January 15, 2010 | Misc

Slashdot is reporting that Lenovo is removing the SysRq key.

Actually, it’s only being removed on its lower end consumer model. The story is also being followed by Computer Nerds, Witty Reads, and Boing Boing.

I think this is OK for low-end laptops used by novice-level users, and also for power users who need a smaller laptop and are willing to up with the inconvenience of not having a full keyboard.

Since the SysRq key shares space with the PrintScrn (PrintScreen) key in most keyboards, this also means people won’t be able to take screenshots (if that’s something you need to do from time to time) without installing one of those $19.99 shareware screenshot utilities. Pressing the PrintScreen key takes a screenshot in Windows and Ubuntu Linux.

Lenovo is also turning the F1-F12 function keys off by default and replacing their functionality with various laptop-oriented actions like change brightness, wifi on/off, turn off webcam, etc. You can still access the function keys by pressing the Fn key first. This is again oriented toward novice users who don’t know what the function keys are for. They don’t open menus with their keyboard. They don’t press F2 to rename a file in Windows Explorer. In fact, they can barely find files at all, much less rename them.

There are some people, such as this comment on the Lenovo blog, who question all of the following keys:

Caps Lock
PgUp / PgDn
Insert
Pause / Break
Scroll lock
SysRq (what is that?)
Half of the F# keys

So, here’s what either these keys (and some others) are for or what I use them for:

The “weird” keys on keyboards

Caps Lock Key

Like the label implies, it locks the keyboard into capitals mode so you can type uppercase letters. Since English has both upper and lowercase letters, it seems fairly obvious that you’d want a way to type both without individually holding Shift for each letter.

I use it to type headings in caps. Often certain programming code needs to be in upper or lowercase as well. Yes, we could live without it, but we could also live without heated car seats, or for that matter, computers, too, right?

PgUp/PgDn Key

What? Does nobody use PageUp and PageDown to move up and down in a browser? It’s used in almost every other program that displays a lot of text, or even lists. Microsoft Word, Windows Explorer, Nautilus File Manager, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.

If companies actually paid attention to what their officer “workers” did, they might find that they spend half their time picking up the mouse and painstakingly holding down the scrollbar after missing a few times, and then dragging all the way up or down, or rotating the scrollwheel about a hundred times. Ctrl+Home or Ctrl+End to go to the beginning or end of a document must seem an alien concept.

Insert Key

Changes the editing mode from insert to overwrite. Normally when you start typing, you are adding characters to the ones already there. If you’re in overwrite mode, you are replacing the characters already present with the new ones you’re typing. This removes the need to first select and delete text that you want to change.

In insert mode, the cursor (or caret as it’s called in Windows) which indicates the point where the current typing position is a slim line wedged in between two existing characters. In overwrite mode, it’s a solid rectangle which overlays the existing character which will be replaced when you type another. The modes are indicated in most text-editing or word-processing programs by the words INS or OVR in the status bar at the bottom.

Pause/Break Key

Pauses screen output. It also stops the execution of a program. It stops execution in a different and more forceful way than Ctrl+C does. Granted, non-programmers could probably live without this.

In Windows Win+Break is a handy shortcut to bring up the System Properties dialog.

I think the Pause function should be put to good use in games and web browsers. They Pause key could pause execution of a game. It could also pause the playing of a YouTube or other Flash movie playing in a web browser.

Multimedia programs should also use it to pause playing of movies and MP3s (but they don’t, preferring the space bar instead).

Scroll Lock Key

Activates a special mode in Excel that allows you to move the view of the spreadsheet without changing which cell is currently selected. That’s actually a function that I think should be used in more programs. When you’re editing a document, sometimes you want to view what you’ve written above or below, but you don’t want to lose your place. Without Scroll Lock, you can’t move your view without moving the caret.

Also used in Linux to stop terminal output.

Function Keys

F1 Help
F2 Rename. Also used in spreadsheet programs like Excel or OpenOffice Calc to edit the current cell.
F3 Used to go to the matching item when doing a search in many programs.
F4 Used in conjunction with Alt to terminate a program in Windows and Ubuntu. By itself, it drops down a drop-down list in Windows. It also drops down the list of past addresses or files in Internet Explorer or Windows Explorer.
F5 Used as Refresh in numerous programs, chiefly web browers and file managers.
F6 Used to move around tabs or different locations on the screen. Often used with Ctrl to switch tabs.
F7 Alt+F7 is “move window” in Ubuntu.
F8 Alt+F8 is “resize window” in Ubuntu.
F9 Alt+F9 is “minimize window” in Ubuntu.
F10 Used in Windows and Ubuntu to open the main menus.
F11 Used to go to full screen mode in a lot of programs, including Firefox and GEdit.

