# The most pointless key of the keyboard?



## Giaguara (Nov 13, 2006)

Not a default poll since there wold be 105 options in normal sized mac keyboard, and the extras on windows etc keyboards.... 

*What is the most useless key on the keyboard?
*Or the most useless keys.


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## DeltaMac (Nov 13, 2006)

How about the 'any' key?  
I guess that would be 'most' useful, not least.


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## Rhisiart (Nov 13, 2006)

The 'help' key.


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## Mikuro (Nov 13, 2006)

rhisiart said:


> The 'help' key.


Agreed. The only thing it ever does is drive people crazy when they hit it accidentally.

F15 is close, since Apple seems to have tried their very best to make it useless. It's very hard to wrestle control of it away from the system, and the system doesn't actually do anything with it unless you're using certain kinds of Apple monitors.


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## lurk (Nov 13, 2006)

Caps Lock before it is remapped to Control the way God intended it to be!

( We used to have fights over the old Sun keyboards when they tried to move the control key to the PC position on the new ones. )


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## lucidmcmillan (Nov 13, 2006)

num lock on the standard keyboard (not laptops)


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## eric2006 (Nov 13, 2006)

On a laptop, the Caps lock. If I press it, it's usually by accident. On a full-size, probably the help key.


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## Qion (Nov 13, 2006)

Definitely the "Help" key. Damn thing. 

A close second is the F16 key, followed by my dead Tab key.


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## Giaguara (Nov 14, 2006)

Great to see it's not just me with the "help" key.
I got so tired of hitting that key by accident that I removed it from the keyboard.
And a friend removed the caps lock-key from his powerbook since he hates it that much.


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## Lt Major Burns (Nov 14, 2006)

those arrows next to delete.  or that key on the numpad that looks like a box with a line through it.  it appears to work like escape does with a dialogue box.

§ - that one.


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## Ferdinand (Nov 14, 2006)

I think the four keys over the numeric keys (help, the diagonal arrow, and the up and down arrow with two horizontal lines through it. Doesnt do anything - never knew what it was for. Oh and one question: I saw the modern keyboards have a "k" key next to the right apple, just the "k" is tilted to the left. Whats it for?


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## reed (Nov 15, 2006)

never used the num key. What does it do? No joke!!
   And yes, "help" key a little silly. But.....


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## eric2006 (Nov 15, 2006)

The "num lock" key turns a part of my laptop keyboard into a number pad. Useful if you're into number pads.


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## reed (Nov 16, 2006)

thanks Eric2006. 
   One learns something everyday. No... I'm not into number pads.


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## reed (Nov 16, 2006)

Hey...let us turn this around for just a minute.... 

 What IS(Are) the most important key(s)? And in which order? Good luck.


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## Qion (Nov 16, 2006)

The vowel keys. 

:/ lol.


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## macbri (Nov 16, 2006)

reed said:


> Hey...let us turn this around for just a minute....
> 
> What IS(Are) the most important key(s)? And in which order? Good luck.



Ctrl, Alt and Delete for Wintel (couldn't resist )


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## eric2006 (Nov 16, 2006)

macbri said:


> Ctrl, Alt and Delete for Wintel (couldn't resist )



Indeed, it's the _only_ thing you need.


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## macbri (Nov 16, 2006)

Now *that's* funny!


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## guapagirl (Nov 17, 2006)

I've never even touched the f keys over the number keys or that one with the squggles next to 1 ....§ ±  this one!  what does § mean?

Most useful key for me is delete key, but I think hte help key would be equally useful but I don't know where it is and I've never hit it accidently :?


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## oceanicitl (Nov 17, 2006)

guapagirl said:


> I've never even touched the f keys over the number keys or that one with the squggles next to 1 ....§ ±  this one!  what does § mean?



Who knows? Answers on a postcard please lol


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## Lt Major Burns (Nov 17, 2006)

it's a Simolean, the Sim's Currency.


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## Ferdinand (Nov 17, 2006)

§ is a term used by lawyers etc. but not sure myself about what exactly it means.


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## guapagirl (Nov 17, 2006)

Ferdinand said:


> § is a term used by lawyers etc. but not sure myself about what exactly it means.




...maybe the amount they will actually charge you as opposed to how much they say they will


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## reed (Nov 17, 2006)

Doing good folks. The delete key IS indeed a classic. And boy! have used it!


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## lurk (Nov 17, 2006)

I might be wrong but I thought § meant section or subsection.


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## Mikuro (Nov 17, 2006)

lurk said:


> I might be wrong but I thought § meant section or subsection.


Yup. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/§

What countries'/languages' keyboards have this key? I've never seen it here in America. I need to hit option-6 to get the symbol.


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## Ferdinand (Nov 18, 2006)

On Ausrian keyboards its printed above the 3, so shift - 3 is §.
Option - 6 is ] so then option - 5 is [.


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## reed (Nov 24, 2006)

France:  § (with 6 key)


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## andyhargreaves (Nov 25, 2006)

In the UK, § is to the left of number 1, with ± above it.  Option-6 also works.

Also, someone asked about the &#8670;&#8671; arrow keys with double lines on them.  They do page-up and page-down for me, and I use them quite a lot so hands off !!

Andy


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