Copilot key will eventually be required in new PC keyboards, though not yet.
You must log in or register to comment.
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.
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.
Not particularly relevant, but my friend randomly told me to press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Windows key+L one day. I’m still horrified.
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?
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.
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.
🤢 🤢 🤢 🤢 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮
Damn, that works in Windows 10 as well. Blech.
I mean, they did it before with the windows/super button. Before that you just had ctrl and alt there.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yeah and even on many english keyboards it is used to show special characters
Been coding in vim for decades without that key
That’s the key I use as a compose key
deleted by creator
I’ve never even heard of this key that you are talking about, yet it’s mentioned several times in this thread.
I use it as a Compose key with WinCompose.
I use the app/menu all the time in Excel.
So long Caps Lock/Scroll Lock
I remap Caps Lock to Escape.
.
.
.
.
How did you know I am a Vim user?
Same. TouchBar Macs inadvertently forced me to move to a more comfy layout.
CTRL+[ YA LUDDITES! /s
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!
I’m plenty fine with all ads consolidated to a dedicated monitor, that would certainly never face the wall on minimal brightness
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.
You’re joking but that literally exists
I’m plenty fine with an OS that doesn’t try to abuse me in the first place.
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.
Please drink a verification can.
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.
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.
Please drink verification can to continue.
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.
Hey, finally a legitimate reason for a Realdoll!
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…
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
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.
If you’re using Android TV, you can use something like https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=flar2.homebutton to remap the button to another apps or any other functions
I need that for my Roku. I may just write an automation in Home Assistant that will switch to whatever app I programmed if I press the Paramount+ button. Unfortunately that means I need to install that app on the Roku itself.
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.
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…
Maybe even F13 to F24 if more is needed?
Because they used to exist, and support for them still does. Really handy for macro keys.Here’s an idea… what if we had every key do all kinds of weird shit?
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.
Yeah I remember them too. Sometimes games would come with them even, to help with all the keyboard shortcuts. :)
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.
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.
I’m getting Bixby button flashbacks.
Ho well, my wallet’s gonna cry but I’m sure the mechkeyboard community will welcome my ass
Remember when PC keyboards had two Windows logo keys? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
I remember when laptop keyboards had numpads and unabused F keys.
Open your wallet and prepare your credit cards it’s gonna be a helluva ride!
Rebind ftw
I remapped the Bixby button to turn on the flashlight. Best decision ever.
And yet another feature no one ever requested or ever will
I requested it, but I was only kidding!
copilot key will eventually be required
Fuck that, and fuck you, Microsoft
Microsoft learns nothing from their continued pattern of going all-in on a trendy and unproven concept. Windows 8 “live tiles” that were supposed to create one look and feel across devices, Cortana was supposed to be the digital assistant of the future, they even did their own poorly executed folding phone.
They never really go all in. They go full force at something but they never really fully commit
Like live tiles was fine except the large sections of the Windows still used the old system, so you’d click a button in settings and suddenly you’d be reverted back to the old window system. Because they never bothered to upgrade that part of the OS.
Microsoft’s problem is that they can never be arsed to be consistent.
Honestly, Windows 11 is the closest they’ve come to going all in. There are very few parts of the old system left, although I have found a few.
Seriously? There’s a huge amount of old UI in Win11. I can’t make it more than 10-20 seconds without seeing it.
And it’s a shame they don’t commit because I actually go against the grain in that I think the Win11 UI is actually pretty good, I’m the few places where it actually exists.
I feel like it’s more pandering to investors than having actual faith it it taking off.
Sure but do you think that works in the long run? Wouldn’t it be better if they just made things right? I don’t have the answer but I know it’s what I prefer
What the user prefers doesnt matter. Its what the investors prefer.
For users, the important statistic is tolerance. Find the point on the graph where you have the highest shareholder preference that allows the lowest possible tolerance of users before they break from the product.
OR, hear me out, we just have it mapped to alt+win(meta) key and this will be a nothing burger.
Stop being such a socialist. They need to sell more keyboards, and to make the keyboards you own unique to their brand.
Have you met keyboard people? You don’t need to do anything to sell them more keyboards.
True but we’re not interested in adding a dedicated adware/spyware button
This is me. Saw a cool keycap set the other day, and before I knew it BOOM! New keyboard.
