Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Geek Speak => Topic started by: satrah on 11/12/2011 12:12:12

Title: changing the backspace button format on computer keyboards
Post by: satrah on 11/12/2011 12:12:12

Hi all

Would like to know who do i see to change to computer keypad format on computers. When touch typing it would be easier if the backspace button was closer to the  J K L : area. So the new place for it would be the {} [] buttons to the left of P and not at the corner of the keypad.

Title: changing the backspace button format on computer keyboards
Post by: RD on 11/12/2011 16:50:12

I've heard of remapping the "Caps Lock" key so it does something else ...
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/disable-caps-lock-key-in-windows-vista/

Any Key can be remapped ...
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/map-any-key-to-any-key-on-windows-xp-vista/

NB: changing data in the registry can render your computer useless,
 so make a back-up of your OS before editing the registry just in case.

Title: changing the backspace button format on computer keyboards
Post by: CliffordK on 11/12/2011 18:20:20

Interesting idea.

I do tend to use the backspace key far too often.  Occasionally I will hit the \ key instead of either the return key, or the backspace key, so there is some benefit of a separation.

It seems as if I am hitting he backspace key with the finger next to the pinky.

RD has a great idea.  Perhaps one should remap the Caps-Lock to be the backspace  ;)

Title: changing the backspace button format on computer keyboards
Post by: syhprum on 13/12/2011 20:16:09

http://www.tucows.com/preview/327616

Take a look at this

Title: changing the backspace button format on computer keyboards
Post by: CliffordK on 14/12/2011 04:52:41

Looks like a great utility. 

I may have to try to track down a similar keyboard mapper for Linux.

IBM/Lenovo flips the Fn/Ctrl keys, which is a big pain.  And, there are a few keys that I rarely use including the "Windows" key.  But, if I scramble my keyboard, I'll either have to physically move the buttons, or relabel them...  which might help because I can't tell the difference between M & N anymore anyway.

I think that Satrah's point was that in general, one might consider more efficient keyboard layouts.  Afterall, our current keyboard layout is based on minimizing keys jamming up with the old manual typewriters which are now quite obsolete.  Geezer?

Title: changing the backspace button format on computer keyboards
Post by: SeanB on 14/12/2011 18:54:25

Keymap is built into Linux..............

Title: changing the backspace button format on computer keyboards
Post by: Geezer on 14/12/2011 20:01:16

Quote from: CliffordK on 14/12/2011 04:52:41

Afterall, our current keyboard layout is based on minimizing keys jamming up with the old manual typewriters which are now quite obsolete.  Geezer?

Hang about - is it the layout or me that's obsolete?  [:)]

Yes - I believe you're quite right. The qwerty layout was designed to prevent typists from typing common words like staggered chords on a piano and jamming the keys. There are much more efficient layouts for specific languages, but they've never really caught on. Also, there have been many attempts to alter the physical positions of the keys to improve ergonomics, but they have never really taken off either.

Lillian Malt ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltron ) was one of the first to pursue these ideas. I met her many years ago in the UK.