Bye bye Insert key

Marc Miller report about the changes happening in the last Microsoft keyboard (The Wireless Optical Desktop Pro):

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Microsoft’s new trend in keyboard design in the Wireless Optical Desktop Pro and others, keeps the correct upside-down-tee formation of the arrow keys, but makes a new bold shift in the design of the HIPPED bank (pictured here).  First, notice that the delete key is twice as large as any of the other keys!  What a simple idea, to increase the probability that my finger will hit the most-probable key!  Next, notice that it was that awful insert key whose real-estate was sacrificed to give the delete key more space.  On the morning before I got rid of my last natural keyboard original, I counted three accidental hits of the insert key in a two-hour typing session!  No more!  The insert key has been relegated to an overload of the PrtScn key, with the F-lock down (more on that in a bit).  The last thing you should notice about this new configuration is the home/end pair, which is placed in the relative position that makes the most cognitive sense: end is to the right of home, rather than above it.  This is the most difficult change to get used to, but it really feels natural after you do.  One other thing, the tactile response of the new keys feels much squishier, so you apply less force and stress your fingers less.

 

The one unfortunate mistake in the design of the new keyboards is the addition of the “F-Lock” key, which toggles the behavior of the function keys between their standard meaning as function keys and their programmable meaning, interpreted by client software.  The problem is that this “F-Lock” key is off by default, which means you have to enable it in order to use the standard function keys that you’re used to.  The second problem is that there are very often things that you can only do with the function keys that are not offered with the programmable overloads.  Lastly, the F-Lock state isn’t remembered between reboots, so, for example, when you boot up and hit “Alt+F4” in the browser, a new browser window opens up instead of closing the old one!

 

I like the new keyboard designs, and I hope it’s at least a few more months before a radically new design is released.  Maybe I should start hoarding current keyboards now.

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Marc Miller


I use myself a Natural keyboard and it's really comfortable. While the Insert mode is on by default, I have no problem to have the Insert key down the list.

Many times I press the Insert key by mistake and found myself deleting my prose .

 

 

4 Comments

  • Ugh, I just sold my Wireless Optical Desktop for this VERY reason. As a lefty that mouses with my left hand, I use Shift+Insert to paste quite often. It saves me letting go of my mouse to paste via the keyboard.



    I know I'm backwards, but my typing style has worked for me thus far and I see no reason to change it.

  • I'd be interested in seeing the justification for doubling the DEL key size. IMHO this may sound great, in practice you must be increasing the chance that you may hit the DEL key by mistake - meaning instead of accidentally toggling the INS mode and the inconvenience of some typos, you've accidentally deleted something and can never retrieve it, unless the app gently double-checks with you before deleting or the 'undo' is smartly written into the app.

  • What a trade off, one evil for annother ;)



    One of the designers at work has a f*** lock, no f7 shift-f7 for him in VS.Net, no f1 either.



    What really needs to be done is to move the 4 navigation (pg-up/dn , home/end) keys away from the delete and insert keys.



    For several years, the first thing I have done to "my" keyboard is remove the insert key and put it in the top drawer.



    The only exception seems to be my Logitech wireless ergonimic keyboard at home.

    I write lots of code at home, I just don't seem to hit the insert on this keyboard...or I would have thworn the key in the trash :D



    Doubling the DEL key's size is just extended support for the "Less is More" philosophy.

    Or is it "More is Less" or "More less"?



  • Obviously, not enough research was done on this topic before they just erased the insert key. I really miss it. Plus... spend an extra 25 cents per unit, and include a double key for 'delete', and single keys for those who want to keep an insert and delete right where they were.



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