10 ms·

Can people hit their function keys without looking at the keyboard? Sure, hitting F5 to go to your terminal is less keystrokes than e.g. Cmd+tab+tab, but I can'

by hbn 4y ago

Can people hit their function keys without looking at the keyboard? Sure, hitting F5 to go to your terminal is less keystrokes than e.g. Cmd+tab+tab, but I can't hit anything in the function row without glancing down at my keyboard. And I put a lot of value in looking at my keyboard as little as possible

macintux 4y ago
Nope, and I often work in dark conditions so it’s not at all easy to identify the right F-key at a glance.
- Vvector 4y ago
  Mine are in groups of four...
giraffe_lady 4y ago
Why though? I can't consistently hit it without looking, but I can hit it with barely a glance. The cost of looking at the keyboard isn't that high is it?
chii 4y ago
That's why the function keys are seperated into groups of 3, and you can feel which it is by feeling the gaps between them.
- crazygringo 4y ago
  Not on a lot of keyboards. (Edit: I mean no groupings at all, not about the size of groupings.)
  - hbn 4y ago
    Including Apple's
  - Encrypt-Keeper 4y ago
    I've never seen a keyboard that does this. Just took a look around the office to confirm.
    - lkbm 4y ago
      Probably a typo—groups of 4 is (was?) standard. My Das Keyboard has this, as did all(?) the keyboards I used as a kid in the 80s and 90s.
      - chii 4y ago
        yes, i meant groups of 4, there's 3 groups in total!
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
indymike 4y ago
The function keys can be operated by touch if you use them regularly. Source: Former WordPerfect user. And WordPerfect used function keys. A lot.
- marmetio 4y ago
  Same with LTspice. Works better if you have a keyboard where the function keys are physically separated into groups.
foobarian 4y ago
You need a keyboard with extra space between groups of 4 function keys. Apple keyboards are horrible in this regard. I hotglued a spacer between groups to help with that.
LoganDark 4y ago
It's possible to learn to use the function row without looking just like you can learn to use the number row without looking. It just takes getting used to your particular keyboard. (Not having to "home" on F and J helps.)
downboots 4y ago
at the risk of ruining a perfect keyboard you may super glue some tactile feedback
- reportgunner 4y ago
  It's not really a perfect keyboard if you need to super glue something to it.

by hbn 4y ago

macintux 4y ago

Nope, and I often work in dark conditions so it’s not at all easy to identify the right F-key at a glance.

Vvector 4y ago
Mine are in groups of four...

giraffe_lady 4y ago

Why though? I can't consistently hit it without looking, but I can hit it with barely a glance. The cost of looking at the keyboard isn't that high is it?

chii 4y ago

That's why the function keys are seperated into groups of 3, and you can feel which it is by feeling the gaps between them.

crazygringo 4y ago
Not on a lot of keyboards. (Edit: I mean no groupings at all, not about the size of groupings.)
- hbn 4y ago
  Including Apple's
- Encrypt-Keeper 4y ago
  I've never seen a keyboard that does this. Just took a look around the office to confirm.
  - lkbm 4y ago
    Probably a typo—groups of 4 is (was?) standard. My Das Keyboard has this, as did all(?) the keyboards I used as a kid in the 80s and 90s.
    - chii 4y ago
      yes, i meant groups of 4, there's 3 groups in total!
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

indymike 4y ago

The function keys can be operated by touch if you use them regularly. Source: Former WordPerfect user. And WordPerfect used function keys. A lot.

marmetio 4y ago
Same with LTspice. Works better if you have a keyboard where the function keys are physically separated into groups.

foobarian 4y ago

You need a keyboard with extra space between groups of 4 function keys. Apple keyboards are horrible in this regard. I hotglued a spacer between groups to help with that.

LoganDark 4y ago

It's possible to learn to use the function row without looking just like you can learn to use the number row without looking. It just takes getting used to your particular keyboard. (Not having to "home" on F and J helps.)

downboots 4y ago

at the risk of ruining a perfect keyboard you may super glue some tactile feedback

reportgunner 4y ago
It's not really a perfect keyboard if you need to super glue something to it.