Forum Discussion
How about Base Sets for keyboard shortcuts that are further customizable?
The idea is very similar to what we have in some games. VSCode is similar, too, but not exactly what I mean here. Here's what I expect to have from the users' perspective:
- Download the New Microsoft Edge using a (a) Microsoft Edge, (b) Mozilla Firefox, (c) Google Chrome, (d) Safari, ...
- On the first run, at the top of the initial welcome page, I see a fancy "Shortcuts for the browser has been set to match the ones in (a/b/c/d/...) for you to feel at home."
- Perhaps another line saying "Want to use the shortcut layout from another browser?" with a drop-down right next to it for me to choose.
- Perhaps one more saying "Or perhaps customize them altogether?" with a button to take me to the View/Edit Keyboard Shortcuts page in the Settings.
The difference of VSCode is at that it offers this via Extensions, which I think is too much of a hassle. Like this, it's more streamlined, offering more of a ready-to-go experience.
For this magic to happen, in the background and from the developer perspective, these needs implementing:
- A framework in the background for editable keyboard shortcuts. This probably is already there.
- A front-end for users to edit the shortcuts.
- An extensive table of shortcut-assignable-functions vs major-browsers. Cells should contain which shortcut has been assigned to that function on that browser.
- One table per OS, as browsers have different features/shortcuts per OS most of the times.
- Installers for each column on those tables.
- Detect the OS (already here) and browser used for downloading. Set the HREF of the Download button to download the installer that defaults the base-shortcuts to the respective browser's shortcuts on that OS.
Sensible defaults. Editable to personal preference. Extendable via extensions. Best of every-single-world. You will win the hearts of a bunch with this.
If the browser used for downloading is not one that is explored, then fall back to Edge or Chrome or something.
We appreciate everyone's feedback. I'm closing off new replies to this conversation.
Glad to see people are passionate about ideas for Microsoft Edge!
As a reminder, while I know differences of opinion can be difficult, as long as they remain constructive, they are helpful for the team.
Please respect differences of opinions without using words like "full of hate," which is a personal attack according to our community guidelines.
EricStarkerOpinions are usually presented using "I think" language. Only a few (perhaps even none) of the oppositions to the suggestion was laid out using such a language. Instead, they were mostly (perhaps even always) asserted as if they were general, well-known, established facts; or as the opinion of every-single-person, but me.
My suggestion got deemed flat out "useless", my needs were called "special", my intents were derailed into a "question"… Truly, I felt attacked, as if an immense hatred was being channeled at me.
I am not sure what you were understanding with the phrase "full of hate", however it was nothing else but my critical thinking on the aggressive antagonism targeted at me. I think you might have misunderstood it as "I am full of hate", but no, it was a "your posts are full of hate". I have not felt anything but "sadness" here.
If getting the impression that someone is showing less of a criticism and more of a loathing against my suggestion, and then expressing this impression, is considered a personal attack, then I don't know what to say about this. On the contrary, I never intended to be an actor of an attack, but I rather felt like the target of a personal attack, especially when my daily workflow was ridiculed into something uncommon and "special". I literally was saying that I use some of those shortcuts constantly, and those opinions were nothing short of a "you are nobody", yelled at me.
I have unsubscribed from this discussion, for that the posted messages are now mostly off-topic. I apologize to whomever that may drop a message apposite to the suggestion, for that I will not see them and reply pronto.
Thank you for your time.
None of the things you mentioned here were my intentions or even true. but its alright, i can't control how others think, everyone is Free to Think however they want and i'm Not responsible for that, i'm only responsible for my actions and words and that alone.
again for the last time it was a normal technical debate and i still see No point in making any of it personal. there were no ridicules, no personal attacks, no yelling, no hate, nothing bad from my side.it saddening for me when i see things get mixed up the way they're not supposed to.
So the topic was about something else but ended up asking for duplication shortcut,
to sum it up there are 3 ways you can do it:1. with mouse: right-click on tab and select duplicate.
2. with keyboard: Hold Alt down while doing it press D + Enter key. first action catches the URL and the other pastes it into a new tab.3. if 3 key shortcut doesn't work out for you then use extensions.
made it colorful as a friendly gesture 😉
- I'm just wondering, what shortcuts are you talking about? a browser is not like a game. at most all you can do with keyboard shortcuts is to switch between tabs or...yup that's it. 99.999% of websites need mouse for interaction.
HotCakeX well, of course, let me elaborate with some examples (on Windows 10):
- Ctrl + K: Currently mapped to "Search", a reminiscent of Chromium defaults I suppose, while it is "Duplicate Tab" on Old Edge. No shortcut is currently assigned to "Duplicate Tab".
- Ctrl + I: Does nothing. Opens Favorites in Old Edge.
- Ctrl + G: Opens search. Does nothing in Old Edge.
- Ctrl + J: Opens the list of downloads in both. Isn't there a possibility that some wants to have another shortcut for it, perhaps more memorable?
- Ctrl + Shift + P: Opens native (OS) print-dialogue, instead of the Chromium one. Creates a new InPrivate window on Old Edge and Firefox.
- Ctrl + Shift + N: Creates an InPrivate window. Does nothing in Old Edge.
While a browser is not a game, it surely is a productivity software. Productivity software are adopted by users, if they fit into their workflow and provide more benefit than hassle.
Having to re-learn stuff is detrimental, and will be an inconvenience for any user (I'm looking at the InPrivate window example), let alone a power-user. This suggestion is to eliminate that frustration and replace it with a "warm welcome", echoing myself.
- You open favorites and then what? you gotta use mouse for faster navigation through favorites, specially when most people have a rather long list.
Ctrl + P is a universal key in literally every program, not just browser, no problem with it.
there is no need to learn anything and no need to add other browsers' stuff to the Microsoft Edge and fill it with useless stuff, specially when other browser vendors are not willing to do the same favor for Microsoft.
a power user can use a mix of voice commands and a good mouse + mouse pad to get things done.
honestly, in all of those examples, using keyboard shortcuts are only half of the work, the other half must be done with the mouse. browsers are meant to be a way to browse websites, websites are the target and last time i checked, all of them need mouse interaction that requires nothing to learn beforehand.