I only have 4 (working ones) so far, but that’s still probably one too many. xD
I said this above… I’ve had the same Das Keyboard model so long that the USB ports in the side are USB 1.0. And I will use it as long as I can because it’s a great keyboard and I’ve never needed a new keyboard since I bought it even when I’ve needed a new computer. Fuck this shit.
I’m still using a Kinesis Contoured daily with PS/2 connection. Pretty impressed a new motherboard still came with a combo mouse/keyboard PS/2 port.
It’s already mapped on windows to Window button and C.
M$ can get absolutely fucked
I swear I blinked and suddenly AI was so ubiquitous that I feel like I’m living, studying and writing incorrectly…
Now I know how the boomers felt when the internet went from dialup to pocketable
Boomers?
I’m a millennial and I remember that, I’m sure many Zoomers would as well.
We’re in the early hype phase of a new innovation fad. It’ll die down and then we’ll find out what it’s ACTUALLY useful for.
I have a conspiracy theory that the only reason major browsers have switched to AI is to tactically deny you what you’re really looking for; and keep you on their service, longer.
Gee, I imagine this will go the same way as Cortana, but now there will be a key forever visible to be it’s gravestone.
Just don’t replace your keyboard.
I got a fancy custom keyboard for my birthday which is properly repairable and will most likely never need to be replaced.
Laptops bud
You say don’t replace your keyboard and then within 6 words mention the thing that doesn’t ever have to have some key ms has decided to add to keyboards. Leave the windows key off, too.
I don’t know how long you think you have left to live, but I wish you to change that keyboard someday
Have been using the same Kinesis Advantage daily for 23 years now.
Not a single part has been replaced or repaired, only taken apart to be cleaned.
I had an advantage pro, original, but the rubber fn keys eventually gave up the ghost. Also needed something more portable for work, so have migrated to ergodox now. Still miss that keywell though
Wooting two?
That’s how it starts. I bought a mechanical keyboard thinking that, while expensive, it was reparable and customizable so it would last a lot longer.
Now I’m like a junkie that wants to swap in different switches or try another set of keycaps. Someone help.
Why couldn’t I have just been happy with a normie keyboard that I trash and replace every couple years. Now I’m lubing switches like a maniac.
I have one that i’m perfectly happy with.
I had some trouble with red switched in the past and guessed right on thinking i needed some heavier springs.
I bought some silent yellow’s and 2 sets of pudding keycaps, black and white to mix and match. The letters are white and the numbers + everything else is black.
I don’t want to ever replace this keyboard.
And again, install Linux and get rid of this Microsoft bullshit
Oh cool, another useless gimmick just like the ‘Office Key’
What about the LinkedIn key.
That’s actually a shortcut for ctrl+alt+shift+L… that is an (unconfigurable?) hotkey for opening LinkedIn in edge.
Actually, a dedicated key to open ChatGPT seems convenient. I don’t hate it.
Can’t you go in your desktop settings and bind whatever combination you like to do just that?
Don’t you see? They’re fucking with the denominator. My 60% is already technically closer to 58%. If they keep adding keys, I don’t know how my mech can keep up with the shrinkflation. I can’t become one of those 50% weirdos. Microsoft is just finding more ways to ruin my life.
It’s already mapped to Windows Button + C.
Yeah and I already do. But why make it a key combo when you could just have a single dedicated key instead?
It’s not like anyone actually uses the menu key or the right Start key anyway. 'Bout damn time Microsoft remaps them to something more useful. Next they should do the Pause/Break key. That one hasn’t been useful since the DOS days.
Hey! I do use menu key regularly! And same with pause and scroll lock! Print creen is obvious and everyone uses it. Right? Right!? RIGHT?!?
Print screen used to be a good button for screen capture/window capture. But now the various screenshot apps do the job better. Ctrl+Prt Scr is maybe still good for being fast
You can do Windows Button + C to open CoPilot.
Ugh. Why do keyboards have to have Microsoft logos. I hate it. I want nothing to do with them.
Well, somehow keyboards are now a niche boutique industry where people spend hundreds of dollars putting together custom-made minimalist builds like they’re honing a weapon in an action movie. I find that’s probably dumber than a corporate logo becominmg a default key (which to be fair has been a thing since the 80s, the C64 had a Commodore key), but it does mean that if don’t want it, you can get a keycap with anything you want on it instead.
There’s nothing dumb about a keyboard personalized to your exact tastes and preferences that also makes your job easier and reduces RSI. But like, that’s just my opinion, man.
