Comments on: Beware of the bilingual Canadian keyboard layout http://www.theblog.ca/bilingual-canadian-keyboard Useful tips on Canada, cell phones, banking, technology, WordPress, PHP and more Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:56:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Justin http://www.theblog.ca/bilingual-canadian-keyboard/comment-page-1#comment-12600 Justin Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:04:04 +0000 http://www.theblog.ca/?p=500#comment-12600 I want to know who decided we should all adopt this multilingual keyboard layout and what does the extra backslash keys have to do with French anyway (see diagram above)? When did this keyboard layout take over? I’ve lived in Manitoba all my life and I don’t know a single person who speaks French and all I can find are laptops with these asinine multilingual keyboards. I spell colour with a ‘u’ and measure almost everything in metric but these keyboards are bu|| sh*t! I want to know who decided we should all adopt this multilingual keyboard layout and what does the extra backslash keys have to do with French anyway (see diagram above)? When did this keyboard layout take over? I’ve lived in Manitoba all my life and I don’t know a single person who speaks French and all I can find are laptops with these asinine multilingual keyboards. I spell colour with a ‘u’ and measure almost everything in metric but these keyboards are bu|| sh*t!

]]> By: Kevin J. Woolley http://www.theblog.ca/bilingual-canadian-keyboard/comment-page-1#comment-12550 Kevin J. Woolley Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:26:29 +0000 http://www.theblog.ca/?p=500#comment-12550 The only problem I've found with switching keyboard layouts on a standard US keyboard is that you lose a couple of characters -- I can't remember which ones off the top of my head (backslash?), but they were deal-breakers for me, as I needed them for programming. The extra key to the left of Z is where those live on a bilingual/UK keyboard. I still haven't made up my mind how to fully deal with it, but I'm making do with knowing the finger dance to switch keyboard layouts quickly. The only problem I've found with switching keyboard layouts on a standard US keyboard is that you lose a couple of characters — I can't remember which ones off the top of my head (backslash?), but they were deal-breakers for me, as I needed them for programming. The extra key to the left of Z is where those live on a bilingual/UK keyboard.

I still haven't made up my mind how to fully deal with it, but I'm making do with knowing the finger dance to switch keyboard layouts quickly.

]]> By: Cam http://www.theblog.ca/bilingual-canadian-keyboard/comment-page-1#comment-12194 Cam Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:05:58 +0000 http://www.theblog.ca/?p=500#comment-12194 My bilingual keyboard looks worse. The right shift key is half the original size and is shared with another | and \ key. I bought mine online so I didn't know what the keyboard would be like. Because of this layout, I'll probably be buying my laptops from the States from now on, or at least going in-store to make sure I'm accustomed to the keyboards. My bilingual keyboard looks worse. The right shift key is half the original size and is shared with another | and \ key. I bought mine online so I didn't know what the keyboard would be like. Because of this layout, I'll probably be buying my laptops from the States from now on, or at least going in-store to make sure I'm accustomed to the keyboards.

]]> By: Claire http://www.theblog.ca/bilingual-canadian-keyboard/comment-page-1#comment-11906 Claire Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:41:30 +0000 http://www.theblog.ca/?p=500#comment-11906 The number of keyboard layouts a bilingual Canadian has to remember in order to type in both languages is nuts. I have a laptop that has a US keyboard and a Canadian multilingual keyboard that I plug in when at my desk. When I set to French, a lot of the characters are set to different keys and for some reason the keyboard at work has yet another layout in French. Drives me a little crazy, especially as a couple of mystery characters just don't seem to exist in some layouts but, still, maybe it'll help prevent Alzheimer's one day. ;-) The number of keyboard layouts a bilingual Canadian has to remember in order to type in both languages is nuts. I have a laptop that has a US keyboard and a Canadian multilingual keyboard that I plug in when at my desk. When I set to French, a lot of the characters are set to different keys and for some reason the keyboard at work has yet another layout in French. Drives me a little crazy, especially as a couple of mystery characters just don't seem to exist in some layouts but, still, maybe it'll help prevent Alzheimer's one day. ;-)

]]> By: JaneB http://www.theblog.ca/bilingual-canadian-keyboard/comment-page-1#comment-11900 JaneB Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:44:15 +0000 http://www.theblog.ca/?p=500#comment-11900 Also, for people who want a bilingual keyboard the cheap and easy way, just get the usual US keyboard and (in Windows) go to the control panel and set the language to Canadian English and the keyboard to the Canadian Multilingual Standard. Forget about this changing the physical keyboard thing, just let the software remap a few keys! No numerical codes for accents, no weird enter key, just a few remapped keys on the right hand side. If you don't touch-type, you can buy little decals and stick them on the keys.... Also, for people who want a bilingual keyboard the cheap and easy way, just get the usual US keyboard and (in Windows) go to the control panel and set the language to Canadian English and the keyboard to the Canadian Multilingual Standard. Forget about this changing the physical keyboard thing, just let the software remap a few keys! No numerical codes for accents, no weird enter key, just a few remapped keys on the right hand side. If you don't touch-type, you can buy little decals and stick them on the keys….

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