I frequently accidentally hit Caps Lock when I mean to hit shift or tab. If I don't notice in time, I have to retype a small amount to correct the error. This annoys me. I propose selling keyboards with Caps Lock moved to the upper right corner with "pause" for clumsy people like me who use Caps Lock much more accidentally than we use it on purpouse. Note: this would be simpler than a fully configurable or remappable keyboard, and still makes a lot of sense.-- badoingdoing, Feb 20 2001 Windows Keyboard Remap http://www.annoyanc...e-showtopic/004_022Remap yourself silly. [iuvare, Feb 20 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] 'Happy Hacking' Keyboard http://www.pfuca.co...hhkb/hhkbindex.htmlMulti-interface keyboard based on Sun layout [francois, Feb 20 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] Switch Caps -> Ctrl for NT / Win2K http://sysinternals...urce/ctrl2cap.shtml [TickleMeElmo, Feb 20 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] Switch Caps -> Ctrl for Win 9x/ME http://sysinternals...es/ctrl2cap95.shtml [TickleMeElmo, Feb 20 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] Switch anything -> anything for UNIX / X http://hoth.stsci.e...n/man1/xmodmap.html [TickleMeElmo, Feb 20 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] Lots of people feel that the caps lock key is useless anyway, and certainly shouldn't be to the left of the 'a' (that's where CTRL lives). The standard PC keyboard layout has become pretty nearly ubiquitous but there are still commercial alternatives out there. This idea is quite baked.-- wiml, Feb 20 2001 BUT WITHOUT CAPS LOCK EMAILS FROM MY MOM AND DAD WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
I dunno I think they think it's like sending a telegram or something . . . .-- futurebird, Feb 20 2001 At work, accidentally depress the caps lock and shift keys together, and the unit freezes. I have thusfar resisted removing the caps lock keys.-- reensure, Feb 20 2001 That's nothing compared to that INFERNAL "Windows" key located betwixt the Ctrl and Alt keys. A drop of superglue cures it (them).-- bristolz, Feb 20 2001 There are plenty of key remapping utilities...-- egnor, Feb 20 2001 . . . and no shortage of superglue.-- bristolz, Feb 20 2001 another idea is a font which caps and little letters are inverted so if you press caps, you can change to this font and it will change all caps to small letters and vice versa-- dekoi, Apr 26 2001 I hate to admit to knowing this, but MS Word (and I'm sure many superior editors) has a case-formatting option. Format > Tools > Change Case, or you can set it in a style.
As to why people type in all caps, I once had a boss tell me, "Well, I'm not sure what should be capitalized and what shouldn't, so I just always send out my email in all caps." AUGH.-- clynne, Apr 26 2001 clynne, that is one of the *few* features of Werd that I actually like. Granted, I already Know What to capItalzIze, but it makes imports/pastes just that much easier to deal with. This is one thing that I think *every* program that deals with text should have.
Anyway, I think caps-lock should be moved underdeath Page Down... wait, an idea forms...-- absterge, Apr 27 2001 Wrap a rubber band around the post on the bottom of the key cap and you'll never accidentally press Caps Lock again. The key will still work if you really lean on it. Works on those idiot Windows keys, too. -- Lee 2001-04-27-- TheRealLee, Apr 27 2001 Hey, I baked this! On my CRAPPY NCD X-terminal keyboard, I was so ****ing pissed off with pressing Caps by accident that I took a screwdriver to the bastarding keyboard, removed the keycap, ripped out the spring behind it, and then replaced the keycap. Bingo, a completely un-depressable key. Of course, I don't have a problem with my well wicked 83-key Dvorak-layout original IBM AT keyboard at home, cos the Caps Lock is *sensibly* located beneath Shift on the *right* (i.e. below Enter), where I have *never* yet pressed it by accident (or on purpose).-- macm, May 02 2001 Shouldn't CapsLock just expire automatically after one minute.-- french, May 25 2001 Or take a cue from Graffiti, the Palm OS handwriting system. Press the shift key twice in quick succession and get shift-lock. Press it once more to release it. That way you can still activate Caps Lock with just one finger.-- ejs, May 26 2001 move 'insert' well away from 'backspace' too. I hate that. go to remove just one letter from a great ream of text and start typing again and before you know it you've gone over all the rest of the paragraph. Aaagh. MSWord 2000 automatically switches them all around if I do this: "wRITING WITH CAPS LOCK ON..." becomes "Writing..." immediately after I finish the first word. Rather like that annoying thing where it puts th/nd/st in superscript when it thinks you've written a date - my postcode (zipcode) ends in 1ST and that really pisses me off. (I've changed it in 'preferences' now though.) Or just do the surgery on the keyboard and take out the whole damn key. Far easier, and satisfying.-- lewisgirl, May 26 2001 [Clynne] - Shift + F3 does the same thing in word - it cycles through the case options - all lower/First Upper Rest Lower/ALL UPPER - this is a great time saver.-- CasaLoco, Jun 25 2001 macm: Er, ever heard of xmodmap? Could have saved you a keyboard.-- TickleMeElmo, Jun 25 2001 //move 'insert' well away from 'backspace' too.//
Overwrite mode (which I have used on *RARE* occasion) would not be so bad if Microsoft used the normal method for indicating that the character ahead of the cursor would be deleted by typing: SELECT IT.
