Copilot key will eventually be required in new PC keyboards, though not yet.

  • @LufyCZ@lemmy.world
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    1231 year ago

    I’m getting Bixby button flashbacks.

    Ho well, my wallet’s gonna cry but I’m sure the mechkeyboard community will welcome my ass

  • @thehatfox@lemmy.world
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    2941 year ago

    So now Windows bloat is extending to the physical keyboard itself.

    Looking at the Microsoft blog post they haven’t said exactly how they want keyboard layouts to change. So on a full size keyboard this could be either new key entirely, or replace an existing (and arguably more useful) key.

    • @killeronthecorner@lemmy.world
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      1691 year ago

      They should put it adjacent to the up arrow key so that when I hit it accidentally, copilot can ask “did you mean to press the up arrow key?”, which will cause me to smash the keyboard with my fists and then I’ll need to buy another one. Sales will skyrocket.

      • @QuaternionsRock@lemmy.world
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        341 year ago

        Not particularly relevant, but my friend randomly told me to press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Windows key+L one day. I’m still horrified.

        • @TheCannonball@lemmy.world
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          371 year ago

          I just tried this. Why does this exist? Why does this need to be a shortcut? Who uses LinkedIn so much that they need to use a 5 key shortcut to get there faster?

          • @merc@sh.itjust.works
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            411 year ago

            For anybody who doesn’t want to try it, this key combo opens LinkedIn in your default browser.

            It’s not a setting you can change, the only way to disable it is to edit the registry.

            WTF.

            • @Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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              51 year ago

              It’s not a setting you can change, the only way to disable it is to edit the registry.

              So you are saying the setting can be changed. You can even do it over terminal if you like.

          • @LinuxSBC@lemm.ee
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            181 year ago

            They have an “Office Key” on some official keyboards. Pressing Office+L opens LinkedIn. The Office key is actually mapped to that long modifier shortcut.

          • Promethiel
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            41 year ago

            Did you think the MS C-Suite does much other than bloviate on LinkedIn in-between (and during) meetings? It’s for them and execs everywhere.

        • that guy
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          31 year ago

          🤢 🤢 🤢 🤢 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮

    • Captain Aggravated
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      121 year ago

      Then you had all those “for the web” Windows 95 PCs that had all the extra buttons like the Calculator and Web Browser and Sleep buttons scattered around above the keyboard that I don’t think people tended to use because Windows wasn’t built with them in mind. It seems they’re in the keyboard standard now as if they were any other key.

    • @jonne@infosec.pub
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      321 year ago

      I mean, they did it before with the windows/super button. Before that you just had ctrl and alt there.

      • @rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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        301 year ago

        I use mainly keyboard-controlled WM configurations, so a Super key or a Meta key is useful for me, to separate it from Alt and Ctrl.

        Which reminds us of the fact that PC keyboards didn’t have those or a Windows key obviously, but Sun keyboards, from googling, did have a Super key.

        So it’s not them.

        (And it’s not bad in my opinion)

        • @nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de
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          11 year ago

          I always assumed the windows key was a late attempt at copying the “Apple” keys on Macs. then Macs stopped using that, and switched to the clover (called command), then to actual Command text.

    • MudMan
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      231 year ago

      I don’t remember the last time I pressed the “right click” contextual menu key, so honestly it’s not like it’ll be too annoying. Unless they do replace an actually useful key, at which point I guess the people making “make Windows actually work good” apps will get to live another year.

      • 📛Maven
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        301 year ago

        I pressed it like, 20 minutes ago? It’s a pretty normal part of a lot of coding workflow, not to mention browsing, accessing context menu keyboard shortcuts without having to move your hand to the mouse for one buttonpress.

        • MudMan
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          61 year ago

          Fair enough. Alt used to be that before we decided to have a button to annoyingly pop up the menu strip. And there’s still Alt Gr for that in full sized keyboards if we want to go back that way.

          • 📛Maven
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            81 year ago

            Alt Gr is something else. Non-english keyboards use it all day every day for typing their charactersets.

            It could probably replace the right OS key, though.

            • KSP Atlas
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              21 year ago

              Yeah and even on many english keyboards it is used to show special characters

      • snowe
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        41 year ago

        I’ve never even heard of this key that you are talking about, yet it’s mentioned several times in this thread.

          • snowe
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            11 year ago

            thanks for the picture. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. Just to check, I went over and looked at my wife’s work laptop and it’s not on that keyboard, but it is on her external keyboard, but not as a separate key, it’s part of the print screen button!

    • @Fermion@feddit.nl
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      1 year ago

      Swap it with the windows key and put the windows key as the function modified keypress. As long as I can still disable that key, it would be fine.

