominent space on the home row. For US users, it's Shift-3. For UK and Irish, Shift-3 is the pound symbol (as in £). # ("hash" for us, or "sharp", or "number" -- never "pound" or "octothorp") is a little-finger key located beside the bottom half of the enter key (which has a different shape for us than on US keyboards)
My home row is :@~ )
capslock ASDFGHJKL;'# bottom_of_enter_key
(the 3 keys after L with shift are
Putting it where caps-lock is now would be counter-productive for all most non-US keyboard users.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
www.autohotkey.com
For those interested in making the shift key act like a typewriter, I use this snippet. Double tap (within 500ms) either shift key, and it enables shift lock; a single tap disables it:
Shift::
if A_PriorHotkey = Shift
{
if A_TimeSincePriorHotkey 500
{
SetCapsLockState, on
Re:Caps Lock used to power a huge lever. (Score:5, Informative)
This would be horrible for anyone using Swiss German Keyboard Layout.
CAPS is a separate keyboard state.
CAPS ON, Key !== SHIFT+Key
ü = ü
Shift-ü = è
CAPS ON, ü = Ü
CAPS ON, Shift-ü = È
Because the relevant part of the layout:
o p ü
k l ö ä $
With Shift
O P è !
K L é à £
Caps Lock
O P Ü
K L Ö Ä $
Caps+SHIFT
O P È !
K L É À $
Thus, CAPS-ON + key != Shift + key.
Re: Caps Lock used to power a huge lever. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Caps Lock used to power a huge lever. (Score:5, Informative)
It was reverted because, as computers started systematically replacing the typewriter in businesses (instead of being a specialist machine, like terminals), secretary-typists and the typists in corporate typing pools complained about the location of the Caps Lock key not being where they were used to it. Keyboards for computers intended for general business use accordingly swapped over, since the people who typed the most and had the strongest opinions on keyboards in the early 1980s wanted it that way.
Re:It's IBM's fault. Everyone copied the PC. (Score:5, Informative)
"Sometime around 1985"? Actually a couple of years before that.
Listen' up, young uns, and I'll give you some history.
The computer world until the early 1980s was largely divided between the IBM EBCDIC/coax block mode terminals and ASCII/serial.
IBM block-mode (3278) keyboards had no CTRL key, and two return keys - one for typical carriage return when entering text, and the ENTER key to signal that all fields on the block-mode screen were filled and to transmit them. All the ASCII stuff including most of the original personal computers had the CTRL key in that position, or required a separate ASCII terminal. Some early ASCII terminals didn't even have backspace or return keys - you used CTRL-H and CTLM-M. Still works in many applications. Us old-timers were accustomed to it and could keep our hands in the touch typing position. Find your nearest proficient, old-timer vi user for a demo of how fast you can edit code with a properly placed CTRL key.
Then IBM came out with their PC. They had to add a CTRL key because lots of applications used it - Wordstar for instance. But they also wanted to sell it into the corporate IBM corporate customers. So they left the caps lock key where IBM terminal users expected it to be. And they tucked the CTRL key down below the shift key.
A truly wretched layout. But the IBM PC was a big hit, and everyone rushed to copy it.
You can still buy keyboards with a DIP switch to swap the CTRL and Caps Lock keys.
Re:It's IBM's fault. Everyone copied the PC. (Score:5, Informative)
The IBM PC-AT keyboard, circa 1984, has control as a large key above shift and to the left of the 'A' key, in its proper place. Alt is below shift. There are no right-hand alt or control keys and caps-lock is off on the right side below shift where the right control key is now. There was a large gap between the spaceback and caps-lock, since there was no right alt or windows key.
The PC-XT keyboard, circa 1981, had the same layout of control-shift-alt in the proper order on the left. The caps-lock key was on the far upper-right corner, above the numeric keypad.
It wasn't until the 101 key model M that IBM messed up and placed the caps lock key in the incorrect location above shift and next to 'A'.
Is there really no one else here who remebers typing away on the original PC keyboard, with the control key in the proper location, the giant plus key, break on the scroll lock key and printscreen on the dedicated '*' key?
My Pet Peeves (recent Windows laptop keyboards) (Score:4, Insightful)
1. CapsLock. Grr.
2. The numeric keypad on 15" laptops. Why? Why?! Why?!! It causes the rest of the keys to get scrunched up and moved to unnatural positions, and positions the trackpad offset left upto 3 or 4 inches, which makes for a horrible experience for a right-handed typist. The trackpad should ALWAYS be centered.
