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A few days ago I was commiserating about my apparent inability to get my keyboard's spacebar to feel "just right" after a Coke spill and taking it apart to clean it up and then reassembling it. Seems like a lot of people agree that given the value we place on our time, it's simpler to just get a new keyboard.
My reluctance to do just that, in part, stems from the fact that if you can't get the exact same make and model, keyboard manufacturers can't help themselves from fiddling with the layout of their newer models. I went ahead anyway.
I just received my new "Microsoft LXM-00001 Ergonomic" keyboard as the replacement, and this one is no exception. I bought it because in terms of layout, this is the one thing I found that most closely matched what's being replaced. It doesn't have Back/Forward buttons or the zoom level "rocker" my previous one had, but I never used those, so they're not missed. However:
0) There's no gap between the top row (number keys) and the function keys above it, so I often find myself hitting a function key when I'm actually trying to hit a number key.
1) I'm used to finding the Windows key by feel, by searching for the key immediately to the right of the left Ctrl button. They've inserted an Application key between the two, so I'm constantly hitting it unintentionally. This is gonna take some re-learning.
2) The main Enter key is somehow narrower than the one I'm used to, so I'm often hitting the key to its left. But it's not as bad as the item above.
3) I want to reassign some of the extra keys that Windows 10 picked some poor defaults for, and while Microsoft's latest version of their Mouse and Keyboard Center identifies the keyboard exactly, it still doesn't let you change some of those key assignments. Why, I don't know.
4) The numeric keypad has a "Clear" button that only calc.exe seems to recognize. It doesn't bother me since the key it's replacing (the NumLock key) isn't something I ever try to use without looking at the keyboard anyway.
Enough whining. I've got a new keyboard I'm trying to get used to.
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Thanks for the reminder. Certainly worth a try.
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You'll get used to it 
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Two days max and it is business as usual, I don't see a problem ...
I would place that on "Crying at a high level"  
modified 27-Mar-21 21:01pm.
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Yeah, I fully realized as I was writing this that it was gonna get filed under "first world problems"...
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dandy72 wrote: A few days ago I was commiserating about my apparent inability to get my keyboard's spacebar to feel "just right" after a Coke spill and taking it apart to clean it up and then reassembling it. Seems like a lot of people agree that given the value we place on our time, it's simpler to just get a new keyboard.
I did, for years; cherry keyboards are cheap.
Then someone gave me a corsair keyboard. A gaming keyboard, K68 RGB. Mechanical. Backlit with that nice RGB. 'spensive.
And I spilt coffee on it. Twice, dammit.
..but the thing is spill-resistant. There's youtube video's with people pouring water on it and continuing their games. And water isn't as sticky as coffee with sugar, but taking it apart per instructions, it was very easy to clean.
I also smoke; did I mention that? Ash and coffee make a kind of cement when combined. And the keyboard was as good as new after a quick clean. TWO times I messed up, and it just shrug it off.
Ain't ever going back to those cheap cherry's, costly as the Corsair is, it convinced me.
dandy72 wrote: 1) I'm used to finding the Windows key by feel
Most people are used to operate their mouse with the same hand. I switch hands every two months, since school (approx 20 years ago)? Still not as quick with left, but enough for a game without dying. You get used quickly, even if it annoys you for a week.
dandy72 wrote: 2) The main Enter key is somehow narrower than the one I'm used to, so I'm often hitting the key to its left. But it's not as bad as the item above.
Year, this one was weird to me too; even the German keyboard has a bigger enter-key. It's usually smaller on their layout due to extra buttons.
dandy72 wrote: 3) I want to reassign some of the extra keys that Windows 10 picked some poor defaults for, and while Microsoft's latest version of their Mouse and Keyboard Center identifies the keyboard exactly, it still doesn't let you change some of those key assignments. Why, I don't know.
There's freeware for that. See "AutoIT". Does a lot more too, you'll like it.
dandy72 wrote: 4) The numeric keypad has a "Clear" button that only calc.exe seems to recognize. It doesn't bother me since the key it's replacing (the NumLock key) isn't something I ever try to use without looking at the keyboard anyway.
Sounds more like a reason to hit 4 arguments 
..but I do agree on the enter-key. I'd prefer to loose one of the useless keys.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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I have a similar issue with the lit keyboard I use. I work at night a lot while my partner is sleeping behind me - he insists the PC be in the bedroom. He's just weird. Anyway, the ambient light from the keyboard helps light my desk some. I touch type so I don't care about seeing the keys.