SysRq Key

SysRq stands for System Request, and it shares space with the PrintScrn key, as noted above. If you get rid of the SysRq key, you’ll get rid of PrintScreen as well.

As for what it does in its own right, it’s meant to talk directly to the operating system in when some kind of fault occurs. It’s used in Ubuntu and Linux to bring the system down in an ordered way without losing data.

Delete/Backspace Keys

Delete deletes characters to the right of the caret, while Backspace deletes characters ot the left. The trend is to leave out delete on smaller keyboards. I still want it on a full keyboard, though.

Home/End Keys

They go to the beginning and end of a line. Combined with Ctrl, they go to the beginning and end of a document or a web page.

Control Key

Used for numerous shortcuts. The most prominent being:

• Ctrl+C: Copy
• Ctrl+X: Cut
• Ctrl+C: Copy
• Ctrl+Z: Undo
• Ctrl+Y: Redo
• Ctrl+O: Open
• Ctrl+S: Save
• Ctrl+N: New
• Ctrl+P: Print
• Ctrl+A: Select All
• Ctrl+B: Bold
• Ctrl+U: Underline
• Ctrl+I: Italic
• Ctrl+Break: Stop (works in the terminal or command window)

Alt Key

Alt stands for Alternate (though I’ve never seen it spelled out on an actual keyboard). Used to access down the main menus in Windows and Linux. Also used to activate the underlined shortcuts in dialogs in Windows and Linux.

It’s part of the the infamous Ctrl+Alt+Delete which was used to reboot Windows. (In Windows XP it brings up the Task Manager.) In Ubuntu it brings up a dialog that allows you to restart, shut down, or hibernate the computer.

Windows Key

This brings up the Windows Start menu in Windows. It’s sometimes (though not always) used to bring up a similar menu in Linux. That’s how I like to set it.

It’s also used as as shortcut in Windows for various actions:

• Win+R is the run command dialog.
• Win+E brings up Windows Explorer.
• Win+D shows the Desktop.

Should keyboards be simplified for noobs?

Well, for small keyboards for netbooks and the like, I can understand this. But not for desktops and larger laptops. I think there’s an undercurrent of feeling that many keys are truly useful only for software developers. But the trend towards removing functionality conflicts with the general geekification of society.

There are millions of blogs out there, and the vast majority are not operated by programmers. Wouldn’t Joe Blogger want to post a screenshot of a video running in his web browser for a post of his? How would he do this without the PrintScreen key (shared with the SysRq key)?

Anymore, everybody alive is going to be people who have used computers since the age of three. They’ll have had plenty of time to experiment with the Home and PageUp keys. The funny thing is, people will be terrified by the seven keys of the apocolyse (Insert, Delete, Home, End, PageUp, PageDown, and Scroll Lock), yet they’ll have no problem operating a stereo system with untold keys:

Conclusion

Drop the keys for low-end portables, but not for standard ones.

If you liked this article

If you liked this article, don’t forget to subscribe for updates!

Get updates by RSS (What’s RSS?)

Subscribe by email:

Follow me on Twitter

Top Incoming Search Terms

"what is the scroll lock key on a lenovo" activate scroll lock lenovo x1 alt f4 function lenevo alternate key to pause/break break key on lenova keyboard break key on lenovo break key on lenovo e420 break or pause key on lenovo e420 change lenovo f key default changeing functions keys on a lanovo laptop changing default browser lenovo creativewebsolutions.co.in ctrl + break on lenovo laptop ctrl break on lenovo laptop ctrl break on thinkpad ctrl print screen lenovo programmable keyboard disable f11 function lenovo disable lenovo default shortcut keys disable lenovo pgup key disable print scrn sysrq in windows xp disable scroll lock lenovo disable scroll lock lenovo excel 2010 disable scroll lock lenovo keybord disable scroll lock lenovo x1 disble lenovo home page excel scroll lock off lenovo f keys alternate lenovo f11 lenovo disable flux key print scrn bind fn + sysrq = print screen full screen remote desktop lenovo no break key function key lock lenovo keyboard function keybord lenovo on screen function keys lenovo ubuntu function: prtsc brings up actual printer functions of scroll lock & sysrq keys get rid of blue small keys onkeyboard get rid of fn key on laptop hdmi get rid of lenovo msn page get rid of scroll lock on lenovo get rid of space bar pause in browser get rid of text keys getting rid of blue key functions getting rid of blue keys getting rid of blue keys on samsung keyboard getting rid of f1 shortcuts getting rid of the insert key have new lenova laptop windows 7 profesional my default browser is firefox when i open firefox lenova shows msn help hinkpad sysrq key how can i turn off function key in lenovo how do i activate lenovo turbo mode how do i get rid of lenovo tab on windows 7 how do i get rid of the lenova browser tab how do i get rid of the number keyboard on a lenovo laptop how do i insert a screen shot on a lenevo laptop into an email how do i remove scroll lock from a lenovo laptop how do i switch the f keys on a lenovo x1 how do i take the scroll lock off a thinkpad lenovo how do i turn off the function keys on a lenovo computer how do i turn on alpha characters for lenovo laptop? how do lenovo screenshot how do you change the text on a lenova laptop how do you disable scroll lock on a lenovo thinkpad how do you get rid of keyboard shortcuts how do you get rid of the functions keys on my screen how do you print screen on a lenovo keyboard how do you take the character lock off a lenovo how ti turn on the f lock key in lenovo how to activate print screen in lenovo how to activate sysrq in windows? how to convert the f10 key to a pause break key for in a windows 7 laptop how to default insert/print screen key how to disable f11 key in lenovo how to disable fn key on lenovo laptop how to do a screenshot laptop lenovo how to get rid of bookmarks on lenovo computer how to get rid of function lenovo how to get rid of function lock how to get rid of lenovo home page how to get rid of lenovo home page on my new laptop how to get rid of lenovo on widows explorer how to get rid of seconf function characters on laptop how to lock function keys lenovo how to lock the f1-f12 key on a lenovo how to prtsc on lenovo thinkpad laptop how to remove scroll lock in excel at lenovo pc how to screenshot with a lenovo keyboard how to switch off scroll lock in lenovo x1 how to take print screen in lenovo how to take screen shot in lenovo laptop how to take screen shots on lenovo thinkpad how to take screenshot on a lenovo how to turn off scroll lock + lenovo how to turn off scroll lock, thinkpad x1 how to turn off the f1-f12 functions on a laptop how to turn off the fn key on a lenovo http://digitivity.org/category/misc http://digitivity.org/tag/laptop in lenova laptop alternative key for home key insert function in lenovo insert pause laptop key fn and what to get rid of white screen key functions for internet connection lenovo key pause break lenovo keyboard without scroll lock insert keys keys for insert mode + lenovo laptop function keys laptop keys for lenovo copy screen laptop rid lenova keyboobrd lock lenove laptop insert key lenovo laptop how to activate the f functions by default lenovo "screen shot" function key lenovo + function f12 lenovo 570b how to resize view internet lenovo alt characters lenovo backspace ke locked lenovo backspace key locked lenovo backspace locks computer lenovo break key lenovo break key missing lenovo break/pause key e420 lenovo cmputer lock the scroll bar lenovo ctrl+break lenovo disable f11 lenovo disable the shift+scroll lock lenovo e420 f5 without pressing fn key lenovo e420 fn f5 key problem lenovo f-key lock lenovo f1 f12 keys lenovo f11 disable lenovo fn +alt +f7 lenovo fn button screenshot lenovo fn can´t use crtl+alt+delete lenovo fn icon on the right task bar how to removed it lenovo fn key for webcam lenovo fn key lock lenovo fn key locked lenovo fn lock lenovo fn shot key lenovo fn+upper keys to change numbers to characters lenovo function key on ubuntu lenovo key how to f1 key default lenovo keyboard "insert key" lenovo keyboard +printscreen button lenovo keyboard button prtsc lenovo keyboard fn