Microsoft is adding a new key to PC keyboards for the first time since 1994

spudwart , 5 months ago

Okay, next plan is to start buying non-windows keyboards.

casual_turtle_stew_enjoyer , 5 months ago

Some Microsoft exec: “Hey, remember when TV remotes started getting a dedicated Netflix button?”

zingo , 5 months ago

Oh no! That will fuck up my muscle memory!

Oh wait!

I don’t use Winblows! Ufa!

Edit: seriously though, this whole AI super spyware baked into Windows is a privacy violation on a whole different level.

Too bad most ppl don’t give a fuck.

cmgvd3lw , 5 months ago

Atleast its AI. AI is good.

Zoidberg , 5 months ago

Another useless key? Use Scroll lock or SysRq for that. Or even better, reuse that stupid “menu” key. They’ll cram one more key to the left of the spacebar and make ctrl, alt, and windows keys smaller. Or change their order.

jol , 5 months ago

I use the menu key all the time… It’s very handy to avoid using the mouse.

Zoidberg , 5 months ago

I honestly never used it. Isn’t it the same as something like alt-f which will open the file menu?

jol , 5 months ago

I’ve no idea. That might be a windows thing. I don’t use Windows.

circuitfarmer , 5 months ago

This is way more about advertising Copilot than actually needing a new key. M$ gonna $.

Kushia , 5 months ago

Now I know what to use for my push to talk key at least.

KingThrillgore , 5 months ago

Oh nice so now we have a Super Key, a Hamburger Key, and now a Meta key. </speaking_in_linux>

phoenixz , 5 months ago

And again, install Linux and get rid of this Microsoft bullshit

Liz , 5 months ago

100%. When Windows drops support for Windows 10 I’m jumping ship to Linux Mint Cinnamon. I tried it out on my old laptop and liked it. I even liked that neat hot corners thing you could use.

Lemonparty , 5 months ago

Do I need to know Jack shit about programming to use it? Cause…I mean I really don’t know Jack shit about but I’m down to jump ship!

russjr08 , 5 months ago

Definitely not, I’d say the thing you need the most is the will to learn - as there are differences of course, but being willing to learn new things will go a long way.

phoenixz , 5 months ago

copilot key will eventually be required

Fuck that, and fuck you, Microsoft

Pika , 5 months ago

I swear if this becomes mainstream I’m going back to ancient keyboards again. That’s rediculous lol I am already annoyed at the volume buttons they have on my keyboard and that is not in the way.

soggy_kitty , 5 months ago

Dedicated volume wheel is god tier change my mind

DaCrazyJamez , 5 months ago

Welp, time to disable TWO keys on my keyboard.

noodlejetski , 5 months ago

ooooh, a KRunner key!

merc , 5 months ago

I would imagine this isn’t going to go over very well with a lot of companies. I would bet many already ban employees using copilot or other AI assistants because they don’t want their company’s proprietary data being sent to Microsoft or Google or whoever. Stick a key on the keyboard that, if accidentally hit, brings up copilot (and maybe sends data to Microsoft), and those keyboards might be banned.

Some companies will probably just deal with it by setting up their PCs so that copilot is disabled and that key does something else. But, other companies will either not be technically savvy enough to do that, or will not want to take a risk of someone accidentally reverting to the default behaviour.

echodot , 5 months ago

If you press the windows key I’m pretty sure it brings up search already. It definitely used to bring up Cortana on Windows 10.

I’m not sure why they would add a new key to the keyboard to achieve a function that already exists.

verity_kindle , 5 months ago

I just got done learning how to turn off Copilot in group security policy, yay! Get away from me, even if you worked according to the spec in the marketing hype. I am the admin. I drive you out! :::holds up holy water and a crucifix:::