3. But please bring back full-size Page Up/Down keys (with maybe a shift action to Begin/End). I'm looking at you, Macbook Pro! Don't run and hide..
Re: (Score:3)
The numeric keypad tends to be pretty highly valued by typists that are 10key proficient and type a lot of numbers. It's actually more common than you probably believe. I and many others prefer to buy laptops/keyboards with the 10 key numeric in place.
Re: (Score:2)
One handed usage when reading a long document.
Do you fap to Business requirements documents?
Re:My Pet Peeves (recent Windows laptop keyboards) (Score:5, Informative)
Num pads on a laptop are ergonomics nightmares. Better to get BT numpad.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:My Pet Peeves (recent Windows laptop keyboards) (Score:5, Insightful)
Pretty much any technical field requires capslock. I'm a software engineer in the automotive field. Tons of code from 3rd party libraries are all caps, as well as the part numbers I deal with in the automotive industry.
Maybe the reason why capslock is used to little is because... think about it. If my entire post were entirely in caps? Count the number of key strokes. Capslock would be pressed once to enter all-caps mode, and once to leave it. To presses of that key vs countless presses of the letters and a few other formatting symbols. Caps lock shouldn't be counted by the number of key presses any more than scroll lock or number lock. Instead they should be counted by the number of other key presses that are modified while they are activated.
The power button (Score:5, Insightful)
Hey, I hardly ever press the power button, lets get rid of that one.
Idiots
Re:The power button (Score:5, Insightful)
That said, the size and placement of Caps Lock are simply a historical accident. If keyboard manufacturers wanted to halve the size and stick another key left of A, that would be fine with me. (The "context menu" key that's missing from so many keyboards these days would be a great choice.)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
That logic doesn't apply for most non-US layouts; and most Americans don't realise that the concept of a right-alt key being required is needed.
And that due to proliferation of US keyboards and Windows back in the day: ALT-GR ~== CTRL-ALT. Some apps will treat it as CTRL-ALT (incorrectly), some will treat it as ALT-GR. Thus, some applications fail hard when they try to make CTRL-ALT accceleratiors, that can't be typed; or they override the letter on the keyboard (which is probably worse)
You have three
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
To be fair though, putting power and sleep buttons on the keyboard was a monumentally stupid idea. It's far too easy to accidentally hit them.
Re:The power button (Score:5, Funny)
Only crap keyboards have a power button.
The article also mentioned the right mouse button. My keyboard doesn't have one of those either.
Really? (Score:5, Insightful)
You don't say!
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3)
Mice from Apple don't have any buttons any more. However, Mac OS has accepted events for more that the left button for years.
Because it toggles an LED! (Score:5, Interesting)
Old School Fun Fact: If the computer looks hung or otherwise nonresponsive, if you can toggle the caps lock LED, then the OS is still alive.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Re:Because it toggles an LED! (Score:4, Funny)
I've long wanted a game where you are a wizard, and thieves steal your scrolls, unless you Scroll Lock. But then you can't use the scrolls, until you toggle it back. It would be pretty perfect.
Scroll Lock is legitimately used in spreadsheets, but very rarely today. It's generally good that there is some modal switch anyway. It's so rare to find some future expandable slots on a keyboard, you know?
It's shift for some people (Score:5, Interesting)
Working in IT, and frequently watching desktop users, I was surprised to learn that MANY people actually use the Caps Lock key as shift. To make a capital letter, they will turn on caps, press the letter, then turn off caps. I've see 3 people in the last year do this!
Re:It's shift for some people (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You might be typing with one hand, for example.
There are "sticky key" features in many OS's that duplicate that functionality.
Re:It's shift for some people (Score:4, Interesting)
I was surprised to learn that MANY people actually use the Caps Lock key as shift.
It's not just PEBKACs that do that. One of the world's fastest typists does this. http://seanwrona.com/typing.ph... [seanwrona.com] (look under the "Typing Tips" section).
REALLY? (Score:5, Funny)
"Why Is the Caps Lock Key Still So Prominent On Keyboards?"
HAS THE OP BEEN ON THE INTERNET AT ALL? EVER?
Although, I do like to imagine some of the rage typists are actually holding in the [Shift] key...
Re: (Score:2)
"Why Is the Caps Lock Key Still So Prominent On Keyboards?"
HAS THE OP BEEN ON THE INTERNET AT ALL? EVER?
Although, I do like to imagine some of the rage typists are actually holding in the [Shift] key...
NO KIDDING! CAPS LOCK IS very HANDY WHEN SHOUTING AT PEOPLES!