What I didn't count on was the keys being so high because of the LEDs underneath. And the narrow enter key. Fortunately these folks kept their extra keys like the Fn key on the *right* side of the spacebar, and made the spacebar just a little shorter and slightly to the left to compensate
Otherwise it's almost exactly the same as my ancient Dell OEM keyboard i picked up from a thrift store because i love the feel of them.
But I feel your pain. I share it currently.
On the other hand this keyboard weighs several pounds which is unexpectedly nice.
Real programmers use butterflies
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honey the codewitch wrote: What I didn't count on was the keys being so high because of the LEDs underneath.
Interesting point. Someone had suggested I look into a backlit keyboard, and it's something I had never considered...or rather, I never even knew them having some extra height was a thing. I've never even bothered looking at them in person, in a store.
The legs on the desk I use are adjustable, so if resting my hands on a keyboard felt "too high" to be comfortable, I suppose I could try to adjust my desk height to compensate. The top of my desk is almost 29" off the ground, and that's generally my preference.
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I was on BestBuy's web site looking at their desktop offerings. Seeing what I thought was an error on a particular page, I decided to ask a chat agent about it. That conversation went like...
Me: I've a question about item 6203016.
BB: I'll be happy to answer you all your questions.
Me: On the Specs page, under the Memory section, it shows that 7 memory sticks are included.
BB: Yes, It is included with the tower of this computer.
Me: But there are only 2 memory slots, and 1 of them already has an 8GB memory stick in it. Why would 6 (or 7) extra sticks be included and NOT be part of the overall capacity? Why not just put one in the other memory slot and call it good?
BB: It is because it can be expandable up to 16 GB memory. In case you can expand the memory in the future.
Me: I understand that, but that's not what I'm questioning. Why does the web page show that 7 memory sticks are included?
BB: It shows because it'll be there with the tower and if you want you can upgrade the memory in the near future.
Me: That makes no sense whatsoever. Since there are only 2 memory slots in the system, why would the web page show that 7 memory sticks are included?
BB: It might be a technical glitch in the web page, we'll be looking in to it surely.
On occasion I do get chat agents that actually know about their wares. This was not one of those times.
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles
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The important thing was did you find out if your contact had a proper BestBuy uniform/shirt, as they do in the store or is he a second-stringer hiding out somewhere overseas?
This makes all the difference in the world.
Oh, by the way, the extra six memory stick (I suppose one goes into the box with the other) are to be used as stirrers.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Sometimes a 7 passes for a 1 ... that's why I (often) put a stroke thru the middle of the 7 ... freaks most non-Europeans out.
It was only in wine that he laid down no limit for himself, but he did not allow himself to be confused by it.
― Confucian Analects: Rules of Confucius about his food
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Gerry Schmitz wrote: that's why I (often) put a stroke thru the middle of the 7
I have done / do it always. I can vary on doing it all at once or in two lines but always with the line in the middle.
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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So; got a small system for you, 5 memory sticks over USB-hub in RAID-5.
They all limited to 8 Gb though.
No, not fast, the hub is limited to USB-2. No, not much space, just 8 Gb, that's what my keys do. And only works under Ubuntu, but you can mount that in Windows.
Bastard Programmer from Hell
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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To date, very roughly 30 million people have been vaccinated in the US. Coincidentally the number of people (not vaccinated) that got the virus, is also approaching 30 million. Let's look at the effects on both groups: Of those vaccinated I have not seen any reports of deaths directly attributed to the vaccine. Of those who became infected, the number of deaths is approaching half a million!
How do you like them odds, partner?
We are very appreciative of the people who made the vaccine possible for us! 
Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!
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Cp-Coder wrote: Of those vaccinated I have not seen any reports of deaths directly attributed to the vaccine. Of those who became infected, the number of deaths is approaching half a million!
Although I have my and the Mrs' vaccinations scheduled, I have to disagree with your use of the data. They really aren't measuring the same thing.
One is testing to see if, in a pool of 30M there are any deaths from becoming a member of a certain pool. The other, should be related to a pool of all persons who have not been vaccinated and the lethality of that state.
I agree with the point you are making but the proper comparison is roughly an order of magnitude less horrific than you claim. Restated: mortality of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated.
I wish our shots were in March instead of April, so you know where I stand on this.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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My purpose is to make a strong case for vaccination. I believe my use of the data is good enough to meet that goal.
Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!
