Declaring war on caps lock!

[iago]

http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/16/1225239&from=rss

"I've launched a campaign to rid the world of the caps lock key. Sure, there are more serious problems to solve but please, think of the children! How am I going to explain to my kids why some of the most valuable keyboard real estate is squatted by a large, useless key that above all you must not press! "

I have to agree with him, Caps Lock DOES cause more problems then it's worth, and I haven't actually used it forever and ever. 

[MyndFyre]

OMG WHAT KINDS OF PROBLEMS DO YOU THINK IT CAUSES?  I CAN"T BELIEVE THAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS TO US!!!  HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TEACH MY CHILDREN HOW TO SPAM AND BE EXTREMELY ANNOYING ON MESSAGE BOARDS NOW?  NO< WE MUST KEEP THE CAPS LOCK KEY!

(this message brought to you by right shift.)

[Sidoh]

OMG WHAT KINDS OF PROBLEMS DO YOU THINK IT CAUSES?  I CAN"T BELIEVE THAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS TO US!!!  HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TEACH MY CHILDREN HOW TO SPAM AND BE EXTREMELY ANNOYING ON MESSAGE BOARDS NOW?  NO< WE MUST KEEP THE CAPS LOCK KEY!

(this message brought to you by right shift.)

YEAH I TOTALLY AGREE>  WHAT WOULD LIFE BE LIKE WITHOUT CAPSLOCK?

[Newby]

OMG THAT GUY IS SOOOOO STUPID CAPS LOCK IS LIEK CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL. ONLY THE COOL KIDS THAT USE MYSPACE USE CAPS LOCK, SO HE IS JUST MAD THAT HE IS LIKE TOO DUMB TO USE MYSPACE LOL ITS SO EZ AND ITS FREE AND MY BEST FRIEND IS TOM .

FUCK SHOE CLOSETS, I GOT MY OWN SWEAT SHOP NIGGA GOD DAMN.

(THIS MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY CAPS LOCK)

[Ergot]

OMG WHAT KINDS OF PROBLEMS DO YOU THINK IT CAUSES?  I CAN"T BELIEVE THAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS TO US!!!  HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TEACH MY CHILDREN HOW TO SPAM AND BE EXTREMELY ANNOYING ON MESSAGE BOARDS NOW?  NO< WE MUST KEEP THE CAPS LOCK KEY!

(this message brought to you by right shift.)

That's why it's important to enable CAPS LOCK when your shift buttons are broken .

[iago]

But it takes up so much real estate!  It should be off in the corner or something...

[Ergot]

But it takes up so much real estate!  It should be off in the corner or something...

Or they could just strink the size :/ or put it next to scroll lock.

[iago]

But it takes up so much real estate!  It should be off in the corner or something...

Or they could just strink the size :/ or put it next to scroll lock.

Agreed!

So the next question is, what's a useful button that could go there instead? 

[d&q]

Rot13 key. Or a key that's tied to a program which indexes online porn continuously.

[Newby]

A more useful key... perhaps a Linux penguin key. Like the Windows key, except this key would have no useful function for Windows. Only for Linux.

Hmm... good question. I should remove my caps lock key and make it do something else!

Perhaps extend the F1 - F12 keys with F13 - F24, and then you can hold this key and push one of those keys and get the corresponding key. That'd actually be neat I suppose for videogame enthusiasts who find themselves running out of key bindings.

[Quik]

A more useful key... perhaps a Linux penguin key. Like the Windows key, except this key would have no useful function for Windows. Only for Linux.

Hmm... good question. I should remove my caps lock key and make it do something else!

Perhaps extend the F1 - F12 keys with F13 - F24, and then you can hold this key and push one of those keys and get the corresponding key. That'd actually be neat I suppose for videogame enthusiasts who find themselves running out of key bindings.

It's a lock, it even has the light already there, why would you need to hold it? Just push it and your F keys switch. Do it. Now.

[Newby]

I have: scroll lock, number lock, caps lock. Maybe on YOUR keyboard you have them, but this keyboard and many others I have used do not.