Re: (Score:2)
THIS111
I wish I had mod points... Also, the assumption that the caps lock key isn't being used because it is pressed infrequently is disingenuous.
Re: (Score:2)
Ha!
I started in mainframe days when SO MANY PROGRAMMERS I KNEW TYPED IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THE COMPILER UNDERSTOOD.
And then those people tried to use email, and thought that it was perfectly fine to write all non-programming correspondence that way. Including my brother-in-law... and you can't tell your BiL he's an idiot. Not if you want your sister to keep talking to you.
i'VE BEEN HATING THE caps lock KEY FOR DECADES (Score:2)
.
I've tried removing the key top (bruise on my finger when I accidentally hit it).
Why is this throwback to punch cards still around?
Re: (Score:2)
Just because you don't have a use-case for it, doesn't mean that there are no use-cases for it.
This is not about the existence of use-cases, but the amount of use.
.
There is a difference.
I do not deny that the CAPS LOCK key is widely used within niche environments.
I also do not advocate eliminating the CAPS LOCK key, merely moving it to a place that is more aligned with the amount of use it gets.
Where's "Scroll Lock"? (Score:5, Insightful)
I can't believe that "Scroll Lock" is used more often than "Caps Lock"
>> least popular keys are...Right Mouse Button
I'm guessing their "developers" don't actually use an IDE. Even on my Mac I use a two-button mouse just to get context-sensitive menus.
Re: (Score:2)
I can't believe that "Scroll Lock" is used more often than "Caps Lock"
>> least popular keys are...Right Mouse Button
I'm guessing their "developers" don't actually use an IDE. Even on my Mac I use a two-button mouse just to get context-sensitive menus.
Half baked researches from half baked researchers about half assed developers.
(A lot of web designers are calling themselves "developers" nowadays)
Re:Where's "Scroll Lock"? (Score:4, Informative)
As a MacBook user myself, I actually miss the insert for shift-insert cut'n'paste on ssh sessions. Other than that, I'm fine with all the others being missing. The right-click is interesting - do they literally mean right-click, or do they mean the context-sensitive event (two fingered click on a trackpad)? On a MacBook I would have thought the second one, and I also use that a fair amount.
Re: (Score:2)
They were using a Chrome plugin as a key logger so presumably this only reflects input to their web browser. Not surprising the managers had higher activity than the "developers" either.
Re: Where's "Scroll Lock"? (Score:2)
Yeah for function documentation or "jump to declaration" kinda stuff... But once you start to use that often enough you start to look for and then use the keyboard shortcut.
a nice Linux trick (Score:3)
! Swap caps lock and escape
remove Lock = Caps_Lock
keysym Escape = Caps_Lock
keysym Caps_Lock = Escape
add Lock = Caps_Lock
Re: (Score:2)
Unfortunately it's hard to get xmodmap to play nicely in cases like hotplugging keyboards or using Gnome, at least under Linux. There is a standard option for swapping caps lock and control (or escape, or several other similar options), but if you want a layout option that isn't built-in, then prepare yourself for a world of frustration.
SubjectsSuck (Score:4, Interesting)
I can I invest in a real alternate keyboard with a different layout...
You could also invest in a tool to remap the key next to 'A' to "Control," like God intended. You don't need to get a whole new keyboard. Write on the key with a marker if you're the kind of person that looks at key labels when you're typing.
Re: (Score:2)
You could also invest in a tool to remap the key next to 'A' to "Control," like God intended.
Do you really need to "invest in a tool" to do that? If so, let me know and I'll sell you one. Price varies, depending on how much you have.
keypad (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
I'd settle for a "command space" key and a custom terminal. "Caps Lock" specifies I'm entering a new string in a new array position for argv,
The three keys on the top-right (Score:3)
The three keys on the top-right
- Print screen/SysRequest: a poor man's screengrabber at best
- Scroll Lock: does something in MS Office, though I know not what.
- Pause/Break: as far as I know, does absolutely nothing in any application.
Re: (Score:2)
Dunno how Office (mis-)uses it, but the FreeBSD console uses Scroll Lock to freeze the console and let you page up and down through the scrollback buffer.
Re: (Score:3)
On Excel, scroll lock toggles the action of the arrow keys. With lock off, they move the selected cell one step at a time. With lock on, they move the view one page at a time. The second mode is useful if you work with truly huge spreadsheets.
Re: (Score:3)
If you expect to need it, create the file /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq with the contents set to 1. This makes the key combo active by default, and survives rebooting.
The /proc directory is a virtual filesystem; nothing in there survives rebooting. If you want the sysrq keys to remain enabled after a reboot you need to write to that file from an init script.