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Yeah - a rapid read and your post makes a strong point. I just can't help myself thinking about things the way I do: claims on TV/Radio all but put me in agony (and I can't shout back at them in any meaningful manner).
Indeed, we hope to get Phizer or Moderna vaccines because they really work well in preventing the disease, altogether. IF the claims for J&J's less effective vaccine are true in that those who get COVID after their vaccine is administered have very light symptoms, if any at all. I'm a full-blown skeptic . . . Oxford recently gave a big push to the efficacy of the AstraZenica vaccine (which has some possibly serious drawbacks with the elderly, like hardly working at all) - but I also recall it's based on Oxford's own research: did someone say "conflict of interest?".
So, responding to your post as I did - it's a compulsive thing
My idea has always been to not die or be hospitalized and to avoid the long-term effects that are apparently more common than than was originally thought.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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W∴ Balboos, GHB wrote: which has some possibly serious drawbacks with the elderly, like hardly working at all
Hmm. This is actually a lie spread by the EU. The issue is that in the original testing, there were very few over-65s involved in the tests. The difference in mortality between the control group and the vaccinated is therefore a small number, and the number of those in the group who got C19 is small - possibly because, being over-65, they were less exposed to the virus (by design or by lifestyle). There is therefore not much data on the efficacy in over-65s, so its efficacy cannot be reported with a high degree of statistical confidence. However there is NO evidence that the efficacy is any less. That type of vaccine for other viruses has no "diminishing returns" with age and there's zero reason to expect it to be any different with the Covid vaccine.
What I find hilarious is the way the EU screamed the house down when their tardy ordering of vaccines left them short, and they risked a major international incident by trying to impose a hard border in Ireland, and in the EU (not a national government) conducting a raid on a private company. Having now accepted they're behind the curve in getting the AZ vaccine, they're now working hard spreading rumours that it's ineffective anyway. Absolutely pathetic at every step.
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Quote: J&J's less effective
Another other big lie ... J&J "is" being tested under current conditions, which include all the varients.
The other "stats" are based on earlier trials: different conditions (no South Africa, etc. variants).
In summary, the "experts" (there are some) say they are all probably of the same efficacy, though only J&J has "current" trial numbers to back it up.
And let's ignore it is a one-shot deal and doesn't require some of the exceptional handling required of the others.
J&J is going for a "billion" doses, so let's not Mickey Mouse them prematurely.
It was only in wine that he laid down no limit for himself, but he did not allow himself to be confused by it.
― Confucian Analects: Rules of Confucius about his food
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The latest data I read (via MedScape) puts J&J at about 66%; and in South Africa, more like 50%. So far as that goes, then, if my wife and I both get J&J then it's more-than-likely that one of us is unacceptable (not even including the S. Africa, strains).
Susceptibility is the wrong parameter. What counts is what are your chances, after being vaccinated, that you will get seriously ill from COVID? That's the real story if you really think about it.
So far, the only reliable mass-data in a real environment is Israel. Heavily leaning towards the most susceptible (such as 65 & over), they've been using Phizer and Moderna. Both seemed to do what I'm looking for at barely below 100% efficacy.
As for the J&J, and AstraZeneca - I wish both of them good luck as that's like wishing us all good luck and is a sensible hope. On the other hand, I see motivations for a little fudging of statistics to restore confidence in their yet-to-be-authorized (in US) vaccines. Switzerland is withholding authorization for A-Z .
Meanwhile, at the time I'm writing this, France and Germany[^] are saying no A-Z for seniors. Considering how desperate the EU seems to be to get the stuff, it seems like there's something compelling about their decisions.
| Ravings en masse^ |
|---|
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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The best vaccine is the one you can get.
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Cp-Coder wrote: Of those vaccinated I have not seen any reports of deaths directly attributed to the vaccine.
Would such a thing be reported? Has enough time passed (to know of the side effects)?
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles
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Has enough time passed to know the long-term health impacts of surviving covid (whether a serious case, moderate symptoms, or even none at all?) 
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I have zero control over the fact that I will most likely not be able to get my vaccine till next year sometime.
NY is way behind in vaccinations. My doctor's office contacted me with this delay, so it is fact, not fiction.
There are millions of people in the United States who want a vaccine but are no where close to getting one. I notice most reports don't mention that fact.
The fact that you got your vaccine (twice) tells me you are probably over the age of 65, or at least you should be. good for you. bad for us.
modified 5-Feb-21 12:01pm.
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