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| Thread ID: 50897 | 2004-11-05 03:47:00 | Laptop Number keys | walfred (6371) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 288225 | 2004-11-05 03:47:00 | Laptops are a pain for accounting work because they don't have the extended keyboard with the separate numberpad. I thought I could get over that by buying a USB number pad but that is only a partial solution because the ones that I have tried require the number lock on the main keyboard to be activated.... with the result that any normal typing starts to look like this (3662 352e th5s = look like this!). Very frustrating when entering transactions because most of those include a description of some sort between the cheque number and the amount and the effort involved in switching the number lock off and on again is more than the time saved in using the keypad. My question is Has anyone come across a utility program which allows a laptop to recognise when a keypad is attached and so disable the numberlock on the main keyboard? |
walfred (6371) | ||
| 288226 | 2004-11-05 04:29:00 | plug in a standard keybd | 45South (4769) | ||
| 288227 | 2004-11-05 05:17:00 | Yes, I do use a standard keyboard in my home office but it sort of defeats the idea of a laptop if I have to lug around a full keyboard as well. | walfred (6371) | ||
| 288228 | 2004-11-05 07:01:00 | I have seen laptop external keyboards that fold up to size that you can fit into your pocket sorry but I cant remember the NZ supplier | beama (111) | ||
| 288229 | 2004-11-05 07:27:00 | Any caring sharing computer store can source them,no use aproaching the supplier,they wont be happy with creating an account for the sale of a single item. anyhow www.anywarenz.co.nz www.anywarenz.co.nz |
metla (154) | ||
| 288230 | 2004-11-06 01:21:00 | The problem with foldable keyboards is that they are foldable . Anyone who uses a keyboard "lots" is not going to like the feel of a foldable keyboard . :_| The problem with USB keypads appears to be that they have been designed by someone who hasn't been forced to use the product . :_| The same applies to a lot of software . ;-) The USB keypad does need to have the Num Lock key on (so you get numbers, not the cursor functions) . Using the Num Lock key on the keypad, rather than the one on the laptop keyboard might give the right result, but I'm not too hopeful . The problem I see is that the USB-->keyboard functions translation is probably too good an emulation of the 8042 microprocessor used for the keyboard controller on the IBM 5051 PC of 1981 . :D Once the keyboard interrupt has been trapped you are left with the problem that the keyboard code only knows about one NumLock key . It's a bit in memory which is on or off, and switches translation of the keyboard scan codes accordingly . I'm sure it's a fixable thing . . . "you can do anything with software" . . . but it's not likely to be trivial . You could try complaining to he manufacturers . . . ;-) |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 288231 | 2004-11-06 01:25:00 | you can also get external "number only" keyboards.. | b1naryb0y (3) | ||
| 288232 | 2004-11-06 01:46:00 | I think it would be a good idea to ask for a demonstration before buying. Even if it hasn't got the cursor markings on the keytops, it would probably need a "Num Lock". The way that PC keyboards operate is not intuitive. ;-) | Graham L (2) | ||
| 288233 | 2004-11-07 06:02:00 | Thanks for all those comments but many of you are missing the point. Yes, I've tried a number of different brands but all have the same problem. In order for the external keypad to work as a number pad, it's number lock needs to be activated but that also activates the alternate number area on the main laptop keyboard. Two other points: 1. IBM tech support advise that it is a controller limitation 2. I've seen a reference to a Kensington keypad that claims that its number lock operates independently of the one on the main keyboard. Has anyone had any experience of this? |
walfred (6371) | ||
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