I’ve complained about this before, but it just bit me again. The implementation of the F Lock key on newer Microsoft keyboards is a user interface design gaff of massive proportions. We have 20 years of people learning how to use function keys, and in one fell swoop, MS decides to change the way everything works. The funny thing is, it’s not like the addition of the F Lock key and changing the behavior of every function key has reduced the complexity of keyboards. Take a look at some of the higher end MS keyboards, and you’ll see that they’re festooned with buttons for just about everything.
In any case, MS should at least make it possible to configure the keyboard to default to the normal behavior that applications and users expect from the keyboard. I have to install their keyboard driver software anyway, so why isn’t this an option in there?
Microsoft’s vaunted user interface skills and lab testing chops really took a hit on this one.
Nothing like moving a hundred pictures into a folder, then pressing F2 to rename one and have them all disappear. Why? Because F2 means Undo on this damn keyboard. Nice.
Bad Microsoft, bad!
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