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Chrome Google Operating Systems Software

Google Brings Keyboard Shortcuts, Custom Mouse Buttons To ChromeOS (theverge.com) 15

A new ChromeOS update (M123) is rolling out that brings keyboard shortcuts and mouse buttons and enables hotspot connections on cellular Chromebooks. The Verge reports: The keyboard shortcut feature will work like it does in other operating systems, in which you can assign specific actions to specific key combinations. Google uses the examples of tweaking shortcuts to be easier to carry out one-handed or making them resemble those you're used to in, say, macOS. The same goes for mouse button customizing -- if your mouse has extra buttons besides just left and right clicks, and you want to turn that weird side button into a mute button, you can do that in ChromeOS with this update.

The company also added per-app language preferences for Android apps that you're running in ChromeOS, and it says it has made its offline text-to-speech voices more natural-sounding. As is Google's way, these updates will be rolling out over the next few days.

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Google Brings Keyboard Shortcuts, Custom Mouse Buttons To ChromeOS

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  • by ls671 ( 1122017 ) on Wednesday April 03, 2024 @05:34PM (#64368402) Homepage

    What an insightful breaking news article and especially article title! /s

    I guess this saves it just a little bit although, the main part about mouse and keyboard shortcuts, not some much IMHO:

    The company also added per-app language preferences for Android apps that you're running in ChromeOS, and it says it has made its offline text-to-speech voices more natural-sounding. As is Google's way, these updates will be rolling out over the next few days.

  • by Big Hairy Gorilla ( 9839972 ) on Wednesday April 03, 2024 @06:34PM (#64368522)
    Microsoft just announced last week they were putting a co-pilot button on new machines. Google is just jealous. Expect Apple to announce the zero button mouse. Do they already have that? Ok. We'll put -1 buttons on our mouse. I won't do anything and Apple fanboys will explain how that's really much better.
    • Apple has already done you one better: The zero-mouse mouse!

      With the Apple Vision Pro, you just wave your fingers around in the air!

      (Ok, so the thing is actually kind of cool and I kind of want one, but there's no way I'm paying anywhere close to $3500 for it.)

    • Been there, done that, and bought the tshirt, or touch pad.
      https://appleinsider.com/artic... [appleinsider.com]

      But keyboard shortcuts are where it's at, and Mac OS has always owned that space. Context menus are for kids.

    • Chromebooks already have a search key on the keyboard where caps lock is. MS is just catching up :)

  • by NotEmmanuelGoldstein ( 6423622 ) on Wednesday April 03, 2024 @07:00PM (#64368582)

    ... mouse button customizing ...

    Microsoft wants to convert a general-use button into a Microsoft-only button while Google is making the mouse more useful. It's been a problem for a long time that desktop OSs couldn't recognize multi-button mice. Now a budget OS can, everyone else looks bad.

  • Serious Question (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Big Hairy Gorilla ( 9839972 ) on Wednesday April 03, 2024 @07:26PM (#64368652)
    How many buttons should a mouse have?

    I have a logitech MX.. I use left, middle, right buttons. Wheel for scrolling. and two little buttons under the thumb for forward/backward on web pages and file browser.
    Other than possible game applications, is there any possible need for more?
    From what I can tell from my clients, they only use left, wheel, right.
    I guess this is the case for apple?
    To Apples: is it better to have less buttons? Not being facetious this time.

    Signed,
    Curious Primate.
    • How many buttons should a mouse have?

      As many or as few as you want, as long as you're not forced to use them all.

      Before anyone gets snippy with their comments, first consider people with physical disabilities that may need customizations you never even thought about.

    • "How many buttons should a mouse have?"

      All of them

    • It depends on what you are doing. If you are doing productivity then five buttons is about ideal. If you are gaming then it's more like seven or eight. You can have another button to the right (or left for lefties) and two or three thumb buttons. Though to be honest I rarely use more than four mouse buttons for gaming, I prefer to keep it simple in most titles.

    • by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

      How many buttons should a mouse have?

      I have a logitech MX.. I use left, middle, right buttons. Wheel for scrolling. and two little buttons under the thumb for forward/backward on web pages and file browser.
      Other than possible game applications, is there any possible need for more?
      From what I can tell from my clients, they only use left, wheel, right.
      I guess this is the case for apple?
      To Apples: is it better to have less buttons? Not being facetious this time.

      As many as you need.

      Now, Apple seems to have a th

  • The OS for Google's trash dump-filling, e-waste creating, expiring computers is moot.

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