[Quik]

I have: scroll lock, number lock, caps lock. Maybe on YOUR keyboard you have them, but this keyboard and many others I have used do not.

I'm saying, the caps lock is a LOCK. Why would you force the user to HOLD the key you make?

[iago]

That reminds me, I *HATE* (with astrisks) F-Lock.  Why the hell would I want F2 to REDO?  And both my keyboards at work have them, stupid Microsoft's crappy hardware.  My kingdom for a Logitech!

You know what's annoying as hell?  F-Lock is off by default, so if I have to press F2 to get into BIOS, I have to press F-Lock then F2.  That's stupid! stupidstupidstupid. 

I hate F-Lock. 

[MyndFyre]

You know what's annoying as hell?  F-Lock is off by default, so if I have to press F2 to get into BIOS, I have to press F-Lock then F2.

Odd.  I have 2 MS keyboards at home and one at work, and all three have F-lock.  It's always on by default.  The only annoying thing is that I have to turn it off for print screen.  *shrug* You must not know how to type.  Clearly, you should kill yourself.

A more useful key... perhaps a Linux penguin key. Like the Windows key, except this key would have no useful function for Windows. Only for Linux.

DUMP CORE!

[rabbit]

My F-Lock is off be default, and I can print screen with it on.

[Hitmen]

My kingdom for a Logitech!

My logitech keyboard has F-Lock.

[Warrior]

Replace the capslock key with the key to activate Flip3D on Windows Vista. Problem solved.

[Chavo]

My kingdom for a Logitech!

My logitech keyboard has F-Lock.

Mine too, but F-lock is ON by default.  I think the MS ones are ON by default too if you actually install the software that comes with them.

[MyndFyre]

Replace the capslock key with the key to activate Flip3D on Windows Vista. Problem solved.

Why would you do that when alt+tab already does it?

[Warrior]

I use Alt+Tab to...Alt Tab..not to Flip3D. I actually thought WindowsKey+Alt did it? Anyhow a more convenient key would be nice even though you can set hotkeys.

[iago]

My F-Lock is off be default, and I can print screen with it on.

Same.

Mine too, but F-lock is ON by default.  I think the MS ones are ON by default too if you actually install the software that comes with them.

I doubt the software would affect getting into the BIOS when you're booting.  There's nothing worse than trying to hammer F2 to get into the setup and having it not work

[MyndFyre]

My F-Lock is off be default, and I can print screen with it on.

Same.

Mine too, but F-lock is ON by default.  I think the MS ones are ON by default too if you actually install the software that comes with them.

I doubt the software would affect getting into the BIOS when you're booting.  There's nothing worse than trying to hammer F2 to get into the setup and having it not work

Nope, on boot my F-Lock and Num-lock keys come on.

[iago]

My F-Lock is off be default, and I can print screen with it on.

Same.

Mine too, but F-lock is ON by default.  I think the MS ones are ON by default too if you actually install the software that comes with them.

I doubt the software would affect getting into the BIOS when you're booting.  There's nothing worse than trying to hammer F2 to get into the setup and having it not work

Nope, on boot my F-Lock and Num-lock keys come on.

Yeah, but that has nothing to do with your drivers. 

I know that Num-lock state is usually in your BIOS settings.  I doubt F-lock is, though...

[Blaze]

If you install the microsoft software that allows you to change what the keys do and stuff you can set the Function Lock as auto on.  When the Function Lock is on on my keyboard, Print Screen is Insert, ftl!  I hate Function Lock with a burning passion.

[Chavo]

Mine too, but F-lock is ON by default.  I think the MS ones are ON by default too if you actually install the software that comes with them.

I doubt the software would affect getting into the BIOS when you're booting.  There's nothing worse than trying to hammer F2 to get into the setup and having it not work
[/quote]
I haven't popped one open to check, but it would be pretty easy to make a keyboard that turned f-lock on/off at boot time based on an on-board memory value.