Why do older keyboards have two windows keys?

[JaxTer193]

I saw some old OEM Lenovo keyboards and noticed that they had two windows keys. I can not fathom the idea of a person pressing the right windows key.

[DoctorNick]

3 minutes ago, JaxTer193 said:

I saw some old OEM Lenovo keyboards and noticed that they had two windows keys. I can not fathom the idea of a person pressing the right windows key.

Thank you for making me feel old. My current keyboard, thats 10 years old has that. Also I use the 2nd windows key actually 

[manikyath]

not "older" keyboards, it's just the standard layout to have two.

 

the idea is that like shift and ctrl, it's a modifier key, and you can use either hand to access it, while using the other hand to access the key you want to "modify".

 

it's just that the windows key is rarely used in today's "what are hotkeys anymore" era of computing.

[porina]

Looking at a few keyboards I have around me, one has two Windows keys. It also has a lot of extra dedicated function keys, which I think could be important. The other two keyboards do not have a right Windows key, but do have a Fn key which modifies various keys into extra functions.

 

By extra functions, I mean things like volume control, track control, "game mode" toggle where the Windows key is disabled. So I'd guess it is especially depreciated on gaming focused keyboards.

[AnonymousGuy]

Why do keyboards have two shift keys?

(cause left + right hand)

 

Personally I'm only using all those keys with my left hand and the right ones are never touched.

[Needfuldoer]

All the other modifier keys are duplicated left to right, so why not?

 

Like many other aspects of desktop computers, it probably goes back to ye olde days when everyone was expected to be a touch-typist and do as much as possible with the keyboard. 

[Monkey Dust]

It is a full sized vs compact difference, rather than age.

 

If you need to find space on the bottom row for a function key, or two, and possibly some of the arrow key cluster, the duplicate keys are a good place to start. You can't get rid of the right Alt, as in Europe it's Alt Gr, to access special characters. So that leaves the right Control & Windows/Super keys, and that weird key that just opens menus.

 

 

[Robchil]

1 hour ago, AnonymousGuy said:

Why do keyboards have two shift keys?

(cause left + right hand)

 

Personally I'm only using all those keys with my left hand and the right ones are never touched.

if you actually write "touch" you use both, for capital letters typed with the opposite hand.. 

 

[AnonymousGuy]

15 minutes ago, Robchil said:

if you actually write "touch" you use both, for capital letters typed with the opposite hand.. 

 

I'm at 130+wpm and I don't use my right hand for any of the modifier keys.  I shift my left fingers while my pinky is occupied with shift key so if I need to do a capital A I'm hitting shift with my pinky and A with my ring finger.

[Doobeedoo]

I changed mine to context menu since there isn't one but has FN key. But yeah, command keys are duplicated on both sides. Even though I never use one side really.

[Holmes108]

1 hour ago, AnonymousGuy said:

I'm at 130+wpm and I don't use my right hand for any of the modifier keys.  I shift my left fingers while my pinky is occupied with shift key so if I need to do a capital A I'm hitting shift with my pinky and A with my ring finger.

 

Same, I shift all of my letters with my left.

[Monkey Dust]

5 hours ago, AnonymousGuy said:

I'm at 130+wpm and I don't use my right hand for any of the modifier keys.  I shift my left fingers while my pinky is occupied with shift key so if I need to do a capital A I'm hitting shift with my pinky and A with my ring finger.

I just realized I don't use the left shift either, at least for letters, mind blown. I still use it for most of the symbols, but that's it. Never use left Control, and only use the left Alt for the € symbol (Alt Gr + 4 is € on a UK keyboard)

[Sarra]

This reminds me, I need to find properly sized Tux keys to replace the 3 windows keys on my two keyboards. o.x

[atarione]

Most standard fullsize or TKL 80 keyboards have 2x windows keys... why?  because left handed people exist?   I know as I am one...  

My decade old but still available Filco Majestouch 2 TKL.

 

[saintlouisbagels]

14 minutes ago, atarione said:

Most standard fullsize or TKL 80 keyboards have 2x windows keys... why?  because left handed people exist?   I know as I am one...  

My decade old but still available Filco Majestouch 2 TKL.

I'm wondering if OP asked this question because they only looked at 60%, 65%, 75% and 96% boards lol.

Although, Keychron's pictures for their TKL boards only uses MacOS keys where there would normally be Windows keys.