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New computers no longer have Scr-Lk (Scroll Lock)?

post #1 of 4
1/9/11 at 12:13pm
Thread Starter 

I had a 2003 portable computer and it had a Scroll Lock key on it.

However, my recently acquired Gateway portable computer does not have such a button. Neither does a mid-tier HP computer.

Now I admit that I didn't go eyeball each and every keyboard out there, but from what I glanced, I no longer see Scroll Lock keys.

What's up?

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post #2 of 4
1/9/11 at 1:47pm

I noticed that with my sister's Dell Studio (1535) as well. It's also missing the hard drive light. My Acer 1810T does have the scroll lock key.

 

If you need the key, you can remap a key that you won't use (like right Alt) using SharpKeys.

 

 

 

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post #3 of 4
1/9/11 at 1:50pm

 I use scroll lock all the time with Synergy. This is just one more thing on my list of undesirable (to me) laptop traits that seem to have become ubiquitous. 

 

  • Glossy display? Why would I want a mirror for a display?
  • Flat topped/chiclet keys. There is no way to sense where my fingers are without looking and the flat tops aren't comfortable at all. Worthless and unergonomic.
  • "Legacy" keys being removed just 'cause. This would include the Scroll Lock key.
  • Touchpads. I leave the touchpad on my W500 disabled at all times because the trackpoint is faster, more accurate, and requires much less movement to use. I've seen some trackpoint style devices on some business class Dells but that's about it.
  • Questionable construction. I should be able to lift a laptop from the corner, toss it lightly on a desk, watch it fall from 3 feet while turned on and survive, spill water on the keyboard. I've done all of these to my W500 and it still looks/works like new. The first two I do almost daily.
  • Low resolution displays. These seem to be standard. The optimal resolution for a 15.4" laptop is 1680x1050 IMO.
  • 16:9 aspect ratios. Why go for 16:9 when 16:10 gives more vertical real estate? Yet it's become standard, now even on the Lenovo W510. mad.gif

 

Nearly every laptop at Best Buy neatly fits into every single point above. I'll keep my Lenovo Thinkpad, thanks.

 

Edit: Why did the WYSIWYG editor choose to put most of my post in a white box? Meh, I'm not going to bother correcting yet another bug...


Edited by MCC - 1/9/11 at 1:55pm
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post #4 of 4
1/9/11 at 4:40pm
Thread Starter 

ThinkPads are great stuff. This I give it to you right now. Too bad, cannot afford.

Right now I'm on an HP Pavilion portable computer. Not expensive, 17.3" screen (yes, glossy 16:9) and speakers sound like crud even if they say "Altec Lansing - Dolby Advanced Audio" on them. Maybe it's because I'm running Linux.

I believe there are a couple of reasons for some of the things you listed. For one, a glossy (I call it glazed) screen offers more vivid colors. However I've only heard of this: I used to own an Archos device, and on Archos forums, when a guy asked to choose between a glossy and a matte screen, it's almost always glossy for colors. Read here. I use this computer indoors, because admit it, 17.3" is a hulking monster. Although I just saw 18.1".

I'm not really used to the trackpoint (little red dot, right?), I find it hard to control although, granted, that's for a minute of use.

I don't really know much about the resolution issue (I have 1600x900, 106dpi, decent enough), but I can say something about the aspect issue. These days it's HD and Blu-Ray and those things are 16:9. I myself prefer anamorphic (2.35:1) but I have a 4:3 CRT TV. So that. But my 2003 computer has (I believe) 5:4 and has much more vertical estate than the Gateway, even though they are both 15.6", the Gateway is 16:9 and that's why I wanted a bigger screen in the first place! 768 pixels vertical is too little. I had to hide Gnome panels (Linux talk) and use F11 all the time to read full-page articles and PDFs.

Some 17.1" portables have 1920x1080 (HP Envy excluding some potential Macs which I don't know about).

Keyboard issue. Maybe it's my typing but on the 2003 computer, I never mis-type. Now on today's keyboard, if often happens: I don't put enough pressure on some keys, so "because" can become "becase" and such.

Questionable construction indeed. Again, ThinkPads are great. My lab has a couple of ThinkPad stations (for logging masses and such) and I'm not the first guy to have spilled (powdered, hydrate) CuSO4 onto the keyboard. Keeps working although you just see the key gaps full of blue powder.

But I believe construction quality is just going down as the goal is to lower costs (read: larger profit margin). Compare a 1992 D-32 to todays D-EJ###. Next time we'll just label Fisher Price everywhere.

Never experienced text-in-a-white-box issue. Probably because I never use bullets.

Cheers.

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