Gryoscopes and Remapping a Windows Button for the IBM ThinkPad

February 9, 2004 2:34 AM Comments [9] Posted in Programming

This Thinkpad that I am now using for my main work computer (I'm using the TabletPC for my personal computer) is the best Laptop I've ever used. Had a few problems with their silly Utilities, but for the most part it's butter.

The Good and Amazing:

It ALSO (the Toshiba m200 Tablet also has one) has a freakin' gyroscope in it. Except, while the Toshiba uses the Gyro for scrolling (USELESS!) this IBM uses it to pause and park the hard drive (USEFUL!) To the right is a picture of the Real-Time Status screen. In the picture I've tipped the laptop to the right about 45 degress and it's parked the hard drive for safety. This has already come in useful when a horrendously fat guy in the middle seat of a Delta flight that when I was saving a file was a perfect time for him to go to the can. But I'm not bitter.

The Bad

It's got no freakin' Windows Key, which is slowing me down by at least 10 minutes a day. :) Thank the good lord for Windows Key Remapping. Here's a registry key that will remap the RIGHT-ALT to the Windows Key (save it as a .REG file):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,5B,E0,38,E0,00,00,00,00

Tracked by:
"Scott Hanselman's 2005 Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List" (ComputerZ... [Trackback]
"Windows Key on a ThinkPad" (Random Bits!) [Trackback]
"Paving my machine for a fresh 2006" (ComputerZen.com - Scott Hanselman) [Trackback]
"Scott Hanselman's 2006 Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List for Windows... [Trackback]

Comments [9]

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Monday, February 09, 2004 3:51:34 AM UTC

What's wrong with ctrl-esc?

Jason

Monday, February 09, 2004 8:10:46 AM UTC

Speed my friend...when you type as fast as I do (my friends and fellow bloggers will back me up on this one) 3 keys is slower than 2. Also, Ctrl-Esc doesn't give you access to any of the Window Shortcuts:

Window-M - Minimize All
Window-R - Run
Window-D - Desktop
Window-Break - System Properties
Window-E - Explorer

and the list goes on...

Scott Hanselman

Monday, February 09, 2004 11:29:32 PM UTC

Wow, clever gyroscopes!

Don Box was whingeing about the lack of windows keys on keyboards a month or two back. Does he know about Key Remapping?

(I see it only works on XP or Win 2K. But I don't suppose the Don is using Win 95.)

cheers
lb

secretGeek

Tuesday, February 10, 2004 2:45:18 AM UTC

Ahh you have finally converted to the dark side...

Chris Kinsman

Tuesday, June 21, 2005 4:06:10 AM UTC

Only just saw this, linked off your Ultimate Developer Tool List...

On my A31p, I remapped the "Forward" and "Back" keys (wrapped around the cursor keys) to the Application Menu & Windows keys, respectively. Works like a charm... :D

"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,5b,e0,6a,e0,5d,e0,69,e0,00,00,00,00

Pete Muller

Saturday, June 25, 2005 1:47:33 PM UTC

Uh, Scott, I just noticed coming here from your 2005 Tools page that this page is named incorrectly:

GRYOscopes... instead of GYROscopes...

Darrell

Wednesday, August 10, 2005 9:03:21 PM UTC

There is a tool that comes with the Thinkpad (I've just bought my T43p :)) that allows you to map several keys, it's called Keyboard Customizer Utility. Right Ctrl key is a better choice for the Win key as right alt is usually the "master" key for VPC.