  • @1984@lemmy.today
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    1561 year ago

    If only keyboards would have function keys for this purpose, named F1 to F10 for example, so any program could use them for their specific functions…

    • veroxii
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      131 year ago

      I remember those keyboard layout cutouts (were they called keyboard templates?) you got which you put on the keyboard with extra explanations of what each function key did in WordPerfect or Lotus or whatever.

      I’m old.

      • @sailingbythelee@lemmy.world
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        21 year ago

        I found out recently that you can buy replacement keycap sets that have many of the Vim functions printed on them, and I thought that was pretty exciting. I am also old, lol.

        • Magnus Åhall
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          21 year ago

          After 25 years of using vim I have replaced a lot of otherwise useful reflexes and brain capacity with vim keybindings (using a swedish variant of Dvorak none the less). I am way too old for needing a cheat sheet stuck on the keyboard, and it would even then be wrong not using QWERTY.

      • @1984@lemmy.today
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        31 year ago

        Yeah I remember them too. Sometimes games would come with them even, to help with all the keyboard shortcuts. :)

    • Nahh gotta place them where they’re obvious in your face and a constant reminder of CONSUME PRODUCT and be accidently pressed! Can guarantee you it’ll take up part of the space of a key hotspot

      • @deafboy@lemmy.world
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        521 year ago

        At least on the PC, it’s easier to remap the buttons. What enrages me more are the TV remote controls with buttons dedicated to specific streaming apps. I mean… none of these services will outlive the TV itself. I’ll just have to look at buttons that do nothing for years.

        • JJROKCZ
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          1 year ago

          I get your point but at least three of those services will outlive the tvs expected life. Netflix Hulu and espn aren’t going anywhere, at most espn will be rolled into Disney+ and a software update could point that button to it

          My TVs crackle and I heart radio buttons on the other hand…

        • @RGB3x3@lemmy.world
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          71 year ago

          I personally find those useful, but I can never find the combination of services that works with my needs.

          There’s always like Vudu or Sling that just becomes a wasted button.

      • MrScottyTay
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        121 year ago

        I’d like them to leave F13 onwards alone, purely because it’s nice that they’ll only ever do what I want them to do

      • Flying Squid
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        121 year ago

        Here’s an idea… what if we had every key do all kinds of weird shit?

  • @thezeesystem@lemmy.world
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    1801 year ago

    Before I even read it I knew it was more ads or AI of some sort and yep it’s both. Sure yeah we need more ads. Can I get a Microsoft store button on mouses now? Ohoh a dedicated 2nd screen for ads on every monitor. We must please the share holders and the rich!

    • @bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
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      361 year ago

      I’m plenty fine with all ads consolidated to a dedicated monitor, that would certainly never face the wall on minimal brightness

      • @KISSmyOS@lemmy.world
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        81 year ago

        Monitors come with proximity sensors now. If the monitor doesn’t detect a user in front of it, ads will be shown on the primary instead.

      • @logicbomb@lemmy.world
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        171 year ago

        Do you remember a few years ago, it came out that some company was working on a new idea that, when you were given an advertisement on a TV, it could require you to say the product name aloud or it wouldn’t continue?

        I try not to concede anything related to advertising because everything they want seems so dystopian.

        • @Patch@feddit.uk
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          111 year ago

          I remember another one proposing using eye tracking on a phone’s selfie camera to make sure you were watching ads, with the ads pausing every time you looked away.

        • @EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          91 year ago

          There was also another patent for a TV with an eye-tracker camera in it to make sure you were actually watching the ads, another one that would unmute itself if it was muted during ads, and one designed to count the number of people in a room to charge you for piracy if you didn’t buy enough tickets for everybody for pay per view shows.

      • @Szymon@lemmy.ca
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        40
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        1 year ago

        Attention citizen, your Economic Consumer Activity Monitor has identified error with your system and/or the Citizen Observation Rate to the unit. Your worldwide credits have been locked pending resolution.

    • @Empricorn@feddit.nl
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      31 year ago

      You’re right, but you also know the answer to this. Loath as I am to say it, the solution to this is simple: just use Linux.

  • stown
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    251 year ago

    I love having a keyboard where every key is programmable.

      • @ramjambamalam@lemmy.ca
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        121 year ago

        All keyboard layouts can be customized in software but some keyboard hardware like QMK can be programmed in hardware, which makes it especially convenient for switching computers.

        • @ExLisper@linux.community
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          41 year ago

          Where do you use it? Do you have to use different computers at work or do you just carry your keyboard with you all the time in case you have to use some friend’s computer?

