Chromebook Keyboard
Google, started to make its own laptop in 2011, with a redesigned keyboard that killed many standard keys.
Chromebook drastically reduced the keyboard complexity.
- {PageUp, PageDown} are gone. These are quite useful. More efficient than using touchpad to scroll. (but less efficient than a scroll wheel with acceleration.)
- There's no Home End keys. These are not much used.
- No Delete โฆ. No need for this key if you are mostly browsing web.
- The pesky CapsLock key is gone. Replaced by a giant web search ๐ key with magnifying glass ๐ as key label.
- The F1 to F12 also gone. The removal is bad for power users. (the top row can actually be switched back to as F keys, but now there is no label.) ใsee Why Function Keys F1 to F12 Are Usefulใ
- Ctrl and Alt are huge. This is excellent, especially for programers, emacs, users.
- Also gone are number pad embedded in the letter keys.
- No more โ Window or โ command key. ChromeOS is designed to not need them.
- No more diddling with Fn key.
- The labels for the letters, are now lower case. a b c. This is a good change, because lower case is the default behavior when you press them.
Chromebook, runs the ChromeOS operating system. It is designed for average user of computers, not for professionals. Many of the keyboard design choices make sense. It throws away the decades of keyboard baggage piled up since 1970s, while not being a radical change. I would say it is a good change.