The Story of the Super Button

[rottentree]

The Story of 'How the Super Button became the Windows Button' (Longer title. In case you didn't notice.)

A long time ago when the monitors were less blue and you had to wear glasses to use computers and a radioactive suit to survive it a customer walked into a shop to buy a keyboard:



Customer: -Hello! I would like to buy a keyboard. What do you advise?

Salesman: -Oh there are many fine keyboards here but you are in a lucky position because our latest shipment of revolutionary keyboards have just arrived! Let me show you. *brings a keyboard to the customer*
Customer: -Seems nice and all the letters are on it from the alphabet...

Salesman: -And there are numbers on it too...
Customer: -Yeah I see it but what makes it so special? I mean if I really wanted to I could just type in the name of the numbers.
Salesman: -Ah I'm glad you asked. You see there are numerous special buttons on it which extend it's functionality WELL ABOVE other keyboards. For example there's the Shift key which let's you uhmmm... SHIFT letters. You can SHIFT them to become big capital letters so you can see them easier. There's the CTRL button it... it lets you CONTROL applications without touching your mouse so you save money because you don't have to buy a mouse and there's the ALT button which let's you invoke ALTERNATIVE commands.
Customer: Okay seems really good but what does that Super button do?
Salesman: -Well the Super button is... is... simply SUPER useful and...
Customer: -Wait! You mean the other buttons aren't SUPER useful? You just wanted to rip me off by selling a keyboard with not so useful buttons right? I have had enough of this dishonesty! *thunders out of the shop*
Salesman: *sighs*

In A.B.(After Bill) 20
Customer walks into a shop to buy a keyboard:

Customer:- I would like a keyboard.
Salesman: -Then you are in for a treat our latest model has just arrived! *shows keyboard*
Customer: -Okay but what does that button with a little window on it do?
Salesman: -Well that's the Windows button it's... it's... you see Windows is an operating system and you know what many people call that button?
Customer: -No what?
Salesman: -They call it the Super button because Windows is so SUPER.
Customer: -Ooooh!Then I want four of that and the keyboard!
Salesman: -Don't forget to buy one for your dog too. He will love it. Actually everyone loves it.
Customer: -Okay then I want five... Hey but I don't have a dog.
Salesman: -You are going to have a dog. I have seen it.
Customer: -How so?
Salesman: -Wondrously magical iBalls! Do you want to see the amazing future?
Customer: -How much?

The End

[Breambutt]

I didn't originally plan on getting married and have kids, but now I have to so I could tell this story to my children.

[Bachstelze]

Super cool story, bro. d(^.^)b

[RiceMonster]

Super cool story, bro. d(^.^)b

this.

[whiskeylover]

+1 for the responses.

As for the OP, I lost interest after the second line : (

[McRat]

I am kind of curious why Ubuntu doesn't use that key for anything.

Is there a keyboard mapping utility?

I also wondered about direct ASCII key functions.

On Win/DOS machines you hold down the ALT key and type any number from 000 to 255 on the numeric keypad. This accesses the ASCII character set. It's very handy for programming or making special characters like +/- or deg symbols.

[Breambutt]

I am kind of curious why Ubuntu doesn't use that key for anything.

Is there a keyboard mapping utility?

I also wondered about direct ASCII key functions.

On Win/DOS machines you hold down the ALT key and type any number from 000 to 255 on the numeric keypad. This accesses the ASCII character set. It's very handy for programming or making special characters like +/- or deg symbols.
Well, I kinda like having an extra button around for whatever I might feel like doing with it. The super key is preconfigured for all kinds of app switchers in compiz, for one. In my old Hardy system I used it as a virtual key for some silly key combinations so I could use my TV tuner's remote control to change tracks in Amarok / channels in Kaffeine and refreshing tabs in Firesux without stealing focus, and so forth. Of course this is pretty pointless since my apartment is basically one room, but don't we all do this kinda stuff because we can?

The ASCII thing is a pita though, it's also useful for Europeans who want to spell names correctly (stupid Norwegians).

[Merk42]

I am kind of curious why Ubuntu doesn't use that key for anything.

I know compiz does. Hold the super button and N or M.

[McRat]

I know compiz does. Hold the super button and N or M.

There you go! In Ubuntu, it swaps to "black background" for power saving?

[rottentree]

+1 for the responses.

As for the OP, I lost interest after the second line : (

Hmmm...
The shop also sells whiskey.

(I hope you don't lose interest after the 1st line)

[Tristam Green]

this.

bandwagon

[Cam42]

I used to have my super key open a terminal, but that functionality seems to have been removed. :-/

[alphaniner]

I also used the Super Key to open a terminal in 8.04, but I later realized that the terminal was being launched before I released the key. I don't think that's how it's supposed to work. :confused:

[RiceMonster]

bandwagon

no u

[Bachstelze]

I am kind of curious why Ubuntu doesn't use that key for anything.

Not by default, but some programs like Compiz use it. Also, you can use it as Compose Key.


I also wondered about direct ASCII key functions.

On Win/DOS machines you hold down the ALT key and type any number from 000 to 255 on the numeric keypad. This accesses the ASCII character set. It's very handy for programming or making special characters like +/- or deg symbols.

In GTK apps, Ctrl+Shift+<hex unicode code point>, which is more powerful because it works for any Unicode character. For example Ctrl+Shift+U41 = A.

[reinel2008]

What a useless story. Not even funny in the least...

[CJ Master]

What a useless story. Not even funny in the least...

Well aren't we a Cowell today?

[McRat]

In Linux, how do they store the keymap?

[eriktheblu]

I am kind of curious why Ubuntu doesn't use that key for anything.I use it more in Ubuntu than I ever did in MS Windows.

[rottentree]

I also used the Super Key to open a terminal in 8.04, but I later realized that the terminal was being launched before I released the key. I don't think that's how it's supposed to work. :confused:
Dude don't do this to me I tried it ( although I use Super+T I got fond of it in #! :P ) I held the buttons down: nothing happened
Then I released the keys and it opened a **** load of terminals :D

[pricetech]

I didn't originally plan on getting married and have kids, but now I have to so I could tell this story to my children.

Nah, you can tell it to nieces and nephews too. Save yourself the grief.

[Breambutt]

But I'm the only child and have no friends whatsoever!