keyboard: menu key, Alt, window key

On Jun 12, 8:58 am, Elena 〔egarr...@gmail.com〕 wrote:
│ On 12 Giu, 09:19, Xah Lee 〔xah...@gmail.com〕 wrote:
│
│ │ ------------------------------------------------
│ │ PC Keyboard Modifier Keys (A Short Survey)
│
│ │ However, the right side is entirely a different story. Here's some common design:
│
│ │     ① Alt Win Menu Ctrl (most cheap keyboards)
│ │     ② Alt Menu Ctrl (some Microsoft ergonomic models)
│ │     ③ Alt Flip3D Menu Ctrl (some fancy (non-split) Microsoft models)
│ │     ④ Alt Fn Ctrl (many Logitech keyboards)
│ │     ⑤ Alt Ctrl. (keyboards of early 1990s)
│
│ Actually, things are worse than that: in ISO (European) layouts, there
│ is no right Alt key, since it has been replaced by AltGr.

Ah, thanks. I forgot about that.

Additonal info: On Windows, if the layout is set to one of the euro lang, the right Alt became AltGr.

i have a question: in Europe and keyboard manufactured for Europe with a real AltGr key, does that key actually send a different scancode than the right Alt?

│ I think modifier keys - Win key included - should always be on both
│ sides of a keyboard.

I agree.

│ In Windows, Menu is equivalent to Shift+F10 (if I remember correctly).

Yeah. Wikipedia has a lot detail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menu_key

though, one cannot expect them to be exactly equivalent, since it is done in software layer.

│ As for the lack of Win key, you could always remap Win key chords to
│ Ctrl+Alt.

yeah. But then that interfere with emacs use of Ctrl+Meta. e.g. with arrow key it navigate lisp code …

│ Thanks for writing this article: I'll pay attention to the modifier
│ keys whenever I'm going to buy a new laptop, where keyboards always
│ are a bit crippled.

thanks. Yeah laptop is one entire different story. I think i'll do a survey of laptop layout soon. Already started to gather some pics. … i think the main ones to start with is Apple's, HP/Compaq's, IBM/Levono, and maybe some sony, toshiba, Acer, ...

i think prolonged use of laptop real quick to RSI anyway. I used laptop (Apple) exclusively for 1 year in ~2004, that's the first time i felt RSI coming. Then i got myself a external keyboard, in fact opted for a ergonomic (split) one (of Microsoft), and now i never looks back on straight keyboards ☺.

Xah