OK you guys (TOT)

I know some of you lot understand about computers, so here's a question. I
want to use my laptop with a proper keyboard, because my arms and my
eyesight aren't the same length any more. I experimented and found that I
could. But to use the arithmetic part in conjunction with ALT for 'special
characters' I have to press 'NUM LOCK'. This is fine; it works; I'm happy.
But what's NUM LOCK? Why do I have to press it for the laptop but not for
the proper computer? And what's SCROLL LOCK? What's PAUSE BREAK? PRT SCR I
understand: it puts the screen into a mysterious place from which I can copy
it. But what's SYS RQ? What's INS?

Bill

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
I know some of you lot understand about computers, so here's a question. I
want to use my laptop with a proper keyboard, because my arms and my
eyesight aren't the same length any more. I experimented and found that I
could. But to use the arithmetic part in conjunction with ALT for 'special
characters' I have to press 'NUM LOCK'. This is fine; it works; I'm happy.
But what's NUM LOCK? Why do I have to press it for the laptop but not for
the proper computer? And what's SCROLL LOCK? What's PAUSE BREAK? PRT SCR I
understand: it puts the screen into a mysterious place from which I can
copy it. But what's SYS RQ? What's INS?

Bill



The keyboard on the original IBM PC was an abortion.

IBM then invented the 'Enhanced Keyboard' which is what is used today with
a couple of extra keys for Windows functions.
The enhanced keyboard with its 12 function keys was very much like the
keyboard used on IBM 3270 terminals (VDUs) which made it easy to use PCs for
mainframe access.

The enhanced keyboard works by emulating the original IBM keyboard.

On a PC Num Lock is normally set on. In the case of my PC setting it on is
an option in the Bios

Sys Rq and Print Screen are IBM 3270 keys. In windows Print Screen can be
used for capturing a copy of the screen image which you can then paste into
an application such as Paint. Alt+PrintScreen which just captures the active
window is more useful.


--
Michael Chare

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
I know some of you lot understand about computers, so here's a question. I
OFF TOPIC RUBBISH REMOVED
Bill

Repeat after me - What is common sense? What is Google? Try asking that
and it will save the senseless off topic posts from your keyboard. This is
a group for Digital TV and continual off topic posts are not very clever.

"Clark" wrote in message
...

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
I know some of you lot understand about computers, so here's a
question. I
OFF TOPIC RUBBISH REMOVED
Bill

Repeat after me - What is common sense? What is Google? Try asking
that
and it will save the senseless off topic posts from your keyboard.
This is
a group for Digital TV and continual off topic posts are not very
clever.





Why don't you just go away and play with yourself?

Bill contributes much to this NG and is always willing to help, so the
occasional demonstration of the onset of screaming senility indicated
by way OT questions is widely tolerated. What is more, ask such a
question on a PC NG and you will get well flamed, but there are many
intelligent and equally helpful people on here who will help with good
grace and humour.

Did I get that right Bill?


--
Woody

harrogate3 at ntlworld dot com

They are all 'legacy' keys from the old days. Apparently they haven't
removed them because it would break backward compatibility (although
personally I wish they would, and sod the backward compatibility).

But what's NUM LOCK? Why do I have to press it for the laptop but not for
the proper computer?

On all keyboards the 'arithmetic' keys are shared - take a look at them and
you will see the extra symbols. On most 'proper' keyboards the extra
symbols just duplicate that block of keys immediately to the left: up, down,
left, right, PgUp, PgDn, etc. Therefore the computer starts up with NUM
LOCK set because you normally want the arithmetic keys to generate numbers.

Laptops are (or may be) different, and may not have that intermediate block
of keys I mentioned, so you would then use the arithmetic keys for the
functions such as up, down, PgUp, etc. In this case the computer helpfully
starts with NUM LOCK unset.

And what's SCROLL LOCK? What's PAUSE BREAK?

Obsolete. They were used in the days of dumb, character-based computer
terminals. I don't know of any software that makes use of them.

PRT SCR I understand: it puts the screen into a mysterious place from
which I can copy it.

