Piano Guidance
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How do you hit the F keys on a 60 key keyboard?

The row of function keys across the top of the keyboard then just becomes the number row above the QWERTY block. Simply hold down the FN key and hit the number of the function key you want.

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Supremely-compact mechanical keyboards like the HyperX Alloy Origins 60 are now considered a must-have piece of kit for a growing number of people in many groups; from digital artists to FPS players. Their small size is great for keeping smaller desks tidy, makes transport hassle-free, and it’s easy to cover with a single hand while drawing or flicking your mouse around with the other. But for people who are used to the lumbering full-size or still-beefy tenkeyless options of mechanical keyboards, the extra keys that are pruned to get to that 40% form factor can be hard to come to terms with. If you’re worried about the loss of the function keys or the arrow block then don’t worry, their functions are still accessible, and here’s how to use them.

The HyperX Alloy Origins 60% Keyboard

FN key

Your new best friend with a 60% keyboard is the FN key. For anyone who has owned a laptop in the past two decades, you’ll know it as that weird little extra key down by Ctrl. As 60% keyboards are basically mechanical standalone versions of laptop keyboards (portability, size, it all makes sense) they use the same sneaky workarounds. The row of function keys across the top of the keyboard then just becomes the number row above the QWERTY block. Simply hold down the FN key and hit the number of the function key you want. Quickly closing your desktop windows would then be Alt+FN+4.

Arrow keys

The desk space reclaimed by a 60% keyboard can be pretty significant.

Some 60% keyboards also use the FN key to make up for the loss of the arrow key block – that’s the standard arrow keys that nobody has used for gaming since Doom and Quake mapped them to aim control, plus Insert, Home, Delete, etc. The layout of these keys generally varies depending on the manufacturer. For instance, the Alloy Origins 60 puts the Delete key on FN+Backspace, which makes sense logically. You’ll also find the arrow keys laid out roughly in their usual shape right next to the FN key, on Ctrl, Alt, Context menu, and /?. The FN key is also used to control other on-board shortcuts. Some put in FN shortcuts for media controls (play/pause, skip, volume control) on letter keys, as well as controls for the keyboard itself. You can change the brightness and color hue of the Alloy Origins 60’s backlit keys by using G through L line on the keyboard, while media controls are the row just below. If you’re finding it hard to keep all this memorized, don’t fret. The keys of the Alloy Origins 60 have their additional FN functions printed right on the keys. Hopefully this guide has made getting a 60% keyboard feel less like losing a bunch of keys, and more like an option that’ll create more room for you to make bigger plays. Once you get used to using the FN keys to access those additional functions, you might learn to love the compactness and portability of a 60% keyboard like the Alloy Origins 60. Nicole Castillo Nicole is a fan of gaming, music, and movies. Feel free to reach her at [email protected] for questions, concerns, or just good music and movie recommendations!

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What happens when a keyboard runs out of clicks?

It will automatically implode.

I'm going to do a little bit of necromancy and raise this thread from the dead. I think it's very likely that someone could use all hypothetical 50,000,000 keystrokes. Especially an author. I've had a keyboard for about 5 years, and during that time, my best estimate is that I'm around 30 million. The keyboard is starting to fail me. One or two keys bugging out sometimes, a few chipped key covers, LEDs shut off, etc. Based on this evidence: I would say that it means 50 million total keystrokes per board, not per key. Now that we've established that it's a reachable limit... we also have to take into consideration the fact that difference in environment, usage habits, etc can all play a fairly large role in how quickly it degrades. My keyboard has gone through some abuse over the years. I won't go into the gritty details. One interesting thing I've noticed during that time, is the difference between my keyboard, and my wife's keyboard. Her keyboard has the letters fading off the keys, where as mine on the other hand, has chipping but otherwise very legible key covers. I would say if you treat your keyboard well, never hit it out of fury at dying in a game, never spill anything on it, and type normally on it, it can probably outlast the 50,000,000 keystroke hypothetical limit without any issues, especially a well built keyboard. To conclude: Based on the evidence gathered, my advice is to put in the money to buy a solid keyboard. It seems to be one of the best investments you can go for as far as computer hardware goes, as it will probably outlast everything else you own. Take care of it, and don't worry about silly keystroke limits.

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