Swap the Ctrl and Alt keys (Score:2)
Please!
And give us back our reset button, and disk activity light, so I know if the machine froze up! What the hell is the matter with you people?
And you can have my right mouse button when you can pry it from my cold dead hands.
Re: (Score:3)
With SSDs you can't even hear the drive going - that activity light is more important than ever!
Re: (Score:3)
Oddly enough, I've always been able to hear my SSDs (of various brands) when they were accessed, at least in a quiet room. I've always wondered why.
First let's consolidate all keyboards. (Score:2)
After consolidating the world's keyboards, you can remove with CapsLock key with a knife
Different (key)strokes for different folks (Score:2)
I use the capslock all the time. Of course I'm an engineer and I switch between documents (regular case) and drawings (all upper case) so it gets a pretty big workout. Gotta say the same for my right mouse button - and the center scroll, tool. NumLock, though - that's a pretty rare beast for me; typically only gets used when it's accidentally turned off.
flawed? (Score:2)
I didn't read the article (this is slashdot after all), but if it's a chrome plugin, would that register key presses outside the browser? The caps key is basically never used in a browser. On my job, users rely on caps lock to type into forms inside our iseries system.
In my opinion the least used key is the scroll lock and the pause key
No One Knows What to Put There Instead (Score:2)
You'd prefer this, maybe? [lenovo.com]
That abomination was the keyboard Lenovo inflicted on the world on their Thinkpad Carbon X1 (2nd. gen). This presumably was green-lit by the same Very Serious People who approved the bundling of the SuperFish on "select" laptops.
Lenovo seems to have since learned their lesson; the Carbon X1 3rd gen has a proper keyboard, and proper buttons above the touchpad.
Obligatory bash.org (Score:4, Interesting)
http://bash.org/?835030 [bash.org]
That aside, just don't screw with things. You mention caps lock, which I don't use, but any change is likely to just screw with muscle memory and not have any practical benefit except as some symbolic gesture against caps lock. For example, see second gen X1 carbon which replaced caps lock with home and end keys.
There is also the troubling by the way mention of the right mouse button. For the love of god do not advocate screwing with the right mouse button. You don't often need it, but when you do, all the schemes that try to de-emphasize it's footprint really screw with you and again *nothing of value is gained*.
Re: (Score:2)
Twice in the same thread I've pined for mod points... that bash.org link is hilarious!
CAPS-LOCK (Score:4, Funny)
Obviously caps-lock is the least used key. you press it only once after boot, then no more.
Mangled IRC joke (Score:5, Funny)
Dude2:"Hey. Doing okay. You?"
Dude1:"COULDN'T BE BETTER! ANYTHING GOING ON?"
Dude2:"There's a caps lock key on your keyboard, press it."
Dude1"OH! THANK YOU! IT'S SO MUCH EASIER TYPING NOW NOT HAVING TO HOLD SHIFT."
Re: (Score:3)
Give me my Home key back (Score:2)
On the newer Latitude laptops, Dell moved the Home and End keys down onto the arrow keys and made them Fn enabled. It is really frustrating because I often use Home and End when editing text, often in conjunction with Shift or Control to manipulate large blocks of text.
This of course has nothing to do with TFA, but this is /. and I need to rant damn it.
irony (Score:2)
"...neat statistics" (Score:2)
I agree it's pretty neat, but do they have this data in a more readable form? As in one, that doesn't have a million cartoon images interspersed with one sentence? I don't mean to be a crank, but I found it difficult to read. Even more so than the regular site!
Definitely not the least used key (Score:2)
Keys that never get used ever because they are no longer useful:
Sys Rq
Scroll Lock
Pause/Break
Let's put Caps Lock where Scroll Lock is currently. Caps Lock is occasionally useful but the key word is occasionally. Most of the time it is just annoying and it is WAY too prominent on the keyboard.
Personally I'd get rid of the Windows key too since I never ever use it but I know some people actually do. Freaks... ;-)
Colemak (Score:2)
On the Colemak keyboard layout the Caps Lock has been assigned to work as a 2nd backspace key. This would be much more useful if I remembered to use it.
Dvorak. (Score:4, Informative)
Organize now. Latch on to this issue. Or you'll miss your chance.
Why is the caps-lock key so prominent? (Score:3)
To give you a nice, big, easy-to-reach key you can remap to Control.
Here's why: (Score:2)
CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL.
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
Nooooooooo (Score:2)
Oh goodie, another standard keyboard layout. Because getting rid of the "esc" key and putting an additional key in the bottom row worked so well for DEC.
