I see no use for the numlock key, I’d rather just have the numpad on the whole time. Are there actually cases where it is useful or people who for some reason prefer their numpad turned off?
Scroll Lock is the one that comes to mind as a safe removal.
However, for me, the real useless AND inconvenient piece of shit I wish I could rebind as I want that space for something better is Caps Lock. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy to do.
Use autohotkey! I have a very simple solution for this, where the caps lock key is mapped either as a backspace key, or it minimizes the current window.
You should look into Kanata. It lets you remap the whole keyboard, same idea as QMK, except it’s running on your computer instead of the keyboard itself.
It can be a bit tricky to set up if you’re not used to that sort of thing, but I managed to figure it out so if you have any questions feel free to ask.
Right, but do you ever turn num lock off? I think the OP was trying to say it should just be stuck on because why would you use those arrow, home/end/pg up/etc buttons that kick in if num lock is off?
I think the numlock key is a hangover from the IBM XT computers (maybe even before that). Those keyboards didn’t have the cursor keys and other key block. So, the numlock key was quite important.
I know, because I got my first PC during the PC AT days right before they moved toward ATX. That was a full size keyboard.
I am surprised it has stuck around so long. I understand in the transition from XT to AT that perhaps computer operators got used to using the numpad for navigation and muscle memory would be ruined. But, you know it’s like 40 years on now. There isn’t really a modern day reason to keep it.
I have a smaller keyboard that doesn’t have dedicated arrow keys, or any of the home, page up, etc. They’re all on the numpad, so numlock for me is very useful.
I haven’t used numlock in years but I remember that for certain games that you played with the arrow keys, I preferred to use the arrows on the numpad instead of the dedicated ones.
And according to Wikipedia, the reason why numlock exists in the first place is the fact that certain keyboards didn’t have dedicated arrow keys, but did have a numpad. I guess numlock on full-sized keyboards is just a relic that keyboard manufacturers are schlepping around because it’s cheap enough to produce and doesn’t really hurt 🤷
You can still get some mechanical keyboards with numpads but not arrow keys, though since these are variations on compact layouts they tend to omit the numlock key as well.
Interesting. Most compact keyboards I’ve seen save space by removing the numpad, not the arrow keys. I assume you can emulate arrow keys by pressing some modifier key on those?
I think it’s a good layout. I have a tenkeyless at home and for some tasks I definitely miss the number pad more than I’d miss the arrow keys, especially since the number pad by design doubles as arrow keys and always has. I’ve seen even smaller keyboards that have numpads but not the number row, which would also be sweet. Reclaim some vertical deskspace as well as horizontal.
I can be useful. If NumLock is turned off you can use 2, 4, 6, and 8 as arrow keys for example. Although with most modern programs you can easily rebind keys so it’s more a thing of the past, like the “Pause” button.
I have never seen pause used that way for modern games. Most of them just use Escape instead, with pause being left for lower-system things like the REISUB sequence.
Don’t know what to tell you, for me it often works. Maybe give it a try? Esc usually brings you to the menu, which implies pausing, but it’s separate from pause key.
It’s a relic of the past. Old keyboards didn’t have dedicated arrow keys and since many programs were only controlled by arrow keys rather than a mouse, having a num lock key was a good solution to the problem. But if you are still stuck in an environment where you have to navigate a lot with arrow keys, the num lock still comes in handy. Having Pg Up and Down and the Home/End keys nearby is super handy in this situation.
It’s still useful for some old video games, especially for multiplayer where both play at the same time.
I think it is still is useful, as some software still hasn’t figured out how to turn on numlock automatically, and for a few applications number pad scrolling can be better than the arrow keys, but it is probably less useful than the scroll lock key at this point.
I don’t think I’ve ever used numlock for anything other than “oh shit, I must have accidentally hit it when I was entering numbers via 10 key so I need to turn it off.
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I have literally removed the NumLock keycap from all of my keyboards to make sure I don’t accidentally turn it off. Never missed it.
I have also removed the F1 keycap. Never use it.
Lol I also remove the Num Lock key! I find myself accidentally pressing it too much and I just never want to use that function anyway.
Scroll Lock is the one that comes to mind as a safe removal.
However, for me, the real useless AND inconvenient piece of shit I wish I could rebind as I want that space for something better is Caps Lock. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy to do.
Use autohotkey! I have a very simple solution for this, where the caps lock key is mapped either as a backspace key, or it minimizes the current window.
I’ve set my computer so that holding caps lock lets me type in Greek
You should look into Kanata. It lets you remap the whole keyboard, same idea as QMK, except it’s running on your computer instead of the keyboard itself.
