Out of the Blue [Dec 07, 2004, 09:56 am ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
I just need to vent a little here. I ruined a keyboard with a coffee spill
yesterday, and contrary to the logic that might suggest a cheap replacement was
in order for an item that had suffered such a carelessness-related demise, I
picked up a fancy Microsoft wireless desktop as a replacement. Now I am
suffering with a couple of inconveniences using it, because they have decided
that the small array of keys above the arrow keys (home, insert, etc.) needed
rearranging. Specifically, the six keys are now five, and instead of being two
rows and three columns, the keys are now in two columns, with the insert key
removed from the mix and placed on the top row to share a key with PrtScrn and
SysRq (talk about marginalized -- I guess some folks find accidentally hitting
Insert as welcome as the Caps Lock). This all completely messes with my
instinctive use of all these keys, and why? Because they decided the delete key
needed to be twice as tall as it was for some reason. Also, the 12 function keys
that are traditionally laid out in three groups of four are now four groups of
three. WTF?
Nothing like a little change for change's sake. Too bad, because the keyboard
has the nicest action I've ever used... but I still may have to return this. We
shall see.
I guess today marks the true start of the holiday season, as the Festival of
Lights begins tonight at sundown. Happy Chanukah!
| Links of the Day: | Seinfeld Dictionary. Yada yada yada. |
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Mother of the Matrix Victorious.
Thanks Brandon. Nativity Plays Boosting Tea Towel Sales. Scientists Seek Limit on Shark Killings. |
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NASA Seeks Methods to Repair Shuttles in Flight.
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Yiddish with Dick
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| Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant. |
Blue, it sounds like you accidentally got a keyboard that was destined for the next shipment of keyboards to be sent out to the Martians. 
When it comes to keyboards, these are some of the things I look for:
1. Good action. It has to have a good, solid, well-built feel to it. I don't like "mushy" keys.
2. Just a straight keyboard with no extras. This means a standard-layout 104 key keyboard, no "AOL keys", no volume controls or any other crap. I simply do not understand how people fit those monstrous things on their desks.
3. USB!!! Would keyboard manufacturers PLEASE get on the USB bus already? I konw there are some USB models available, but the simple, no frills ones I go for are always PS2, which sucks ass.
4. Standard size and position keys. Why do some manufacturers insist on changing the layout that everyone knows? THe key above the enter key is supposed to be the backslash, not the top-half of the enter key.
5. I konw this is a lost hope, but I wish keyboards didn't come with those shitty windows keys wedged between the ALT and CTRL keys. I was constantly bumping the damn things while gaming and would be greeted with an annoying graphics refresh and a windows menu. Then have to alt tab back to my game and HOPE I get it back. I ended up popping them out of my keyboard at home to avoid this.
Edit: had to add a couple more after reading the posts:
6. No "F-Lock" function! What a dumn idea. I had a friend tell me about his woes with this and I had no idea what he was talking about. I think Logitech uses them too.
7. A keyboard should NOT require drivers to operate.
IBM used to make some of the best keyboards on the market, but they don't make 'em anymore.
This comment was edited on Dec 7, 13:41.
When it comes to keyboards, these are some of the things I look for:
1. Good action. It has to have a good, solid, well-built feel to it. I don't like "mushy" keys.
2. Just a straight keyboard with no extras. This means a standard-layout 104 key keyboard, no "AOL keys", no volume controls or any other crap. I simply do not understand how people fit those monstrous things on their desks.
3. USB!!! Would keyboard manufacturers PLEASE get on the USB bus already? I konw there are some USB models available, but the simple, no frills ones I go for are always PS2, which sucks ass.
4. Standard size and position keys. Why do some manufacturers insist on changing the layout that everyone knows? THe key above the enter key is supposed to be the backslash, not the top-half of the enter key.
5. I konw this is a lost hope, but I wish keyboards didn't come with those shitty windows keys wedged between the ALT and CTRL keys. I was constantly bumping the damn things while gaming and would be greeted with an annoying graphics refresh and a windows menu. Then have to alt tab back to my game and HOPE I get it back. I ended up popping them out of my keyboard at home to avoid this.
Edit: had to add a couple more after reading the posts:
6. No "F-Lock" function! What a dumn idea. I had a friend tell me about his woes with this and I had no idea what he was talking about. I think Logitech uses them too.
7. A keyboard should NOT require drivers to operate.
IBM used to make some of the best keyboards on the market, but they don't make 'em anymore.
This comment was edited on Dec 7, 13:41.
Jim
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