Archived from groups: microsoft.public.mshardware.product,microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (
More info?)
Good idea, I would send this off to mswish@microsoft.com.
--
Eric Chew, MVP
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"Jim Macklin" <p51mustang[threeX12]@xxxhotmail.calm> wrote in message
news:etd0kC8JEHA.3404@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> The solution may never happen because of marketing. But a
> second set of F-keys, one gray and the other an enhanced
> color would make everybody happy or angry.
>
> --
> The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
> But legislators see it as an obstacle to be overcome.
>
>
> "Darren Greenwald" <nospam@scala.com> wrote in message
> news:uNAXLY7JEHA.3944@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> |
> | "Jim Macklin" <p51mustang[threeX12]@xxxhotmail.calm> wrote
> in message
> | news:uGwHQ1vJEHA.3276@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> | > The only problem I have had with my MS Multimedia
> keyboard
> | > was trying to open the BIOS. As soon as I was aware of
> the
> | > problem, I solved it by turning the F-Lock ON as soon as
> the
> | > keyboard has power and then pressing the F2 key or if I
> want
> | > the boot menu F8.
> | >
> |
> | Yes, that is one problem, but the problem is basically any
> software (and the
> | BIOS is just software) that uses the F-Keys is broken by
> the hardware
> | remapping of the function keys.
> |
> | > If I were to design the keyboard I would have made the
> | > standard F keys the default and allowed Windows to
> select
> | > the desired mode after booting. But until Windows has
> | > loaded, you're stuck with the mechanical switch that is
> | > hard-wired in the kybd,
> | >
> | >
> |
> | Three things.
> |
> | 1.) There is no need to remap the keys in hardware. It is
> completely silly.
> | Of all the things you might want to virtualize/remap in
> software, remapping
> | keys has got to be the easiest, least CPU intensive
> remapping there is.
> |
> | 2.) Remapping the keys globally (in hardware) is not
> multi-tasking friendly.
> | Remapping the keys in hardware breaks all software that
> uses the function
> | keys as they were intended to be used, and have been used
> for 20 some years,
> | as user redefinable keys. That means to use those
> applications that use the
> | function keys as intended I have to MANUALLY switch the
> F-Lock key on/off
> | when I switch to those applications. That is just dumb.
> There is no reason
> | I should have to switch the F-Key lock on/off by hand when
> I switch to an
> | application that uses the function keys as they were
> intended to be used.
> | If the remapping is done in software then it the remapping
> can be tied to
> | applications (in the same way the you can remap the mouse
> buttons with
> | Intellipoint and tie these mappings to specific
> applications). If Micrsoft
> | had really wanted to remap the keys they would have had
> better success by
> | adding a new API call that makes it very easy for
> applications to specify
> | that they use the Function keys as "office style" keys,
> and then have the OS
> | automatically remap the keys for those applications in
> software. That way
> | when you switched to those applications you would
> automatically get the new
> | behavior, while old applications would not be affected,
> but... see #3.
> |
> | 3.) The problem with #2 is that who is most likely to be
> using the function
> | keys? Advanced users. Beginners use the pull down menus
> and mouse. And
> | advanced users that have come to learn keyboard short-cuts
> that use the
> | function keys aren't motivated to learn a new set of
> short-cuts, not when
> | the short-cuts don't work in all other applications. Nor
> are they motivated
> | to teach new users a second set of short cuts.
> Particularly in a
> | business/school/laptop environment where most keyboards
> are not new MS
> | keyboards, where is the motivation to teach people these
> new MS specific
> | keyboard shortcuts? They don't work on other keyboards in
> the office. What
> | is the point in learning yet another set of (inconsistent)
> keyboard
> | short-cuts? Advanced users (who are probably the most
> likely to be making
> | the purchases) have already learned a set of short cuts
> (e.g., ALT-F4 which
> | cannot be used at the same time as the new function keys)
> so they won't
> | learn them. And beginners are likely to be entirely
> frustrated by the new
> | keyboard shortcuts. Pull up the Windows XP keyboard help
> sometime. The
> | F-key short cuts in the help docuemnts don't work with
> this new keyboard
> | mapping. Infact the documents that come with most games
> and much existing
> | software, doesn't work with the new keyboard mappings.
> The real newb users
> | are going to end up calling tech support asking them why
> pressing F5 doesn't
> | save their game, or why F3 doesn't search again, etc. And
> what software
> | developer wants to document around this inconsistency? So
> in the end
> | everyone converges on turning the F-Key lock OFF, and
> restoring the default
> | function key behavior. So I don't even honestly see much
> value in remapping
> | the function keys in software.
> |
> |
> |
> |
> | > --
> | > The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
> | > But legislators see it as an obstacle to be overcome.
> | >
> | >
> | > "Bill Sharpe" <bsharpe@nsadelphia.net> wrote in message
> | > news:eOXb$fvJEHA.2452@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> | > | Interesting thread! I just bought a cordless
> | > keyboard/mouse system from
> | > | CompUSA. Keyboard has an f-lock key, but the Off
> position
> | > gives the normal
> | > | function key responses, i.e. Alt-F4 closes a window.
> | > Tapping the f-lock key
> | > | gives the enhanced functions. Only drawback I see is
> there
> | > are no indicators
> | > | on the keyboard as to Numloc, ScrollLoc, CapLoc, or
> fLoc
> | > status. These show
> | > | up in the onscreen status bar.
> | > |
> | > | Thanks for putting up your f Lock page, although I
> don't
> | > think I'll need it.
> | > |
> | > | Bill
> | > |
> | > | "Jason Tsang" <jason-onlineDEL@ETEmvps.org> wrote in
> | > message
> | > | news:O4z9SRvJEHA.2380@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> | > | > After speaking to the team that makes the MS
> Keyboards,
> | > I hope my f lock
> | > | > page is on its last legs.
> | > | >
> | > | > We'll see when they release new keyboards.
> | > | >
> | > | > --
> | > | > Jason Tsang - Microsoft MVP
> | > | >
> | > |
> | > |
> | > |
> | >
> | >
> |
> |
>
>
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