It can be a bit tricky to set up if you’re not used to that sort of thing, but I managed to figure it out so if you have any questions feel free to ask.
Swap caps lock and left control. It’s the first thing I do on most of my computers, especially notebooks.
The newer versions of Windows Powertoys from Microsoft makes it easy on Windows.
Been easy on Mac and most Linux distros for years.
10-key. Pretty useful for my job as a bookkeeper.
Right, but do you ever turn num lock off? I think the OP was trying to say it should just be stuck on because why would you use those arrow, home/end/pg up/etc buttons that kick in if num lock is off?
no use whatsoever. this is an artifact from the days when the arrows, etc. did not exist as separate keys.
I think the numlock key is a hangover from the IBM XT computers (maybe even before that). Those keyboards didn’t have the cursor keys and other key block. So, the numlock key was quite important.
I know, because I got my first PC during the PC AT days right before they moved toward ATX. That was a full size keyboard.
I am surprised it has stuck around so long. I understand in the transition from XT to AT that perhaps computer operators got used to using the numpad for navigation and muscle memory would be ruined. But, you know it’s like 40 years on now. There isn’t really a modern day reason to keep it.
But, happy to be proven wrong.
I have a smaller keyboard that doesn’t have dedicated arrow keys, or any of the home, page up, etc. They’re all on the numpad, so numlock for me is very useful.
It’s useful if you enable Mouse Keys mode. Which is useful if you find yourself without a working mouse for one reason or another.
I haven’t used numlock in years but I remember that for certain games that you played with the arrow keys, I preferred to use the arrows on the numpad instead of the dedicated ones.
And according to Wikipedia, the reason why numlock exists in the first place is the fact that certain keyboards didn’t have dedicated arrow keys, but did have a numpad. I guess numlock on full-sized keyboards is just a relic that keyboard manufacturers are schlepping around because it’s cheap enough to produce and doesn’t really hurt 🤷
You can still get some mechanical keyboards with numpads but not arrow keys, though since these are variations on compact layouts they tend to omit the numlock key as well.
Interesting. Most compact keyboards I’ve seen save space by removing the numpad, not the arrow keys. I assume you can emulate arrow keys by pressing some modifier key on those?
Exactly that. Royal Kludge makes one.
I think it’s a good layout. I have a tenkeyless at home and for some tasks I definitely miss the number pad more than I’d miss the arrow keys, especially since the number pad by design doubles as arrow keys and always has. I’ve seen even smaller keyboards that have numpads but not the number row, which would also be sweet. Reclaim some vertical deskspace as well as horizontal.
I actually have a collegaue who uses the numeric keys as arrows and shit, he uses the NumLock pretty regularly.
He is the only one I actually know who does that, tho.
I can be useful. If NumLock is turned off you can use 2, 4, 6, and 8 as arrow keys for example. Although with most modern programs you can easily rebind keys so it’s more a thing of the past, like the “Pause” button.
A thing of the past? Pause is used a lot to pause games.
“A lot”?
Man, I’ve used F9 as a pause key more often than Pause.
I am an avid gamer and have never used that button to pause a game. Escape is the go to for that, no?
I have never seen pause used that way for modern games. Most of them just use
Escapeinstead, with pause being left for lower-system things like theREISUBsequence.Don’t know what to tell you, for me it often works. Maybe give it a try? Esc usually brings you to the menu, which implies pausing, but it’s separate from pause key.
How am I going to make an auto clicker then? With 5 and + held at the same time it keeps clicking really fast.
Mouse keys iirc
It’s a relic of the past. Old keyboards didn’t have dedicated arrow keys and since many programs were only controlled by arrow keys rather than a mouse, having a num lock key was a good solution to the problem. But if you are still stuck in an environment where you have to navigate a lot with arrow keys, the num lock still comes in handy. Having Pg Up and Down and the Home/End keys nearby is super handy in this situation.
It’s still useful for some old video games, especially for multiplayer where both play at the same time.
An easy indicator to see if a computer is on / wake it up / see if the keyboard is connected / see if a PC has crashed.
Depends on the settings on the computer.
I’ve seen some with USB ports powered when shut off, leave the numlock key lit.
I think it is still is useful, as some software still hasn’t figured out how to turn on numlock automatically, and for a few applications number pad scrolling can be better than the arrow keys, but it is probably less useful than the scroll lock key at this point.
I don’t think I’ve ever used numlock for anything other than “oh shit, I must have accidentally hit it when I was entering numbers via 10 key so I need to turn it off.
Yes, there are arrows on the numeric keyboard which can be used for various reasons, also home and end buttons.