The typical input devices for a home personal computer (PC) are keyboard and mouse. Other not so typical input devices are joysticks, game pads, microphones and etc. Well, you get the idea. Initially, keyboard was the only input device used with early computers, whereas mouse was introduced later. The impact that mouse has on computer users is anything but insignificant.

The ease of using mouse along with the ever improving user interface of personal computers have definitely made user experience a lot richer. Imagine surfing the net nowadays without a mouse. How about have a round at showing your elite Photoshop skills without a mouse, if that is even possible?

However, the increasing importance of mouse, not to mention the role it play in navigating through your computer system, has somewhat send keyboard to the realm of the less-used. Has keyboard really become a vestige in computer system entirely nowadays?

The answer would be no, for the time being anyway. We still need keyboard to key in passwords, to type, and of course to hammer at just because you got a pwned in online games, the lag being the culprit. Putting those aside, keyboard can actually enrich computer user experience by providing shortcuts functions. What would normally takes a few seconds to execute with a mouse can be done in split second with a keyboard IF you know how. How does that sound eh?

Let's just take one simple example; opening My Computer with a mouse.

Step 1



You move your cursor and click the start button at the bottom left of the screen.

Step 2



Again, you move your cursor to My Computer,then left-click it.

Step 3



There you have it, My Computer opened at last. Time taken : 1 to 2 seconds. Alternatively, you can double-click the My Computer shortcut available on the desktop.

You'll need about 1 to 2 seconds to do that, longer if your computer is not up to par or your screen size is bigger. How fast can I do it with keyboard? 0.5 seconds. How? Just by pressing the Windows Logo and E simultaneously.

Saving a fraction of a second may not seems much but imagine repeating the same action for, let say, 100 times a day. Collectively, you would've saved about a minute a two per day. Yea, big deal. But that's not the only thing that you can do with keyboard shortcuts in Windows.

Here are 2 lists of keyboard shortcuts and their functions that you can use to improve your user experience in Windows.There will be another list for Firefox, the web browser in the next entry hopefully.Besides, you also get the bragging rights if your friends know nothing about it.

General Shortcuts

CTRL + C : Copy your selection

CTRL + V : Paste what you've copied or cut

CTRL + X : Cut your selection

CTRL + Z : Undo your previous action

DELETE : Delete your selection, deleted items show up in Recycle Bin

SHIFT + DELETE : Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin

CTRL while dragging an item : Copy the selected item

So far so good? Brace for more.

F2 : Rename your selection

CTRL + SHIFT while dragging an item : Create a shortcut for your selection

CTRL + RIGHT ARROW : Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word

CTRL + LEFT ARROW : Move the insertion point to the end of the previous word

CTRL + DOWN ARROW : Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph

CTRL + UP ARROW : Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph

CTRL + SHIFT + (LEFT/RIGHT) : Highlight a block of text

SHIFT + (ANY ARROW KEY) : Highlight lines of text

CTRL + A : Select all

CTRL while dragging an item : Copy your selection

That's not all. Not even half of it.

F3 : Activate search function

ALT + ENTER : View the properties of selected items

ALT + F4 : Quit active programmes

ALT + SPACEBAR : Open shortcut menu for the active windows

ALT + TAB : Switch between opened items

CTRL + F4 : Close the active window in programmes that allow you to have multiple windows opened simulatneously

ALT + ESC : Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened

F6 : Cycle through screen elements

A few more to go in the general list.

F4 : Display the address bar list

SHIFT + F10 : Display the shortcut menu for selected items

BACKSPACE : View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer

SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive : Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing

CTRL+SHIFT+ESC : Open Task Manager

F5 key : Update the active window

CTRL + ESC : Display the start menu

That sums up the general keyboard shortcuts list. Next is the natural shortcuts.

Natural Shortcuts

Windows Logo : Display or hide the Start menu

Windows Logo + BREAK : Display the System Properties dialog box

Windows Logo + D : Display the desktop

Windows Logo + M : Minimize all of the windows

Windows Logo + SHIFT + M : Restore the minimized windows

Windows Logo + E : Open My Computer

Windows Logo + F : Search for a file or a folder

CTRL + Windows Logo + F : Search for computers

Windows Logo + F1 : Display Windows Help

Windows Logo + L : Lock the keyboard

Windows Logo + R : Open the Run dialog box

Windows Logo + U : Open Utility Manager

CTRL + SHIFT while dragging an item : Create a shortcut to the selected item

I think it's best if I stop here.

Stay tuned. Adieu, graynut signing off.