Off Topic - Question for ye olde computer geeks

[geoschmo]

Yeah, I know I'm a computer geek too, but I have no idea the answer to this question.

I was having a nice coversation with my 8 year old daugther today. She was asking me about computers, and what I did at work. I told her a lttle bit about how computers work, on a level that she could manage. Then she asked me, what's the scroll lock key for?

[insert sound of jaw dropping open]Duhhhh, I don't know honey. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I told her that it doesn't have any use, so she asked me why it's on the keyboard. So I told her that it used to have a purpose, but that nobody uses it anymore, but that the people that make the keyBoards are afraid to not put it on there because if they didn't someone might need it for something. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Anyone have a better explanation than that?

Geoschmo

[ July 24, 2002, 21:58: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[Baron Munchausen]

That's a pretty good explanation. It dates from the days of 'Glass TTY'. When there was no 'scroll back' you had to have Scroll LOCK to stop the screen and read it before it scrolled away. I think it's still used by some programs for screen capture. No other uses I am aware of.

[ July 24, 2002, 20:32: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Gryphin]

Baron is correct.
It was used in MS DOS but I don't recall the Version.
It is used for Terminal Emulation, TTY connections, to Main Frames and the like.
I hate to say this but it is still in wide use and will be till the main frames are gone.

[Puke]

outside of the mainframe world, some of the KVM makers are using it as part of an escape-sequence to bring either switch between montiors or bring up a menu for the KVM system.

its also a safe bet for an unused key if you are looking to program a macro or something. but if you try to use that as justification for a key, its really just quibbling.

[Gil Hamilton]

I know with DOS, when you listed a dir it would show them all real quick 'till it got to the bottom of the list. Then what you were left with was the Last several of the list which would fit according to how many rows your monitor was set up to view. I know there was also a key command in the dir request -have since forgotten it- to keep it so you could look at the dir a page at a time.

[Jmenschenfresser]

dir/p or w or wp or something like that....been so long since I used dos for anything other than running programs.

[Quikngruvn]

Dir /p lists the files one page at a time. The /w switch lists several files in one row (the 'wide' option).

Besides, who cares about Scroll Lock? I just use it for the Print Screen function....

Quikngruvn

[capnq]

dir /o:gne will list the directories before the files, with each set in alphabetical order.

[Suicide Junkie]

The pause and printscreen buttons are right beside the scroll lock button. They aren't the same button.

Some current uses for the button:
http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/print/0,23102,3000289,00.html

I'll also have to try writing a program that toggles the scroll lock light, in order to blink out subliminal Messages in binary.

[Fyron]

I'll also have to try writing a program that toggles the scroll lock light, in order to blink out subliminal Messages in binary.

LOL!

[minipol]

dir | more would do the trick too

[Puke]

regarding blinking subliminal Messages with the scroll lock light:

if any one remembers 'MOD' files, they were an old form of digitized music files that worked by taking a small handfull of sound samples and replaying them in a variety of volumes, keys, pitches, and durations. someone will probably tell me that i know nothing about sound waves and that key and pitch are the same thing, but that person can bugger off.

anyway, these were popular downloads for a while in the mid 90s on BBS's and such. there were a variety of MOD players that featured ambiant graphics, dancing people, or other effects that played to the music. I had one that made ANSI/ASCII collored effects on the screen, while blinking the caps-scroll-numlock lights as well as the turbo-HDD-power lights in time with the music.

all these newfangled MP3 recorders and media players and jazz pale in comparison to the clever enginutiy that went into older software. everyone probably feels this way, but it seems to me that i grew late enough in history to see some of the greatest inovation mankind has ever concieved, and early enough not to be blunted by its umbiquitousness. now i just need the world to end so the next generation does not one-up me.

[Atrocities]

I'd be happy if someone would just tell me where the "Any" key is and why I just can't simply Shut my computer off by using the power button whenever I want too. Oh ya, you know the cup holder? Well mine broke and ever time I ask the guy at the computer store where I can get a replacement, he starts laughing... Why is that? And the next time my computer screws up I am going to shoot my monitor!

[ July 25, 2002, 05:06: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

[Taz-in-Space]

And perhaps the most puzzling question of them all - What does a Monitor monitor? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Oh Yea, Why does my cup-holder disappear when I turn on my computer? Ever notice that?

[ July 25, 2002, 05:38: Message edited by: Taz-in-Space ]

[Puke]

cup holder? i thought it was a cookie tray. i keep hearing about the internet sending you cookies, but since the internet is installed on my computer, i think i should have some pre-packaged ones in there somewhere.

hmm, time to work on the RFC for easybake over IP.

[Quikngruvn]

The pause and printscreen buttons are right beside the scroll lock button. They aren't the same button.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">OK, I know they were the same key two days ago... they must have been switched around by the poltergeist that lives in my computer. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

hmm, time to work on the RFC for easybake over IP.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think they already have that for the 'kitchen of the future'. And suddenly I am reminded of There Will Come Soft Rains (http://www.plazaboricua.com/anil/archivo/fabulas2/cuentos/august2026.html).

Quikngruvn

[Gandalph]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
I'd be happy if someone would just tell me where the "Any" key<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I had a Customer the other day that had an "Any Key" glued to her keyboard. I had to make a comment about that one!

[Andrés]

The scroll locks works in ms Excel

[Suicide Junkie]

why I just can't simply Shut my computer off by using the power button whenever I want too.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hold the button for about 5 seconds, and it will turn off.

[DirectorTsaarx]

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">why I just can't simply Shut my computer off by using the power button whenever I want too.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hold the button for about 5 seconds, and it will turn off.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Of course, if you do that, Windows will complain that it wasn't properly shut down and will want to do a disk check the next time you power up. And any program you had open when you powered off is at risk for having some important initialization file get completely trashed in the process. Assuming that simply powering off the computer & powering it back on doesn't destroy the Windows Registry, of course...

In all fairness, Solaris/Unix/Linux don't react well to sudden losses of power (or forced reboots) either. Makes me long for the days of the old TRS-80, where you just had to be careful not to have a floppy disk in the drive at startup or risk losing the floppy; or the Apple II; or any computer running DOS...

[capnq]

Makes me long for the days of the old TRS-80...; or the Apple II; or any computer running DOS... <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Or an Amiga! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I still occasionally play old games on my not-dead-yet Amiga 500.

[Baron Grazic]

Some BIOS's allow you to change it so that when you hit the "power button" it does shut down Windows correctly.

Help support a starving Computer Techo and play with the BIOS today. :-)

Amiga 500 - now those were the days. Anyone remember a game called 'Fate Gates of Dawn' or something similar. Always loved that RPG, but never found any mention on the web about it.

-Edit-
Oops - Just did another search and found a few references to "Fate Gates of Dawn". Now if only I can find it available for the PC.

[ July 31, 2002, 05:41: Message edited by: Baron Grazic ]

[dogscoff]

Baron G: Ah, yes... the Amiga. You should be able to download an Amiga emulator without too much trouble - Amiga forever I tihnk it's called. Pretty sure it's freeware, but I could be wrong.

Alternatively, you could buy my 9-bay tower-mounted A1200. One of these days I'm gonna have to get rid of it=-(

[Gryphin]

Atrocities,
In terms of, "why" you can't turn the system off by just pushing the power button:
I believe it was built into the ATX standard to save people from themselves. Many a system was accidentaly turned off by a careless knees or hand. The default is 10 seconds.
I could be wrong about the ATX standard part thought that is the first I remember seeing it.
Now, if they could buid an auto correct feature into the keyboard, that would be nice.