But getting used to yet another keyboard layout... I'll leave that to the keyboard experimenters. I have actual work to do.
Why Is the Caps Lock Key Still So Prominent On Key (Score:5, Funny)
SO THE OLD GEEZERS WHO ONLY GREW UP WITH TELETYPE MACHINES CAN COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.
WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY?
Short answer ... (Score:3)
Because the world doesn't want every idiot who thinks he's made a better keyboard constantly mucking about with stuff for the sake of it.
Some of us have been typing for decades, and simply don't care that you think it's time to redesign the keyboard.
"It's time to make some changes to keyboards" -- No, that's your opinion, it isn't fact.
You want a custom keyboard, buy it or make it. But don't be such an arrogant ass as to assume we give a damn about you whining about it. We don't need some damned keyboard designed by a fucking committee.
What a stupid article.
Sticking with a 1982 design (Score:4, Interesting)
Remapping Caps Lock On OSX (Score:3)
It's actually really easy to turn Caps Lock into Control (or Command) on OSX; it's in the Keyboard preference panel, under the button "Modifier Keys".
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
Swap Caps Lock and Escape (Score:3)
No. It's useful. (Score:3)
And why would you remove it, anyway?
Re:The Microsoft key!!!! I've never used it...ever (Score:5, Interesting)
Just curious, what OS are you using?
On both Windows and Linux, it's a pretty handy key.
Re:The Microsoft key!!!! I've never used it...ever (Score:4, Informative)
Just curious, what OS are you using?
On both Windows and Linux, it's a pretty handy key.
On Windows 8 (I haven't tried 10 yet), its pretty much required, unless you do something goofy like place an icon for every program you might ever want to use on your desktop. Its the "help me find a program" key. If you'd rather search your hard-drive manually, its still much quicker to bring up file explorer with Windows-e rather than hunt down a picture of it on your desktop (closing any possible obscuring windows) and click that.
Re: (Score:2)
The context menu key on the other hand...
Re:The Microsoft key!!!! I've never used it...ever (Score:4, Informative)
You will not take my context menu key until you pry it from my cold dead fingers. I use that thing constantly. Maybe I use applications that hide an inordinate amount of functionality under the context menu (including my own). I really try to avoid moving my hands from the keyboard to the mouse (and back) until I absolutely have to, so I'm all about keyboard shortcuts. The context menu key is a handy one, for me at least.
Re:The Microsoft key!!!! I've never used it...ever (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:3)
Microsoft Key - Useful (Score:3)
The Windows key is pretty damned useful in day-to-day activities: (Not sure which are Windows 8 or newer, but many were in 7 as well )
I for one make use of:
Windows - LEFT, Windows - RIGHT : Snap half-screen left / Move to next Monitor;
Windows - UP, Windows DOWN : Maximize, Minimize
Windows SHIFT UP, Win-Shift-Down : Maximize/Restore Vertical only. (Width stays the same, only window height maximizes/restores)
Windows - Print Screen: Screenshot and save to file
Windows - X : Power Menu (Admin Command Promt,
Re: (Score:2)
Re:The Microsoft key!!!! I've never used it...ever (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:3)
I never understood the hate for the Windows key. Well, sure as a youthful Linux user I was snobbish when it was introduced, but after mapping it to something useful I started disliking keyboards without it.
What I'd really like is some simple and commonly available system that lets you re-map or disable any key on the keyboard at will.
xmodmap works well for basic key remapping. If you want to do funky stuff like make it per-keyboard instead of global (useful for UK/US keyboard differences for example) then
Re:The Microsoft key!!!! I've never used it...ever (Score:5, Informative)
Most convenient key for semi-common actions (Score:3)
The Windows key is pretty damned useful in day-to-day activities: (Not sure which are Windows 8 or newer, but many were in 7 as well )
I for one make use of:
Windows - LEFT, Windows - RIGHT : Snap half-screen left / Move to next Monitor;
Windows - UP, Windows DOWN : Maximize, Minimize
Windows SHIFT UP, Win-Shift-Down : Maximize/Restore Vertical only. (Width stays the same, only window height maximizes/restores)
Windows - Print Screen: Screenshot and save to file
Windows - X : Power Menu (Admin Command Promt,
Re: (Score:3)
Ctrl.
(Typing this on a day-old Chromebook that has a search key mapped to that position. Anyone know how I can map that to Ctrl?)
Re: (Score:3)
I always remap caps lock to left ctrl, the way it used to be on rather old keyboards. So much more convenient than having to reach down to the left-ctrl key.