# Things you hate about the QWERTY keyboard **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 9, 2023, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923 "2023-03-09T11:20:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/41 "2023-03-10T15:46:09Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Windows does have a Character Map app that should allow you to more easily find the character you need to C&P. macOS has several tools for getting obscure characters. The simplest one is option-key-modified strokes (ß, for example, is option-B, ü is a double keystroke) and there is an onscreen keyboard map to help one find these things, which can go in the keyboard menu widget. There is also a thing for that widget that provides access to basically all of unicode. ---
**Author:** ![Yosh99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ccd318/32.png) [@Yosh99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yosh99)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/42 "2023-03-10T17:23:00Z")
My issue with the QWERTY keyboard is how Apple implements it in the MacBook Pro. I’m constantly hitting the huge trackpad with my palm, causing the cursor to jump all over. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/43 "2023-03-10T17:24:22Z")
I wish the keyboard on my laptop (Dell, Win11) would somehow show when num lock is on. But actually I REALLY wish Windows would stop turning num lock off every time I log out or put the computer to sleep or whenever it occurs to them. I really want it on all the time. That is why I bought this laptop with a number pad. Which has the regular keyboard offset just a bit to make room for the number pad, which means I am in the wrong place on the keyboard very often. Hey, I’m old and slow to adapt, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/44 "2023-03-10T19:34:13Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > > [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > > > I thought everyone who is bothered by this would have fixed it by now. > > Caps Lock is one of my bugbears too, so having read several posts, I thought I would disable it. However, I use W11 and after a search, I find that the only way to achieve that is to edit the registry. > > I could do it, but there are some occasions when I do want it, so I guess I’ll have to live with it. > > I use a M’soft Surface with a keyboard and apart from this, I think they got the design about right. There’s no number pad so no numlock and pgup/dwn are there, as is home and end. They also kept PrtScn which I use. Microsoft PowerToys (available for free from the Microsoft Store) contains KeyManager, which allows remapping or disabling keys on your keyboard. Many people remap the CapsLock function to a seldom used key, like ScrollLock, so it’s still available when needed. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/45 "2023-03-10T19:51:00Z")
Would this also allow for forcing CapsLock to STAY on? I’ve Googled that problem, and the only solution I found was registry editing, which I’m rather uncomfortable with. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/46 "2023-03-11T03:00:52Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Caps Lock is one of my bugbears too, so having read several posts, I thought I would disable it. However, I use W11 and after a search, I find that the only way to achieve that is to edit the registry. Will the solution [here](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/17) in @jnglmassiv’s post work in Windows 11? It worked for me with Windows 10. In fact, it beeped at me 3 times today. > [@Things you hate about the QWERTY keyboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/17): > > There’s a Windows setting to play a sound when you hit Caps Lock. In Win10, look under Keyboard \> Toggle Keys. My current laptop lacks dedicated Page Up & Page Down keys. I miss them a lot more than I anticipated. Func + Up/Down performs the same function but it isn’t the same. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/47 "2023-03-11T03:21:53Z")
Errr, meant NumLock here. The Mountain Dew must not have kicked in yet when I wrote that. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/48 "2023-03-11T03:51:56Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Errr, meant NumLock here. @jnglmassiv’s [beeping solution](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/17) works on the NumLock key. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/49 "2023-03-11T04:20:22Z")
I just want to tell NumLock to be on when I start the computer and STAY on unless I specifically say otherwise (which isn’t likely). No beeping needed or wanted (I typically have the sound turned off unless I’m playing music or a video). ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/50 "2023-03-11T04:37:50Z")
Me too. If you ever find a way to keep NumLock on until WE DECIDE to turn it off, please share! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/51 "2023-03-11T04:43:45Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > If you ever find a way to keep NumLock on until WE DECIDE to turn it off, please share! Every time my computer reboots, the NumLock gets reset. At least at work, I know what day it happens on, not that I ever remember. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/52 "2023-03-11T04:49:13Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Me too. If you ever find a way to keep NumLock on until WE DECIDE to turn it off, please share! The only thing I’ve been able to Google up involves editing the registry, and I’m not sure I have the nerve for that. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/53 "2023-03-11T04:51:50Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > The only thing I’ve been able to Google up involves editing the registry, and I’m not sure I have the nerve for that You can back up the registry first in case it causes unforeseen problems. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/54 "2023-03-11T05:19:49Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > I just want to tell NumLock to be on when I start the computer and STAY on unless I specifically say otherwise (which isn’t likely). No beeping needed or wanted (I typically have the sound turned off unless I’m playing music or a video). This is a common setting in the BIOS – setting for the default state of NumLock at boot. It won’t force it on all of the time, but it will at least start the computer with it on. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/55 "2023-03-11T12:18:47Z")
I’ve never seen Line Lock Release. What’s it do? (Also, it’s weird to me that the tab key is upper right instead of over the shift lock.) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/56 "2023-03-11T17:29:16Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I’ve never seen Line Lock Release. What’s it do? I’m not Qadbop and that’s not my typewriter, but I’m guessing it’s the same as Margin Release (MAR REL on the manual typewriter I grew up using) – to bypass the block that keeps the carriage from going farther right than specified margin (or farther left than the left margin for that matter, you could do that too). ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/57 "2023-03-11T18:19:19Z")
Also, note that many of those older typewriters did not include a “1” key. We used the lowercase L for 1, and if you needed an exclamation point, you would type an apostrophe, backspace, and type a period. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/58 "2023-03-11T18:55:32Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > if you needed an exclamation point, you would type an apostrophe, backspace, and type a period. Or hold down the spacebar key and type the apostrophe and period consecutively – the carriage won’t move until you release the spacebar, and it has moved 1/2 space which works quite well visually (it moves the remaining 1/2 space when you release it). ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Baggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Mr.Baggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Baggins)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/59 "2023-03-11T19:07:19Z")
I hope this is not too offtopic, but that has happened to me more than once. If you select the text in uppercase and hit Shift-F3, it will change to lowercase. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923/60 "2023-03-11T19:18:01Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Apart from that, my only complaint about QWERTY is that it should be QWERTZ, as in fact it is in the computers I own. This is how it was on the Hermes Baby typewriter I used when I first learned to type. It took a lot for my junior high typing teacher to get me to unlearn it! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-hate-about-the-qwerty-keyboard/980923.md?page=4)