lock lenovo keyboard insert key lenovo keyboard no scroll lock lenovo keyboard print key lenovo keyboard print screen lenovo keyboard print screen keys? lenovo laptop cursor locks left lenovo laptop function key shortcut lenovo laptop how to move the mouse while pressing a key lenovo laptop how to set function default lenovo laptop keyboard functions lenovo laptop keyboard page scroll lenovo laptop print screen function lenovo laptop scroll lock lenovo laptop shortcut key for print screen lenovo linux sysrq lenovo overwrite key lenovo print screen lenovo print screen button lenovo print screen how it works lenovo print screen key lenovo printscreen keyboard ? lenovo prtscrn lenovo removes sysrq key lenovo screen shot button lenovo scroll lock lenovo scroll lock key lenovo scroll lock laptop lenovo scroll lock shift c lenovo scroll lock shortcut lenovo scroll lock shortcut key lenovo scroll lock x1 lenovo scroll mode lock lenovo slim keyboard has no scroll lock lenovo slim keyboard scroll lock lenovo slow to bring dialogue to eject flash drive lenovo stopped typing alpha charaters lenovo sysrq lenovo think scroll lock lenovo think pad scroll lock shortcut lenovo thinkpad "turn off webcam" lenovo use f2 keys lenovo x1 "how do i turn off scroll lock" lenovo x1 pause key where lenovo x1 scroll lock lenovo x1 scroll lock and pause keys lenovo x1 scroll lock key lenovo x1 turn on pause break lenovo x1 where is scroll lock key levovo scroll lock function where lost a laptop key weird looking key with a drop down list microsoft internet keyboard printscrn sysrq no break key on lenovo page break on laptop keyboard pause break key on laptop print scree on lenova keyboard print screen button is disabled lenovo print screen key for lenova laptop print screen key lenovo print screen key on lemovo keyboard print screen option in lenova laptop print screen with lenovo keyboard printscreen on lenovo keyboard prntscrn on lenovo prtsc sys rq opens print window prtsc sysrq en lenovo laptop prtsc sysrq key prtsc sysrq stands for puase key lenovo x1 keyboard rdp sysrq reenable pause break on lenovo x1 remove browser keys lenovo windows 7 remove scroll lock in lenovo screen gets smaller or larger or scrolls by itself on lenovo laptop screenshot function key for lenovo screenshot lenovo alt scroll lock hot key lenovo laptop scroll lock key on lenovo thinkpad excel scroll lock key on lthinkpad scroll lock lenovo scroll lock lenovo x1 scroll lock off lenovo laptop scroll lock on lenovo scroll lock on lenovo x1 scroll lock on thinkpad x1 scroll lock shortcut lenovo scroll lock switch on when my laptop switch off lenovo shortcut for print screen lenovo shortcut for scroll lock for lenova shortcut keys for getting rid of line spaces shortcut print screen lenovo site:digitivity.org car site:http://digitivity.org site:http://digitivity.org install sroll lock key lenovo stop lenovo scrolling switch between insert /pause key on a laptop switch off function lock lenovo laptop sys rq delete sysrq laptop sysrq in windows sysrq key function sysrq key missing sysrq key on keyboard sysrq laptop sysrq laptop keys fn sysrq lenovo sysrq unix fn sysrq windows taking a screen shot on a lenovo laptop the hat icon for laptop thinkpad sysrq key thinkpad x1 scroll lock thinkpad x1 scrolllock key turn off fn key for lenovo turn off fn key lenovo turn off function key on lenovo laptop turn off scroll lock laptop thinkpad turn off scroll lock on lenovo laptop turn off scroll lock on x1 turn off scroll lock x1 thinkpad turn off the fn key on a lenova keyboard turning off alternate characters on laptop ubuntu 9.10 disable "insert key" ubuntu lenovo disable fn key use of sys rq in laptop what computer virus disable the wifi on a lenovo laptop what does function f12 do on a lenovo laptop what does sysrq stands for on the keyboard? what does the fn key plus the sysrq key do what f key does screen shot lenovo what f key to close screen on thinkpad laptop what is home sysrq on laptop what is print screen key and sysrq key what is the break key on lenovo laptop what is the meaning these key ( home sysrq, end prtsc, ) what is the screenshot shortcut for a lenovo laptop what is the sysrq function key do what keys on lenovo laptop switch numbers and characters what was the sysrq key originally used for where is pause break key lenovo where is pause break on lenova laptop where is pause key on thinkpad x1 where is scroll lock for lenovo desktop where is scroll lock in lenovo e420 where is the f-lock key on an alien keyboard? where is the pause key on lenovo x1 where is the pause/break key on lenovo laptop where is the pause/page break on a new lenovo laptop computer? where is the print screen button on a lenovo laptop where is the print screen function in lenovo laptops where is the print screen key lenova laptop where is the scroll lock key on a lenovo keyboard? where is the scroll lock on a lenovo laptop where to disable lenovo f11 shortcut where to find scroll lock in lenovo new keyboard which function key does print screen on lenovo laptop why get rid of pause break key windows print screen lenovo windows switch function f1 f2 keys lenovo wordpress blogs