          • lemmyvore
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            31 year ago

            You just never have to reconfigure it if you reinstall, or move to another computer, or dual-boot etc.

          • @sailingbythelee@lemmy.world
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            11 year ago

            Keyboards like Keychron are able to store BT connection info for multiple computers. So, you can easily switch between, say, your desktop, your server, and your laptop, as needed. Or bring it to work, or whatever. The point is that being able to use the same high quality keyboard with every device is nice if you do a lot of typing.

            • @ExLisper@linux.community
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              21 year ago

              I had a quick look and yeah, $100 for a good, wireless keyboard is not that much. It definitely happened to me once or twice that I had to type directly on my Raspberry Pi fresh after installation when I didn’t have my key mappings set up there. Other than that I just switch single USB cable between two computers on the same desk and that’s it. If I ever have to work on a Mac again I will take another look tough. Do they have Linux software?

              • @sailingbythelee@lemmy.world
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                11 year ago

                Maybe. Or maybe it is one of those things that you think you don’t need until you start using one, and then you can’t believe you waited so long. :)

                Portable wirless mechanical keyboards are niche, but not uncommon. I bought a Keychron for my daughter and she loves it, though admittedly I’m not sure how often she uses the ability to move it between computers.

                You can also connect it to your phone, so you can use it for portable long form writing or programming with just your phone or tablet and keyboard if you don’t have a laptop. I’m sure it is better than using the Surface keyboard, for example. Many laptop keyboards also suck, especially if they use an ISO standard keyboard when you already have muscle memory for the ANSI layout.

      • @neidu2@feddit.nl
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        21 year ago

        I have caps lock remapped to compose (I use US-Dvorak, but sometimes need scandinavian letters).

        When asked about not needing an actual caps lock, my go-to answers are that “I don’t write SQL code often enough” or"Caps lock is only needed for the youtube comment section about videos you don’t like"

        In all seriousness, I don’t see why wr need a caps lock key anymore. I just have it remapped as it’s conveniently placed and never used.

      • Magnus Åhall
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        21 year ago

        Oh god, I had a guy on work practise a couple of weeks. He was about 15, and pressed capslock, another key, and then capslock again for capital letters.

        I suddenly stormed into the room screaming, with a knife. I plucked out the capslock key, and ran out of the room, still screaming. Then I popped my head back in through the door in a much calmer fashion and told him he would get the key back after his practise time at our company.

        • TwinTusks
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          21 year ago

          pressed capslock, another key, and then capslock again for capital letters

          This is actually how my wife does it. Its driving me nuts.

      • Ephera
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        41 year ago

        Oh, for toggling running to always on?

  • andrew_bidlaw
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    1 year ago

    Using the right WinKey+Arrows to rearrange windows with one hand was the one most important thing I liked Windows for more than my current DE. It felt so natural, just like middle-mouse navigation I’m still struggling not having on Linux. If they’d replace exactly that button, it’d be a big L in my eyes. Feels like Win10 would be my last Windows.

      • andrew_bidlaw
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        1 year ago

        Hm, good to know as a contender to mu setup. Have they invented the same for the middle mouse button?

          • andrew_bidlaw
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            21 year ago

            I’ve tried to achieve this middle-mouse behavior in various DEs, systems. Like. you press MM, you move mouse up and down, left and right, and the window moves accordingly. I’ve seen some suggestions, but none of them works like they work on W10.

            • @kurcatovium@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              This works in most linux DEs with combination of either alt or super/meta/win key + left mouse button.

              Edit: meaning it could be probably remapped to just middle mouse in plasma, because plasma is so configurable.

    • Ephera
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      41 year ago

      You should be able to set up shortcuts for rearranging windows like that (often referred to as “manual window tiling”) in most DEs. What DE do you use?

      I don’t know what you refer to by “middle-mouse navigation”. 🙃

      • andrew_bidlaw
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        1 year ago

        Xfce for now.

        I’ve found how to use these shortcuts to drop windows to the left\right half of the screen with super+left\right AND make them fullscreen or hide them with super+up\down. But with that I’m yet to find how to achieve a placement in a quarter of a screen with e.g. super+left and super+up for a left-top quarter. Or to move window to another screen with 2x super+left. It implies that the shortcut reacts differently based on where the window’s now. And the basic tool to set them obviously couldn’t make condition-based shortcuts. There may be a way to add them, but I don’t know of it yet.

        I usually use 3-4 new windows at a time, so it was cool I can stack them like that on a whim with a couple of shortcuts.