In the old days it literally sent the screen contents (we're still talking
about character-based terminals, here) to the printer. Now it copies the
screen contents as a graphic to the clipboard, which you can then paste
elsewhere. They call this a 'screenshot'.

Here's a slightly useful trick: ALT + PRT SCR copies just the active window
to the clipboard. (PRT SCR on its own copies the whole screen)

But what's SYS RQ?

Obsolete. Not used for anything.

What's INS?

This toggles insert/overwrite mode in most word processors. In insert mode,
text you type 'pushes' any text in front if it along. This is the most
common mode. In overwrite mode, text you type overwrites the existing text.
Completely useless - I don't know of anyone who uses it. Normally, if you
don't want some text, you select it and delete it, and *then* start typing.

Thack

Who set you up as policeman of this group, then?

Go away, you tedious little person.

....snip...

And what's SCROLL LOCK? What's PAUSE BREAK?


Scroll Lock can be used to stop pages full of text whizzing by for those of
us who still use text mode (Don't ask Bill - you never will ;-) ).
Pause/Break is also useful for those of us who actually write software
because they allow a program to be "broken" into - so when you get that
"that's not what I wanted, please stop!" feeling, Break is the key for you
(actually Ctrl-Break - don't go there).

BTW, some laptops only have a single keyboard/mouse socket. You can get a
Y-cable from places like PCWorld (or much cheaper off eBay) and plug both a
mouse and keyboard in if you wish. Alternatively, use a USB mouse and
keyboard if your notebook as USB ports. FWIW, I find that the optical mice
(the ones with a red LED instead of a ball) are far superior but you want to
use them on a plain surface; patterns confuse them. It's also probably the
only time I'd say "buy Microsoft" as their mice, even their cheap ones, are
IMHO the best around.

Paul DS.

On Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:45:08 +0100, "Bill Wright"
wrote:

But what's NUM LOCK? Why do I have to press it for the laptop but not for
the proper computer? And what's SCROLL LOCK? What's PAUSE BREAK? PRT SCR I
understand: it puts the screen into a mysterious place from which I can copy
it. But what's SYS RQ? What's INS?

NUM LOCK = "Number Lock", i.e. it locks the keypad into a mode where
it types numbers instead of moving the cursors. It's a bit like Shift
Lock on a mechanical typewriter, which would literally shift the
roller up to receive capital letters, but lock it in position so you
wouldn't have to keep your finger on the shift key to type a whole lot
of capitals. You can configure which mode Num Lock goes to on boot up.

INS = "Insert". You'll probably never know what this does until you
hit it by accident while typing a document, and then try to correct
something in the middle of a line. Try it. It toggles between "insert"
and "overtype" modes, but for no clear reason "insert" appears to be
the default one, so the traditional labelling isn't very helpful.

PrtScr = "Print Screen". In DOS, that's exactly what it would do, but
I don't think it does anything in Windows.
Pause/Break would do exactly that while listing or printing something
in DOS, and I think BASIC.
SysRq = "System Request". Probably something in DOS again, or Linux,
or perhaps Martian, but don't worry about it.

SCROLL LOCK. The mystery key. *Nobody* knows what Scroll Lock does, or
ever did, if anything. Best regard the scroll lock key as an ornament.

Rod.

"Bill Wright" wrote

But what's SYS RQ?

I could tell you that, but then I'd have to kill you. So suffice it to say

FOR GOD'S SAKE MAN DON'T *EVER* PRESS SYS RQ *EVER* ... OK?


hth

Clark wrote:
"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
I know some of you lot understand about computers, so here's a
question. I OFF TOPIC RUBBISH REMOVED Bill

Repeat after me - What is common sense? What is Google? Try asking
that and it will save the senseless off topic posts from your
keyboard. This is a group for Digital TV and continual off topic
posts are not very clever.

It would seem you need to take your own advice regarding common sense. When
have you contributed anything to this NG? Bill has helped countless people
on here with his professional expertise on TV matters so why shouldn't he
ask questions about other topics which he always clearly marks as such? If
you don't like those questions then don't read them.

Peter Crosland