Why is there two on screen keyboards in Windows 8?


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I have been scratching my head at this, why is there two onscreen keyboards in Windows 8, what is the point?

 

 

post-455563-0-03529600-1383433784.jpg

 

28728-keyboard.png

 

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The bottom one is superior to the top one and can be used type extensively like on a physical keyboard. I don't get why Microsoft stuck the one in the top photo in Windows 8. Additionally the Metro keyboard has the icon in the taskbar that launches it, which further raises the question why Microsoft included the desktop version keyboard at all.

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Hopefully Microsoft just gets rid of the desktop keyboard in the next Windows, it is so archaic, pointless, and cumbersome. The modern/metro keyboard is vastly superior in every possible way.  

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Hopefully Microsoft just gets rid of the desktop keyboard in the next Windows, it is so archaic, pointless, and cumbersome. The modern/metro keyboard is vastly superior in every possible way.

really? That's fighting talk in these here parts... :angry:
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Hopefully Microsoft just gets rid of the desktop keyboard in the next Windows, it is so archaic, pointless, and cumbersome. The modern/metro keyboard is vastly superior in every possible way.  

 

The Metro one doesn't work on the desktop.
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The Metro one doesn't work on the desktop.

Yes it does, there is a keyboard icon in the desktop in Windows 8 that opens the metro/modern keyboard up.

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Yes it does, there is a keyboard icon in the desktop in Windows 8 that opens the metro/modern keyboard up.

 
It seems the one that appears on your desktop isn't the same one you see within Metro. But still different from the on screen keyboard seen in the top image.
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I don't see why this really matters though. It seems the old OSK has been left in for compatibility reasons but when do you ever actually use the old one? You have to manually launch it. Just don't launch it. 

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Here is the Modern Keyboard on the desktop. I don't see any reason for the archaic desktop keyboard to be in Windows 8.

post-455563-0-34939000-1383435462.jpg

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The desktop one is probably there for backwards compatibility reasons.

I'm sure he gave you the best answer just to make the background of your post green lime. Life is unfair ...

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Are you possessed by Dot Matrix ???

Printers cant possess chickens

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The onscreen keyboards work throughout the OS. See the little keyboard icon in the bottom left of the keyboard in the bottom picture, it lets you change the type of keyboard you're using from the regular Windows 8 keyboard to split keyboard, handwriting recognition and the full keyboard from the first picture.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The 'modern' keyboard doesn't always show text predictions, while the old one does, which I find really strange.

 

This is the first forum I've found to mention the two keyboards, so thanks for confirming I'm not bonkers

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The top one is:

1. part of the accessibility features in Windows (been there since XP at least), and

2. there for apps that run on the Desktop that don't have the functionality to call up the on-screen keyboard when required (it now can be brought up with a single tap (instead of having to go through Start-->All Programs-->Accessories-->Accessibility-->On-Screen Keyboard)).

 

The bottom one is the native Win 8 keyboard.

 

See, it's XP as well:

 

on-screen_keyboard.jpg

 

I just wish Remote Desktop had native soft-keyboard support (some kind of add-on you could install onto the host PC to enable this would be nice)...

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The On Screen Keyboard is for accessibility reasons and is part of Ease of Access. The OSK has access to keyboard keys that you wont find in the Touch Keyboard like Windows Key, Ctrl, Alt, Esc. The Touch Keyboard is optimized for touch, so a lot of keys were taken out. The OSK makes sense on the desktop when you need to execute a shortcut without a keyboard (like WinKey + Tab) while the Touch Keyboard is great in Metro and works the desktop as well.

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