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Windows key
The Windows key (also known as the win, start, logo, flag or super key) is a computer keyboard key originally introduced on Microsoft's Natural Keyboard in 1994. On Windows 95, it was used to open the start menu, and subsequently became standard on PC keyboards. In Microsoft Windows, Ctrl+Esc performs the same function, for keyboards which lack the key.
The Windows key was introduced with Microsoft's Natural Keyboard in 1994. The key was predated by the ⌘ Command key on Apple computers in the 1980s, and before that by the Super (or Meta) key on Lisp/Unix workstation computers in the 1970s.
The addition of two Windows keys and a menu key marked a change from the traditional 101 or 102-key keyboard to a 104- or 105-key layout for PC keyboards. One Windows key was placed between the left Ctrl and the left Alt and another, along with a menu key, was placed between the right Alt (or AltGr) and the right Ctrl key.
Windows 95 required the key to be on a keyboard to qualify for the addition of the "Designed for Windows" logo, and used it to open the Start menu. The key was soon added by virtually all desktop keyboard manufacturers. The first laptop to bear the Windows key was the Gateway Solo.
In laptops and other compact keyboards, it is common to have just one Windows key (usually on the left side). On Microsoft's Entertainment Desktop sets, designed for Windows Vista, the Windows key is in the middle of the keyboard, below all other keys, where the user's thumbs rests. Some keyboards during the Windows Vista and Windows 7 eras featured a circular bump surrounding the logo, distinguishing it tactility.
On Windows 8 tablet computers, hardware-certification requirements initially mandated that the Windows key be centered on the bezel, below the screen, except on a convertible laptop, where the button was allowed to be off-center in a tablet configuration. This requirement was relaxed in Windows 8.1, allowing the Windows key to be placed on any bezel or edge of the unit, though a central location along the bottom bezel was still preferred.
Microsoft regulates the appearance of the Windows key logo with a specially crafted license for keyboard manufacturers. With the introduction of a new Windows logo with Windows XP, the agreement was updated to require that the new design be adopted for all keyboards manufactured after 1 September 2003. With the introduction of Windows Vista, Microsoft published guidelines for a new Windows Logo key that incorporated the Windows logo recessed in a chamfered lowered circle with a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 with respect to its background.
In the Common Building Block Keyboard Specification, all CBB compliant keyboards were to comply with the Windows Vista Hardware Start Button specification beginning on 1 June 2007.[citation needed]
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Windows key AI simulator
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Windows key
The Windows key (also known as the win, start, logo, flag or super key) is a computer keyboard key originally introduced on Microsoft's Natural Keyboard in 1994. On Windows 95, it was used to open the start menu, and subsequently became standard on PC keyboards. In Microsoft Windows, Ctrl+Esc performs the same function, for keyboards which lack the key.
The Windows key was introduced with Microsoft's Natural Keyboard in 1994. The key was predated by the ⌘ Command key on Apple computers in the 1980s, and before that by the Super (or Meta) key on Lisp/Unix workstation computers in the 1970s.
The addition of two Windows keys and a menu key marked a change from the traditional 101 or 102-key keyboard to a 104- or 105-key layout for PC keyboards. One Windows key was placed between the left Ctrl and the left Alt and another, along with a menu key, was placed between the right Alt (or AltGr) and the right Ctrl key.
Windows 95 required the key to be on a keyboard to qualify for the addition of the "Designed for Windows" logo, and used it to open the Start menu. The key was soon added by virtually all desktop keyboard manufacturers. The first laptop to bear the Windows key was the Gateway Solo.
In laptops and other compact keyboards, it is common to have just one Windows key (usually on the left side). On Microsoft's Entertainment Desktop sets, designed for Windows Vista, the Windows key is in the middle of the keyboard, below all other keys, where the user's thumbs rests. Some keyboards during the Windows Vista and Windows 7 eras featured a circular bump surrounding the logo, distinguishing it tactility.
On Windows 8 tablet computers, hardware-certification requirements initially mandated that the Windows key be centered on the bezel, below the screen, except on a convertible laptop, where the button was allowed to be off-center in a tablet configuration. This requirement was relaxed in Windows 8.1, allowing the Windows key to be placed on any bezel or edge of the unit, though a central location along the bottom bezel was still preferred.
Microsoft regulates the appearance of the Windows key logo with a specially crafted license for keyboard manufacturers. With the introduction of a new Windows logo with Windows XP, the agreement was updated to require that the new design be adopted for all keyboards manufactured after 1 September 2003. With the introduction of Windows Vista, Microsoft published guidelines for a new Windows Logo key that incorporated the Windows logo recessed in a chamfered lowered circle with a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 with respect to its background.
In the Common Building Block Keyboard Specification, all CBB compliant keyboards were to comply with the Windows Vista Hardware Start Button specification beginning on 1 June 2007.[citation needed]
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