[GTALUG] exploring the keyboard [was: OK notebook at a good price: $300, refurb / open box]

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: Lennart Sorensen via talk <talk at gtalug.org>

| Any keyboard with french canadian layout has a short left shift key
| (and an extra key to the left of z) and a skinny vertical enter key (with
| another key between ' and enter).

Looking at one of these notebooks, I see:
- a US-style left shift, adjacent to z.
- an enter key that is wide but not tall
- left of enter is a key with 5 inscribed symbols but works as ' and "
So I think that you'd be happy with the layout.

To the right of the touchpad is a sticker saying why you should buy
this model (like every other laptop).  It is in french, with no
english except for words that work in both languages ("ASUS Laptop",
"SuperBattery").

BTW, I would like to be able to tell Linux about the keyboard layout
matching the extra key inscriptions, but not enough to figure it out.
I'm happy with telling linux that I have US layout for all practical
purposes.

Some of the extra inscriptions are just translations.  For example the
up key has an arrow and a small "PgUp / P Prec" (with an accute accent
on the e).


Function Shift:

There is a "Fn" key, as on many notebooks.  It is between the left
"Ctrl" key and the left Windows key.  It functions as another kind of
shift key, as is usual.  For example, the F1 key generates an F1
keystroke normally, but if the Fn key is held down, F1 mutes/unmutes
the speaker.

Most keyboards have inscriptions for the Fn-shifted function in a
distinct colour.  Often distinct french interpretations are in yet
another colour.  In this keyboard, all inscriptions are white.

The Fn function can be locked by typing Fn + Esc.  It can be unlocked
by the same sequence.  On Linux, while it is unlocked, a little LED
shines through the Fn keycap.  I think that this lock only affects the
F1-F12 keys.  I almost never use F1-F12 so I'm fairly indifferent to
the default state, but having the light on is a little distracting at
first.

Come to think of it, the light is an easy way to see that the computer
is on: the normal power lights are on the right side of the computer.

The Caps Lock / Verr.Maj. key also has a light in the keycap.  I never
use caps lock so I only discovered this while composing this message.


Function keys (top row):

I'm a touch typist.  The F1-F12 keys are not touch-typable so I rarely use
them.

The one exception: in the GNOME "Files" program (used to be called
Nautilus), I use F2 frequently to rename files.  (A keystroke is
better than a menu item if you use it enough to remember.  But
discovery remains a problem.)

I used to use Ctrl-Alt-F_ to switch virtual consoles but that doesn't
seem to be needed and I'm not sure it works these days.  Certainly
Ctrl-Alt-Backspace is no longer useful.

Do you use F1-F12?