Indeed, there was a program I used once (forgot what it was) where toggling on overwrite mode would select the character after the cursor and, after each character was typed, select the next one.
This provided a clear and unmistakable visual cue that overwrite mode was enabled, without requiring the addition of anything overly new to the interface.
BTW, in Windows, the Togglekeys function (under Control Panel:Accessibility Options) is quite useful.-- supercat, Jun 26 2001 Try sMaRTcaPs at www.phoebusnet.com - it puts an end to Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Insert key mistakes by adding a delay so that you have to hold down those keys before they will toggle. It says it will work for all Windows 95 and later programs. Neat!-- tap, Jun 28 2001 I just tried a short wood screw, works great!-- yunohu, Jun 29 2001 TogglesInTray from http://anibisoft.com/tit/ will solve problems with caps lock & insert key by notifying you about pressing. It even will solve problem with Num Lock. And it shows state of Num Lock & Caps Lock in tray-- alex32, Aug 23 2001 I removed both the Caps Lock and Insert keys and melted them in a crucible of boiling bubble gum heated by a small fire. Not as practical as the other solutions, but evidently more satisfying- my weekly outburts of "key rage" are becoming more infrequent and thus the monitor less covered in muesli (I eat a lot when I type).-- afroman, Oct 22 2001 Here's a much better idea:
Require all new keyboards to include an explosive device underneath Caps Lock. THEN, THOSE MORONS WHO INSIST ON TYPING EVERYTHING IN ALL CAPS WILL GET WHAT THEY DESERVE.-- nobody, Oct 22 2001 Everybody whines-whines-whines about accidental caps-lock hitting - LEARN TO TYPE!
Seriously though, I hate that stupid key, but mostly because in UNIX you always use CTRL and after a while I think my pinky is going to cramp trying to get to where it is on a standard PC keyboard.
Hey Microsoft - GET A CLUE - if you wanna sell your OS for workstation applications, include a utility to remap CAPS-LOCK as a control panel setting. How much time did I waste today trying to find a remapper that would work on Win2k???? Another reason to load Linux instead!-- bspisak, Jan 23 2002 i'm thinking now where this key should be:) but it's true that this key is not in the place:) and what key should be in place of CAPS LOCK, good question:) also i cant understand the SCROLL LOCK ability and for what it is useful:) if you know email me:)
gram@takas.lt-- andriusab, Jun 10 2002 // TogglesInTray solves problems with caps lock & insert key by notifying you about pressing. //
Or, on all recent Windows versions, you can turn on ToggleKeys in the Accessibility control panel to get a quiet beep every time you toggle a key.
// And it shows state of Num Lock & Caps Lock in tray //
Isn't this already adequately covered by the NumLock, CapsLock, and ScrollLock indicators on the keyboard? Why does *every* utility want to add extra clutter to the icon tray?-- JKew, Jun 10 2002 The scroll lock is a holdover from Long Ago, to stop data from going zoom off the top of the screen.
It's only major function nowadays is to toggle the scrollbar function in Excel, from one column to one screen.-- StarChaser, Jun 12 2002 What is wrong with the windows key? I don't know about in the previous versions (I know win 95 doesn't) but in XP there are a few useful functions for it. Just for an example win-L is logout. I think they may have replaced the few windows F Key functions with the windows key.-- notme, Jan 18 2003 Deactivate the Caps Lock key and simulate it with commutative Left_Shift + Right_Shift key combination.-- Inyuki, Jan 18 2003 Fogfreak: //I can't beleive nobody's said this before.//
I can't believe nobody's said it before, either, since it's mentioned in posts from June 25, 2001, and June 10, 2002. >:*3-- supercat, Jan 18 2003 I hate caps lock. Usenuts use it for emphasis, especially the extra nutterly. I never want to read about "THE TRUTH" again. All keyboards should be manufactured sans caps lock key.-- Jezzie, Mar 10 2003 random, halfbakery