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0 pointsgry11y ago0 comments

I can't find information why the design(s) were as they were. The design of Ctrl-Alt-Del was intentionally unintentional.

Gates noted Ctrl-Alt-Del should have been one button, not three [1]. David Bradley, the inventor of the trifecta, did make it deliberately difficult to reboot, however, it was also originally an Easter Egg which made it to production [2].

[1] http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/26/4772680/bill-gates-admits-... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control-Alt-Delete#History

0 comments

MBCook11y ago

Ctrl-Alt-Del was an excellent choice for it's intended purpose. It can be easily typed at they keyboard (no need to fiddle with the back of the computer) but it's very unlikely to be something you hit accidentally.

I'm not sure a single key would have been a good idea. "The reboot key" just sounds like a mistake waiting to happen. I've seen enough stories on the 'net of laptops with power buttons in terrible places on the keyboard to get a glimpse.

The mistake was using it for the Windows NT screen lock/unlock. Changing the "reboot your computer" sequence into the "start using my computer" sequence is a rather non-sensicle (ignoring implementation) choice.

taejo11y ago

> "The reboot key" just sounds like a mistake waiting to happen.

It already did happen: I've used keyboards with shutdown and reboot keys, and yes, it's a terrible idea.

My alma mater used to run programming competitions in a lab where the workstations had the reset button exactly at knee height. This wasn't a problem normally, when you're sitting under the desk next to the computer; but when you have three or four people gathered around the screen, kicking the reset button was a definite possibility. Eventually taping the cover of a calculator over this button became part of our regular routine.

deckiedan11y ago

I actually really like the added knowledge that my login screen and password input box is a system one...

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