Keyboard nightmare: What were they thinking?

Posted By on March 17, 2007

Keyboard Change ... Grrr.
Okay … so I just bought a new notebook computer online because my USB ports have gone kaput. BTW … thanks for the tip Nora. The new Gateway NX570XL arrived today and is pretty nice — BUT … what are these people thinking? Swapping the ‘Fn’ and ‘Ctrl’ key positions??? Perhaps others have experience this or read about it online, but I’ve obviously missed this change? I’ve glanced at every keyboard I have in my house whether Mac (yes they have other odd keys) or PC and they are all the small. ‘Ctrl’ key on the left bottom corner. Since I rotate between Mac, PC desktops and my notebook, this going to drive me crazy. Perhaps I should check to see if there is a remapping available. Thoughts anyone?
EDIT: Corrected my model number from NX470XL to NX570XL. Also … starting to remember where the Ctrl key is … but this notebook gets much ‘hotter’ than my old one … and I’m not found of that. I suppose that is why its called a ‘notebook’ and not a ‘laptop?’

Comments

  • http://bilikfamily.com/ Scott

    Your new laptop has the same Fn/Ctrl orientation as my iBooks. To me it doesn’t matter. I’ve mapped CapsLock to be Ctrl. We ‘old school’ unix and terminal heritage guys have a left pinky ‘muscle memory’ that Ctrl is next to the ‘A’ key. (where God intended it to be… )

    ;-)

  • http://bilikfamily.com/ Scott

    Your new laptop has the same Fn/Ctrl orientation as my iBooks. To me it doesn’t matter. I’ve mapped CapsLock to be Ctrl. We ‘old school’ unix and terminal heritage guys have a left pinky ‘muscle memory’ that Ctrl is next to the ‘A’ key. (where God intended it to be… )

    ;-)

  • http://www.myarchive.us RichC

    Reply from Gateway email support:

    Thank you for using Gateway’s Online E-mail Support. In response to
    your concern about the position of the Fn key of your computer, please
    be informed that Gateway has not changed its position and this is the
    same with all the Gateway computers having an Fn key.

    The Fn key for all the Gateway computers is located in the lower left
    corner of the keyboard.

    Since I had a link to a photo … thought I would send it too them.
    ;-)
    Which received a reply … quick, but not necessarily helpful or what I wanted. Figured I might not be the only one griping?

    As of now Gateway has not come up with any information about this
    matter. I recommend that you use an external keyboard if you do not
    like to use the keyboard on your laptop.

    Again, I sincerely apologize for this matter.

  • http://www.myarchive.us RichC

    Reply from Gateway email support:

    Thank you for using Gateway’s Online E-mail Support. In response to
    your concern about the position of the Fn key of your computer, please
    be informed that Gateway has not changed its position and this is the
    same with all the Gateway computers having an Fn key.

    The Fn key for all the Gateway computers is located in the lower left
    corner of the keyboard.

    Since I had a link to a photo … thought I would send it too them.
    ;-)
    Which received a reply … quick, but not necessarily helpful or what I wanted. Figured I might not be the only one griping?

    As of now Gateway has not come up with any information about this
    matter. I recommend that you use an external keyboard if you do not
    like to use the keyboard on your laptop.

    Again, I sincerely apologize for this matter.

  • http://www.myarchive.us RichC

    FYI … I’m not alone: http://tinyurl.com/37ypaa

  • http://www.myarchive.us RichC

    FYI … I’m not alone: http://tinyurl.com/37ypaa

  • john z.

    I know you asked the question, but why did they swop these two keys? I don’t understand that logic?

  • john z.

    I know you asked the question, but why did they swop these two keys? I don’t understand that logic?

  • http://scu.edu/solardecathlon Nora

    There are several keyboard mapping software programs that you can assign different key vailes to a keyboard key. Here is a simple program that should fix the control key and function key bug…. http://www.softplatz.com/Soft/Utilities/Network-Utilities/KbdEdit.html
    The program is called Keyboard Layout Editor and it is one of the few editors that will work with Windows Vista. Hope that helps… how are you liking Vista so far..?

  • http://scu.edu/solardecathlon Nora

    There are several keyboard mapping software programs that you can assign different key vailes to a keyboard key. Here is a simple program that should fix the control key and function key bug…. http://www.softplatz.com/Soft/Utilities/Network-Utilities/KbdEdit.html
    The program is called Keyboard Layout Editor and it is one of the few editors that will work with Windows Vista. Hope that helps… how are you liking Vista so far..?

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.