Your user name is “dyikeyboards”, I feel like we’re gonna agree to disagree on this no matter what I say, and I’m fine with that.
You might be surprised. I’ll be the first to tell you there’s a ton of overpriced, silly hype in the keyboard space. Exotic materials, lubes, and switches that have no measurable impact on performance are common. So are extremely detailed and expensive artisan keycaps. It’s a collector hobby for many. That’s not my thing.
OTOH, there are also some serious gains to be had for professional computer jockeys.
My daily board is just 42 keys, and I absolutely love it. There’s a learning curve for sure, but once mastered you’re on a new level. For instance, I can access all my standard keys, num now, function keys, and arrows without having to move my hands off the home position. It’s brilliant.
Random question for a keyboard aficionado: have you investigated the CharaChorder?
I’m aware of it, but haven’t tried it. There are hobbyists using chording already (this is how stenographers type so fast, combined with shorthand) so the idea isn’t new. The innovation here would be the directional movements in replacing traditional keypresses. I’d give it a go. I suspect the learning curve to be really steep though!
That was my basic assessment as well, I’m not sure the gains are worth trying to unlearn 30+ years of ingrained keyboard habits! Thanks for your take on the subject
That last paragraph would be more convincing without the typo in it.
You determine trustworthiness based on presence of typos?
When you’re talking about how great your custom keyboard layout is, yes.
I think they were typing on their phone. The error looks more like autocorrect than a keyboard typo
The difference is that the C64’s keyboard was physically part of the C64…
I feel like that caveat holds up until you buy a laptop.
Found the membrane lover
You can still buy a cheap basic keyboard, or a decent Logitech at a reasonable price. You can totally ignore the “niche custom keyboard” market. Most people don’t even know it exists.
What’s annoying is that laptop will now come with that stupid key.
Years ago, I invested $120 or so on a clickey-clackey Das Keyboard and it’s been just fine. That is by far the most I will ever spend on a keyboard. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it takes up two USB ports and it’s old enough that the built-in USB ports are only USB 1.0. That’s how long it’s lasted me.
A decent keyboard is worth an investment if you use it all the time and want a good feel when you type, but people take it way too far.
If you can type so fast that USB 1.0 isn’t fast enough, keyboards are not the interface for you.
No, the ports on the side of the keyboard that are pass-throughs.
I don’t get the hate on custom keyboards. Sure you can go overboard, but like… I spend eight hours a day using a computer for work and then when I’m done I use another computer for fun. It’s not absurd to spend a few hundred bucks on a keyboard that you can expect to last 15+ years instead of the $20 ones that you throw away every year or two or as soon as one thing breaks.
There are definitely keeb elitists though, which is always shitty no matter what hobby you’re talking about.
I don’t hate. I like a good keyboard.
Now, do I think obsessing about the extremely specific properties of switches and keycaps and spending hours manually embedding each individual key component just to get a specific color combination makes sense as a hobby? Hell no. But then neither does collecting stamps or watching people’s grocery runs on Youtube. You do what you want, and this hobby at least lets you put whatever icon you please on the Bixby button.
I’ll say this, though, that justification, which I have used often to myself and others, is a terrible rabbit hole of mismanaged finances. That is true of your monitor, your PC, you laptop, your phone, your keyboard, your chair, your desk… by the time you’re done you’ve spent a year’s salary setting up your workstation with absurdly luxurious, custom gear that sometimes makes no discernible difference. By all means get whatever stuff saves you from injury and provides comfort and satisfaction, but we all know in many of those categories the quality curve flattens out way before the price curve does.
Also, I guarantee most people with a custom keyboard swap it out more often than people who are still using the crappy board that came for free with their prebuilt or was given to them at work. I have dirt cheap Dell keyboards that still work fine. I may not love how they feel or sound, but it turns out we mastered the art of making buttons a while ago and closing a circuit with a conductive pad reliably is not a particularly costly proposition. Hey, buy good keyboards for the feel or because you have a glitzy hobby, but don’t lie to yourself or me about it. You’re a grown person, own that superfluously expensive nerdy taste. If boomers could brag about their fountain pens you can smugly bore your friends talking about the injection molding in the keycaps matching a specific pantone that you bought.
I can’t even begin to articulate my hatred for the current Microsoft business model. People used to joke how evil they were but it’s only continued to get worse
