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View Full Version : F1 through to F12 conundrum.

[M]uuhh
03-01-2005, 15:13
Hey, I have probably an easy question for all you oldhats at PC’s my first PC was in the days of win3.1, but I still don’t know how the F1 though to F12 keys came from. Or what they originally stood for. I know they are great for ingame shortcuts and app shortcuts. But why are 12? Why not 10 or 5. Why are they in groups of 4? I remember some F1 keys on my old commodore 64. But I have no idea why they are still around on our modern PCs as they seem to server very little purpose at all apart from being great for shortcuts ;)
I just want to know what they where for!
Archaon
03-01-2005, 15:25
Well F stands for Function. If you look on a really odl keyboard from like a 486, some of them have markings under the F keys showing what they did. The 486 we have (still used, sadly...) has like 4 things under each F key that the key can do...

And they aint always in groups of 4... :p
latency
03-01-2005, 17:54
I expect they were originally shortcut keys, and as the amount of functions went up, they just made them a large set of modifier keys insted.

Most keyboards use f-lock to make a load of hot-keys insted now...
Neon
03-01-2005, 17:58
Dunno about other people but my logitech keyboard, has a whole bunch of stuff on the buttons and the f1, f2 is actually printed on the side of the key, so i guess they thought as you do, and decided to put functions on them instead of f numbers :confused:
ViperVenoM
03-01-2005, 21:20
my my board i have
F1 = help
F2 = New
F3 = Open
F4 = Save
F5 = Replace
F6 = Spell
F7 = Undo
F8 = Redo
F9 = Reply
F10 = Reply All
F11 = Forward
F12 = Send

and i er..dont use any of them :confused:
Slamdog
03-01-2005, 22:10
originally the keys were use by IBM to add functionality to the dumb terminals connected to database servers. It was basically a pre programmed macro. when pc's came into being, the keys were retained as they could be programmed for repetetive tasks and also connect to the good old database servers.

they are still used extensively on thin client connectios and x400 based systems.
Neo Master Kill
03-01-2005, 22:55
I still have an old commodore 64 AND two Amega's, a A600 and a A1200 if i remember correctly. The Amega's work 100% from what i know. I love them both :)
AlucarD
03-01-2005, 23:33
F10 2 Win :p
cheazypeaz
03-01-2005, 23:53
i have the same as viper ... personaly i dont see the point thats why they give u an x... i also have ghot all these x keys and tab out keys scroll wheels and standby the list goes on!!

all i want is the normal keys!
DarkEntity
04-01-2005, 01:03
bah Slamdog beat me to it, i used to use IBM 6150 dumb terminals, and they had similar stuff attached to each key all specific functions etc
[M]uuhh
04-01-2005, 07:09
ah hmm. just seems their kinda useless nowadays on modern KB's kinda confusing when people are learning about computers. *what are those keys for* well err..... i dont know, but they have always been there......
dangerous_dom
05-01-2005, 19:12
I think that the function keys are still extremely usfull. I my old day's of programming i would have been lost without them. I hate using the mouse for everything. In games they are very usful too. I think it's one of those things that you would miss more than you think is they were not there anymore.
vantim
08-01-2005, 14:27
Does anybody remember when they were in a group on the side like the number pad?
cheazypeaz
08-01-2005, 14:30
no.. got any pics lol :)
vantim
08-01-2005, 14:39
I had a keyboard here from an old 286 but it got tossed. The Fkeys were on the left side of the keyboard opposite from the numberpad. In a veritcal column. Like this! I actually had a pc with a keyboard like this one.
cheazypeaz
08-01-2005, 14:43
omg lol nice!
vantim
08-01-2005, 14:47
check out the system specs:

NAME PC AT
MANUFACTURER IBM
TYPE Professional Computer
ORIGIN U.S.A.
YEAR 1984
BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft Basic interpreter
KEYBOARD Full stroke keyboard with numeric keypad and function keys
CPU Intel 80286
SPEED 6 MHz
RAM 512 KB (up to 3 MB)
ROM 64 KB
TEXT MODES 80 x 24 / 40 x 24
GRAPHIC MODES EGA mode: 640 x 350
COLORS 64
SOUND Beeper
I/O PORTS 8 x internal slots (six 16 bit ISA and two 8 bit ISA), RS232c, Centronics
BUILT IN MEDIA one 5.25'' disk-drive
OS MS DOS
POWER SUPPLY Built-in switching power supply unit
PRICE Around $8500 or pretty close to 4300 pounds
cheazypeaz
08-01-2005, 15:20
omg lol powah
[M]uuhh
08-01-2005, 18:03
check out the system specs:

NAME PC AT
MANUFACTURER IBM
TYPE Professional Computer
ORIGIN U.S.A.
YEAR 1984
BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft Basic interpreter
KEYBOARD Full stroke keyboard with numeric keypad and function keys
CPU Intel 80286
SPEED 6 MHz
RAM 512 KB (up to 3 MB)
ROM 64 KB
TEXT MODES 80 x 24 / 40 x 24
GRAPHIC MODES EGA mode: 640 x 350
COLORS 64
SOUND Beeper
I/O PORTS 8 x internal slots (six 16 bit ISA and two 8 bit ISA), RS232c, Centronics
BUILT IN MEDIA one 5.25'' disk-drive
OS MS DOS
POWER SUPPLY Built-in switching power supply unit
PRICE Around $8500 or pretty close to 4300 pounds
omg! RAM 512 KB (up to 3 MB)
True P0w4!
vantim
08-01-2005, 18:54
Even linux users couldn't use it.
[M]uuhh
08-01-2005, 19:26
who needs linux when you have MSDOS!
vantim
08-01-2005, 19:29
as long as you got dos 3.3 or earlier. [M]uuhh how do you get your sig to change like that.
[M]uuhh
08-01-2005, 19:39
its a php script i made ages ago. only a few linnes of code.
vantim
08-01-2005, 19:40
I'm fairly new to the forum world but it's pretty cool. Never thought of php