Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least
in the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop ?encouraging? PC
vendors to include the ?Copilot? key on their keyboards. Is this still happening?

Because I?m imagining that, 10 or 20 years from now, we?ll be looking
back at this brief time when PC keyboards had this extra key that
never really did anything useful, and stories will be told about why
it was there ...

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.16
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> posted:

Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least
in the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop ?encouraging? PC
vendors to include the ?Copilot? key on their keyboards. Is this still happening?

Because I?m imagining that, 10 or 20 years from now, we?ll be looking
back at this brief time when PC keyboards had this extra key that
never really did anything useful, and stories will be told about why
it was there ...

Maybe we can just remap the key to the 'context menu' key that nobody ever uses. It is, after all, the same key but with a different picture on the
top (and it generates a F23 keycode instead of ctrl-shift-f10 keychord)

And in 15 years, Microsoft will probably re-re-map it to something else nobody uses. What will it be? The anticipation is killing me; I can hardly wait! ;-)

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.16
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Is CoPilot already considered to be folklore?

Time flies!

--
Jan v/d Broek balglaas@dds.nl

"We're through being cool."

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.16
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 6/13/26 13:48, rbowman wrote:

On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:52:33 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least in
the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop ?encouraging? PC vendors
to include the ?Copilot? key on their keyboards. Is this still
happening?

The 'Windows' key has become a fixture on most keyboards. It's a good one
to map to Meta for i3 or sway.

One of the reasons I bought my Unicomp was that it didn't have that
stupid extra key, or anything associated with windows.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.16
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 20:41:35 -0700, Peter Flass wrote:

One of the reasons I bought my Unicomp was that it didn't have that
stupid extra key, or anything associated with windows.

The ?Super? modifier key was known in Lisp machine days though, wasn?t
it. And Emacs still knows that name. The ?Windows? key is commonly
treated synonymously with that, particularly on keyboards, like on my
Linux boxes, that don?t have any actual Microsoft-related marks on
them.

Emacs also knows about the ?Hyper? modifier key, but there seems to be
no available key on currently-common PC keyboards that could serve
that function ...

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.16
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 14:14:56 -0000 (UTC), Jan van den Broek wrote:

Is CoPilot already considered to be folklore?

Reminisce now, and avoid the rush!

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.16
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-06-13, SpallsHurgenson(NG) wrote:

Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> posted:

Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least
in the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop ?encouraging? PC
vendors to include the ?Copilot? key on their keyboards. Is this still
happening?

Because I?m imagining that, 10 or 20 years from now, we?ll be looking
back at this brief time when PC keyboards had this extra key that
never really did anything useful, and stories will be told about why
it was there ...

Maybe we can just remap the key to the 'context menu' key that nobody ever uses. It is, after all, the same key but with a different picture on the
top (and it generates a F23 keycode instead of ctrl-shift-f10
keychord)

Ah yes, I call it the Compose key :-)

(I still stand by an assessment that keyboards have too few modifiers,
one for the window manager, one key for compose, and you may be already
out of keys even before you consider a key to switch keymaps.

Non-Emacs users probably have a different assessment.)

And in 15 years, Microsoft will probably re-re-map it to something else nobody
uses. What will it be? The anticipation is killing me; I can hardly wait! ;-)

It's time keyboard manufacturers just give Microsoft the finger. This is
silly, keyboards continuing to do Microsoft product placement, instead
of using generic logos or labels.

--
Nuno Silva

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.16
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 20:41:35 -0700, Peter Flass wrote:

On 6/13/26 13:48, rbowman wrote:

On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:52:33 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least
in the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop ?encouraging? PC
vendors to include the ?Copilot? key on their keyboards. Is this still
happening?

The 'Windows' key has become a fixture on most keyboards. It's a good
one to map to Meta for i3 or sway.

One of the reasons I bought my Unicomp was that it didn't have that
stupid extra key, or anything associated with windows.

I have several UniComps, and I have 'Windows' and the other useless key.
But I map them to something useful.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.16
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Nuno Silva wrote this screed in ALL-CAPS:

On 2026-06-13, SpallsHurgenson(NG) wrote:

Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> posted:

Now that Microsoft seems to be dialling back its AI hysteria at least
in the consumer market, I wonder if it will stop ?encouraging? PC
vendors to include the ?Copilot? key on their keyboards. Is this still
happening?

Because I?m imagining that, 10 or 20 years from now, we?ll be looking
back at this brief time when PC keyboards had this extra key that
never really did anything useful, and stories will be told about why
it was there ...

Maybe we can just remap the key to the 'context menu' key that nobody ever >> uses. It is, after all, the same key but with a different picture on the
top (and it generates a F23 keycode instead of ctrl-shift-f10
keychord)

Ah yes, I call it the Compose key :-)

(I still stand by an assessment that keyboards have too few modifiers,
one for the window manager, one key for compose, and you may be already
out of keys even before you consider a key to switch keymaps.

Non-Emacs users probably have a different assessment.)

Fluxbox supports keystroke chords (e.g. Ctrl-x Ctrl-c) to initiate stuff.
I don't use chords, but with Shift, Ctrl Left/Right, Alt, and the
friggin' Microsoft Windows key, plenty of knuckle-busting key
combinations.

I've seen Emacs users whose hands look like the hands of an aged
roofer :-).

And in 15 years, Microsoft will probably re-re-map it to something else nobody
uses. What will it be? The anticipation is killing me; I can hardly wait! ;-)

It's time keyboard manufacturers just give Microsoft the finger. This is silly, keyboards continuing to do Microsoft product placement, instead
of using generic logos or labels.

Well, the generic keyboards I see label the key with "Win" or
"Cmd".

--
<Knghtbrd> you know, Linux needs a platform game starring Tux
<Knghtbrd> kinda Super Marioish, but with Tux and things like little cyber
bugs and borgs and that sort of thing ...
<Knghtbrd> And you have to jump past billgatus and hit the key to drop him
into the lava and then you see some guy that looks like a RMS
or someone say "Thank you for rescuing me Tux, but Linus
Torvalds is in another castle!"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.16
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)