I got a Logitech Internet Navigator keyboard recently. As you may be aware, most modern keyboards come with twelve “function keys” across the top which can be “re-programmed” by whatever application you're using to perform different, but appropriate functions.

Logitech has, at least for the Internet Navigator keyboard, decreed that this is a bad idea™ and has replaced them with a set of program independent functions. Thus, pressing F9 opens up the “My Computer” window whilst F2 performs a reply email command. So far, so pointless I hear you mutter.

But wait, it gets better. You can switch this useless feature off by pressing the F-Lock key but, unless your keyboard is wireless and thus battery-powered, it resets to the default setting when powered off and the default setting is “replace the functions keys with the non-functions”. Logitech's “workaround” is to get you to re-program the F-Lock settings to set them all to “Transparent Pass Through” which allegedly passes through the function key you pressed to the program so it can do the function it was intended to do. Except it doesn't.

I get the feeling marketing thought this moronic idea up.