Are the days of "Scroll Lock" numbered?

[webman]

Originally Posted by JohnMason

Pause|Break is just as useless these days, isn't it?

Use Pause to halt the computer on the BIOS/CMOS screen. Ideal for catching debug info before it moves onto loading the OS.

Originally Posted by JohnMason

Then again, a keyboard without those three at the top would just look wrong.

They sure do!

[powdarrmonkey]

Win + Break displays the local system properties in Windows. In most Bash variants Ctrl+Break is the same as Ctrl+C, raising a SIGINT signal.

[Little-Miss]

Win + Break... ooh i never new that one!

[elsiegee40]

Originally Posted by Michael

Speaking of useless keys, what's the key above tab and below escape on the left hand side for?

In PL/1 (the rival to COBOL back in my days as a mainframe programmer)

¬ was used as NOT when coding

e.g.
IF VARIABLE ¬= VALUE
THEN ...

| was used as a logical OR

and

|| was concatentate

[JohnMason]

Wow, I stand humbled. Both of the pause|break uses are actually pretty handy at times.

[powdarrmonkey]

I had no idea you spoke PL/1!

[jumpinjamez]

Originally Posted by Michael

Speaking of useless keys, what's the key above tab and below escape on the left hand side for?

Press Ctrl and this Key in excel to show formulas

[powdarrmonkey]

Originally Posted by webman

Use Pause to halt the computer on the BIOS/CMOS screen. Ideal for catching debug info before it moves onto loading the OS.

Or pausing the PXE screen when network booting, so you can read the GUID in comfort when prestaging an image.

[plexer]

Nope windows key + pause break is very very handy.

Ben

[Zimmer]

I don't think I've ever used Scroll Lock!

I must find a productive use for this neglected key!

[elsiegee40]

Originally Posted by powdarrmonkey

I had no idea you spoke PL/1!

It's age! Or, as I prefer to think of it, experience!

[K.C.Leblanc]

Originally Posted by JohnMason

Pause|Break is just as useless these days, isn't it?

Then again, a keyboard without those three at the top would just look wrong.

Not if you're trying to read something from a POST.

[WithoutMotive]

Wow... I started this thread in reference to one key.
Now I've found loads of uses for others!

EduGeekers are my friends

[unixman]

My keyboards have many keys that I don't use. Firstly there are the windows keys - I don't even use these on my M$ machine. Secondly, the entire numeric keypad - I can key in numbers much faster using the numbers above the letters. Finally caps lock - can't see a need for it.

I do have a keyboard without windows keys and somewhere in the loft I have one without the numeric keypad. Sadly, both are dead otherwise I would use them.

Does anyone use an alternative layout such as Dvorak?

[torledo]

Originally Posted by unixman

My keyboards have many keys that I don't use. Firstly there are the windows keys - I don't even use these on my M$ machine. Secondly, the entire numeric keypad - I can key in numbers much faster using the numbers above the letters. Finally caps lock - can't see a need for it.

I do have a keyboard without windows keys and somewhere in the loft I have one without the numeric keypad. Sadly, both are dead otherwise I would use them.

Does anyone use an alternative layout such as Dvorak?

snap. don't use any of those either.......if i wanted to use a num keypad i'd get a job as a teller.