Is Google Trying to Kill Caps Lock?
New Google Chrome netbook replaces caps lock with search key.
Dec. 8, 2010— -- ATTENTION ONLINE COMMENTERS: Google thinks at least some of you need to work on your netiquette.
And to help get you turn over a new page, the company has omitted one conventional feature from the keyboard of its new netbook: the caps lock key.
Tuesday when the tech giant unveiled its new netbook that runs on Google's Chrome operating system, it revealed that it had replaced the caps lock key with the search key.
Sure enough, images of the sleek, new netbook on the company's site show a simple search icon instead of the Internet troll's favorite weapon.
Business Insider quoted a Google employee as saying that the key was omitted because "We expect this will improve the quality of comments across the web."
But if you're one of those commenters prone to passionate discourse online, don't fear.
As the technology website SlashGear pointed out, Google hasn't taken away the caps lock function entirely. In a getting started guide for the new Chrome netbook, Google said the search key could be modified to serve as a caps lock.
"If you really need caps lock so you can post an INSIGHTFUL COMMENT ON YOUTUBE, click the wrench, click settings, and then go to the system section to change the modifier key from a search key to a caps lock key, the company says.