        For the middle-mouse thing: it’s elastic auto-scrolling in any direction. Like on a wepbage, you press it and drag in any direction, and the more you move your mouse from the place you started pressing, the more speed this scrolling have. And this didn’t mess with middle-clicks on links to open a page in a new tab etc, so it had some dead zone before starting to act I guess.

        I’ve found some rebinding guides for a comparable behavior, but it felt a little off. For what I remember, the built-in feature to bind that got recomended wasn’t auto-scrolling. It was like… How to explain it? Like holding a scrollbar and dragging it up or down, and very sensitive. And with that I usually missed the links I wanted to press with a middle button as there were no delay before starting that behavior.

        It seems like to achieve the behavior I want I need to find a way to write some listening macro myself. I’m yet to come to that.

        Hope I explained it right. These are little things that got written into my muscle memory by years on Win. I’m new to Linux, so maybe I don’t see something obvious.

        • Ephera
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          11 year ago

          Ah, you’re looking for quite specifically the workflow in Windows. That isn’t quite as commonly possible and yeah, I don’t think, Xfce can do it. If I remember correctly, it had separate shortcuts which you could bind specifically for the diagonal tilings. But your analysis that it needs conditional logic is correct and Xfce in general tends to err on the side of simplicity there (usually allowing for greater modularity and customizability within those simpler bounds).

          Personally, I’m on KDE and I think, it essentially works the same as on Windows.
          One difference is that Super+Up/Down actually tiles the window to the top half and bottom half of the screen. But if you press Super+Left and then quickly Super+Up, then it will end up in the top-left corner.

          I imagine, the Cinnamon DE would also replicate this behavior, possibly even more faithful to Windows. That’s kind of their thing, that they mimic the workflow from Windows closely.

          For the middle-mouse scrolling, Firefox has an option to turn that on, called “Use autoscrolling”.
          Other than that, though, yeah, I’m not aware of that being generally available on any DE. KDE has nothing.

          The middle-mouse button is traditionally used on Linux to paste from a separate clipboard which is filled whenever you select text. Kind of a weird workflow artifact, too, but lots of folks have muscle memory for that, so it stays around…

          • andrew_bidlaw
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            11 year ago

            You are right at all points.

            It’s a little cringe to, how it’s said in my language, to bring your own sacred book into another monastery. It’s cringe to want the same workflow coming from Windows.

            Yet I find these little things being so useful they should’ve been borrowed. I don’t know how tho. I have some experience with writing macros, but it’s all so unnative.

            • Ephera
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              21 year ago

              I mean, I started out like that, too. Looking back, I do now think that I could have just learned it proper right away, but I also remember being completely overwhelmed at the start, constantly learning new things. So, yeah, I’m not sure, it’s possible. And even if you don’t end up using those macros, you’ll learn quite a few things about Linux, so I don’t think, it’s wasted time in the end.

              • andrew_bidlaw
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                21 year ago

                I wasted no time. In the end, I’m not coming back. And I’m delighted how good Linux gaming is right now. My only grief is Adobe bitching, but I’m slowly adapting to either emulate their products or to find alternatives and making them just a memory.

                It’s all for the better.

  • circuitfarmer
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    501 year ago

    This is way more about advertising Copilot than actually needing a new key. M$ gonna $.

  • kingthrillgore
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    341 year ago

    Oh nice so now we have a Super Key, a Hamburger Key, and now a Meta key. </speaking_in_linux>

      • @KISSmyOS@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Meme answer: maybe you shouldn’t have chosen Haiku OS.

        Serious answer: I always advocate for everyone to use the OS that fits their use case.
        What I want and need from an OS, Windows simply doesn’t offer but Linux does. So that’s what I use.
        I’d never tell anyone that Linux is perfect, or that you should use it, or something like that. I’m just glad it exists because I need it, it’s so much better for my use case I can hardly believe it’s free, and it gets better every year.

      • Ephera
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        51 year ago

        I recommend cross-posting that support post to a general Linux support community. That doesn’t sound to me like it’s specific to Fedora.

        The cross-section of Lemmy users who use OBS and also specifically Fedora, that just won’t be incredibly huge…

    • @AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world
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      171 year ago

      If only that other OS had keyboards tailored for it…

      We could have, I don’t know, Compose, Super, Meta, instead of things like Menu that serves no purpose whatsoever.

      • @skulblaka@startrek.website
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        61 year ago

        Menu key serves a purpose when you need to access a context menu without a mouse to right click with.

        Granted, I’ve needed that maybe a grand total of three times over the course of nearly three decades of computer use. But I don’t know how you access that menu otherwise. It’s a nice bit of redundancy from a company that doesn’t often think of that.