Related posts:

1. Lenovo’s IdeaPad A1: An Android Tablet for $199 Lenovo announced a new Android tablet in their IdeaPad line....
2. Lenovo Boosts Laptop Hard Disk Speed with RapidDrive SSD Technology Lenovo has come out with a technology called RapidDrive that...
3. Adding an SSH Key to an Acquia Dev Cloud Server When you first set up an Acquia Dev Cloud server,...
4. Enabling Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to Kill X in Linux and Ubuntu GNOME Earlier this year, X.org made a boneheaded move to drop...
5. Samsung Unveils a 14-Inch Transparent OLED Laptop Screen Mashable is reporting on a new prototype laptop by Samsung...

Explore related content: key, keyboard, laptop, Lenovo, SysRq

14 Responses to “Lenovo Getting Rid of the SysRq Key”

1. Free Remote Access Software says:

   September 29, 2010 at 4:55 pm

   That was remarkable post. I like to read articles that are edifying for they enriched my mind with different knowledge that makes me a better person. These articles especially about recent events, technologies, news, tips and technical skills are the topics that I adore. Keep it up and more power to your website. I look forward for your next article. Free Remote Access Software
2. Rovinj Croatia says:

   October 25, 2010 at 11:01 am

   Getting rid of PrintScreen option is not so smart. There are ways of capturing screen from software but keyboard option is fastest so i am basically against it.
   Rovinj Croatia´s last blog ..Accommodation Rovinj Apartments Rovinj
3. Harry says:

   November 3, 2010 at 7:43 am

   Hi mate, I am interested in this also. (Take a look at my most recent article for more info.) Your article was a thought-provoking read, you’ve most definitely given me some food for thought!
   All the best,
   padlocked64
   Harry´s last blog ..Locksmiths Barnet
4. Joseph says:

   November 3, 2010 at 8:24 am

   Hello there mate, I’m also interested in this. (Take a look at my most recent blog post for more info.) Your post was a intriguing read, you have definitely provided me with some food for thought! – lockforce73.
   Joseph´s last blog ..Locksmiths Brighton
5. Jack says:

   November 3, 2010 at 1:40 pm

   I posted about this very subject myself today, and it was a pleasure to read your view on it mate. Best wishes, homesecuity73.
   Jack´s last blog ..Locksmiths Inlondon
6. Thomas says:

   November 3, 2010 at 6:20 pm

   I posted on this topic myself recently, and it was a pleasure to read your view on it mate.
   Thomas´s last blog ..Locksmiths Wandsworth
7. Samuel says:

   November 3, 2010 at 6:32 pm

   You know mate, I posted about this recently on my blog. This article has really given me lots of food for thought, I think you have made lots of really important points. In fact, I really wish I had discovered it prior to writing my own post! – lockforce57
   Samuel´s last blog ..Locksmiths Wimbledon
8. i need money now and fast says:

   December 14, 2011 at 1:04 pm

   You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and very broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
9. Pflanzenversand says:

   December 14, 2011 at 2:10 pm

   fabulosa aradones de dinclu y ontro con espeliste aeriameg. pestea a sseco y prertisti idormig con feraba proibacho!
10. fruit mocking party says:

    December 16, 2011 at 4:16 pm

    I do enjoy the way you have framed this specific matter and it does present us some fodder for thought. Nevertheless, through everything that I have observed, I just simply hope as the remarks pile on that folks continue to be on issue and in no way get started on a tirade involving the news of the day. Yet, thank you for this fantastic point and although I do not agree with this in totality, I value your standpoint.
11. Euro 2012 Bet says:

    December 17, 2011 at 3:23 am

    I think you have observed some very interesting details , regards for the post.
12. ioption deposit says:

    December 17, 2011 at 7:48 pm

    I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back later. Cheers
13. best penny auctions says:

    December 17, 2011 at 10:21 pm

    Hello! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came to check it out. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Wonderful blog and superb design.
14. Belkis Wiler says:

    January 23, 2012 at 9:20 pm

    This may not be the best place to request this, but I’m looking for a pest control business inside the pittsburgh area and have no way to find out who’s the most effective. I found this business that’s definitely close to me and wanted to see if anyone has any assessments on them. Priority Pest Control, 524 Ross St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 – (412) 346-6413