# What is the "turbo" key for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721 "2004-09-09T02:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/1 "2004-09-09T02:38:16Z")
It´s been two years since i bought this keyboard and I still haven´t figured out what the heck this key, bellow the enter key, is good for. Enlighten me, please. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/2 "2004-09-09T02:52:38Z")
[http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:I3i74cEuIfUJ:sillydog.org/forum/viewtopic.php%3Ft%3D1446+keyboard+turbo+key&hl=en](http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:I3i74cEuIfUJ:sillydog.org/forum/viewtopic.php%3Ft%3D1446+keyboard+turbo+key&hl=en) > [@](#): > > I have another keyboard which has a “Turbo” key on it, in the same position as the Fn key, and it does the same, hold it down, press F1 through F8 and it speeds or slows the repeat, except F11 is for the keybord lock, and that key worked, so I’m thinking that perhps the Fn key is not working, and would have to return this for another. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/3 "2004-09-09T03:14:30Z")
Aha, so that´s what it does… but what is it good for? 😕 Is there really a necessity for a specialized key for changing the repeat speed?, I have never needed to change the repeat in my computer from it´s highest setting; I can´t think of a good reason to have a key just for that. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/4 "2004-09-09T03:47:00Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > I can´t think of a good reason to have a key just for that. Hey, how many people use the Scroll Lock? Why do we need the Caps Lock _right next_ to one of the most hit keys on the keyboard? Who really swaps from Insert to Typeover? What the hell are all these email/shopping/iTouch keys on my keyboard? There is no logic to modern keyboards anymore, they just keep changing them so the technicians have a job. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/5 "2004-09-09T04:06:16Z")
Or the freaking F-lock key :mad: :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Dancing\_Fool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Dancing\_Fool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancing_Fool)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/6 "2004-09-09T09:05:39Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Who really swaps from Insert to Typeover? Hey, I do that all the time. Maybe it’s because I’m a programmer, and am often taking bits of text and modifying them slightly - who knows. I’m often working in a command prompt, changing what I just did a little, then running it again. I do know that when I got a new computer at work with a keyboard that moved the whole Insert/home/PageUp block down one row and put another row of keys on top, so that the insert key was replaced by the freakin **shut-down** key, it lasted about 1 hour (and ~10 accidental shutdowns) before the keyboard was exiting the fourth floor window. DancingFool ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/7 "2004-09-09T09:47:23Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Hey, how many people use the Scroll Lock? Hey, I do. I need it to operate my KVM\* switch – hit Scroll Lock twice, followed by an arrow key. I imagine they chose Scroll Lock as it’s least likely to conflict with other programs. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Why do we need the Caps Lock _right next_ to one of the most hit keys on the keyboard? Well, probably because it’s where the “Shift Lock” key used to be on a standard typewriter. I remember that was a hard one to get used to, since it locks capital letters but does NOT affect numbers & punctuation keys, so now we gotta hit “Shift” to type !@#$%^&\*()\_+:"? You’re right that it’s the #1 most accidentally hit button on the keyboard, though! \*KVM = Keyboard/Video/Mouse switch, which allows you to use the same K/V/M for two computers. Handy little tool, that. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/8 "2004-09-09T09:56:39Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > Is there really a necessity for a specialized key for changing the repeat speed?, I have never needed to change the repeat in my computer from it´s highest setting; I can´t think of a good reason to have a key just for that. WAG - it’s something that gamers may have a desire for. > [@Dog80](#): > > Or the freaking F-lock key :mad: :mad: :mad: There’s a workaround for the Microsoft F-lock key [here](http://www.mvps.org/jtsang/flock-e.html), for Win 2000/XP only, which makes the thing behave normally at start-up. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/9 "2004-09-09T10:13:17Z")
I’d always assumed the F-lock key was to summon the G-eese. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/10 "2004-09-09T12:47:19Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Hey, how many people use the Scroll Lock? Why do we need the Caps Lock _right next_ to one of the most hit keys on the keyboard? Who really swaps from Insert to Typeover? What the hell are all these email/shopping/iTouch keys on my keyboard? > > There is no logic to modern keyboards anymore, they just keep changing them so the technicians have a job. I use the Typeover when I’m writing and making relatively minor spelling changes. It’s just a bit easier, that’s all. The e-mail and shopping keys are shortcuts for a) your e-mail program and b) a shopping website. I also have a “connect” key that will try to connect to CompuServe. It’s unused now, because I no longer have a dialup connection at home. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/11 "2004-09-09T14:47:51Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > It´s been two years since i bought this keyboard and I still haven´t figured out what the heck this key, bellow the enter key, is good for. > > Enlighten me, please. It turns on [magic](http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/magic-story.html). ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-turbo-key-for/263721/12 "2004-09-09T20:42:28Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > You’re right that it’s the #1 most accidentally hit button on the keyboard, though! Not if you pop it off and throw it in the garbage. Best idea I had in a while.