>Why would an OS be built to expect a special OS specific key?
You mean, like the Ctrl and Esc keys you mention two sentences later? There are quite a few "special" keys on every computer keyboard. The OS is quite justified in assuming that your keyboard has the requisite ones.
Obviously "special" keys are expected. CTRL and ESC are used in many operating systems. The point is that an OS shouldn't expect a key specifically for that os. Do we now need an Ubuntu key? Or a CentOS key? Or maybe a more general "Linux key" would be appropriate? No thank you.
I expect Apple to have an Apple key on their keyboard, because their hardware is tied to their OS and you buy into their entire ecosystem when you buy their desktop. But Windows doesn't work that way. Many people use Windows on the same hardware that they use other operating systems. So a Windows key doesn't make sense there.
I suppose it's just a naming issue and most operating systems now recognize the key as a "meta" key, but it would be nice if its name wasn't tied to a particular operating system. And it's especially hard to do that if it has a particular operating system's logo on it.
I guess people became accustomed to this a long time ago and I should just "let it go".
> The point is that an OS shouldn't expect a key specifically for that os.
So don't call it the "Windows" key. Call it the "Command" key instead. That's what Apple does, and it's the same key.
You can bind the key on Linux as well, and you can even get a "Tux" key if you prefer.
> Many people use Windows on the same hardware that they use other operating systems
No they do not. Installing multiple operating systems on a single hardware system is very much a power user behavior, and even there it's restricted to a small set of power users. Even having multiple desktop operating systems in a single household is uncommon.
"No they do not. Installing multiple operating systems on a single hardware system is very much a power user behavior, "
I'm not talking about multiple simultaneous installs. I'm talking about the hardware being the same across operating systems. If I'm buying hardware to set up a linux machine, I will go to the same place as if I were setting up a windows machine. So I guess I could take your advice in that case and try to find a Tux key keyboard. Got it.
But I wouldn't. Because I don't use full size keyboards. Which brings me to the original and more significant point. I don't think the operating system should expect this "command" key at all. If people use it, that's fine. But it sounds like Windows 8 might be a serious PITA without a "command key" keyboard.
> I'm not talking about multiple simultaneous installs. I'm talking about the hardware being the same across operating systems. If I'm buying hardware to set up a linux machine, I will go to the same place as if I were setting up a windows machine.
Building a machine from scratch is not normal user behavior. You can't talk about "many people" and then describe uncommon behavior as if it's typical. The vast majority of users buy off-the-shelf computers with bundled keyboards. Power users who build their own machines should know to buy the right keyboard.
> But I wouldn't. Because I don't use full size keyboards.
What keyboard do you use that doesn't include the Windows key? A compact keyboard does not imply a lack of a Windows key.
> I don't think the operating system should expect this "command" key at all.
Why do you believe this? How is the Windows/Command key any different from the Control key or the Escape key or Alt key or any of the Function keys or the other "special" keys? Why is it reasonable for the OS to expect those other keys will be present but not the "Windows" key that's present on virtually every keyboard that's shipped in the past 15 years?
You don't think "many people" build machines by shopping at retailers like TigerDirect? It might not be the vast minority, but it's still "many people".
The reason I believe that is because unless every keyboard has that key, then a major operating system that has traditionally been fine without it shouldn't suddenly expect it unless there is some major advantage to requiring it.
*edit:
According to wikipedia, this key became a standard key on PC keyboards. Obviously I'm of the opinion that this should not have happened. But at this point it's ridiculous for me to complain about it.
> You don't think "many people" build machines by shopping at retailers like TigerDirect? It might not be the vast minority, but it's still "many people".
No, I don't think that "many people" do this in the grand scheme of things. I'd bet less than 3% (possibly much less) of new PCs for home use are purchased this way. But I don't have any stats for this.
> The reason I believe that is because unless every keyboard has that key, then a major operating system that has traditionally been fine without it shouldn't suddenly expect it unless there is some major advantage to requiring it.
I understand your point, but I disagree. This means that there can be no progress. There have been keyboards in the past that didn't have the Alt key or the Escape key. There have been keyboards with Meta keys. Hardware can and should change, and software should change with it and not be trapped in the past. European keyboards often have an "AltGr" key that allows inserting characters that to my knowledge cannot be easily inserted from a standard US keyboard (Wikipedia says Ctrl+Alt does the same thing, but it doesn't on my system). I think it's perfectly reasonable to say that if you want this functionality, you get a keyboard that supports it.
You mean, like the Ctrl and Esc keys you mention two sentences later? There are quite a few "special" keys on every computer keyboard. The OS is quite justified in assuming that your keyboard has the requisite ones.