IntelliType
Microsoft IntelliType is the brand driver for Microsoft's series of computer keyboards. Microsoft releases versions for both Windows and Mac OS X (as of version 10.15 Microsoft IntelliType no longer installs on Mac OS X). It has been succeeded by Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center, which combines IntelliType with IntelliPoint.
IntelliType supports all known Microsoft keyboards (including those that are shipped as parts of desktop sets, as well as entertainment keyboards, i.e. those that are intended for Media center). However, advanced features may only be available on certain models (the users select their keyboard's type inside the program to access that keyboard type's specific button selection).
01Supported keyboards
Note: Version 8.0 and above dropped PS/2 support for the following list. As even adapters can't assist, Microsoft keeps version 7.1 as an offered download for users who still own keyboards with PS/2 connectors (instead of USB).
| Keyboard | Windows | Mac OS X (prior to 10.15) |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Keyboard | Yes | Yes |
| Internet Pro Keyboard | Yes | ? |
| Keyboard Elite for Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Comfort Keyboard 4000 | Yes | Yes |
| Comfort Curve 2000 | Yes | Yes |
| Comfort Curve 3000 | No | No |
| Digital Keyboard 3000 | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Media Keyboard | Yes | ? |
| Wireless Laser Keyboard 3000 | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Laser Keyboard 5000 | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Laser Keyboard 6000 | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Laser Keyboard 7000 | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Entertainment Keyboard 7000 | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Entertainment Keyboard 8000 | Yes | Yes |
| Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 | Yes | Yes |
| Natural Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard 7000 | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Media Keyboard 3000 | Yes | Yes |
| Natural Keyboard Pro | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless MultiMedia Keyboard | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Keyboard 2000 v2.0 | Yes | ? |
| SideWinder X6 | Yes | No |
| SideWinder X4 | Yes | Comes with CD |
| Logitech k120 | Yes | ? |
02Special features
If the keyboard has multimedia buttons, the user can define them to run any program or action.
On-screen indication of NumLock/CapsLock toggling with some keyboards.
On-screen indication of volume level when level is changed.
03Limitations
While the user could always define special keys (and multimedia keys, if such exist), it was only possible since version 6.3 to define them not just globally but also per application.
Version 6.2 forced the user to constantly check for updates by installing and launching the file "dpupdchk.exe" in the background. It must stay in the background for the control panel's settings to launch (although it could be avoided by renaming the file to something else). Version 6.3 fixed this behavior by only making it an opt-in option during the installation.
Version 7.0 and later in Windows 7 64-bit has recently been proven to disable the media keys (Play/Pause, Next, Previous, Stop) for third-party media players such as iTunes and Media Jukebox when they are not the primary window of focus. Some workaround exists: This behavior continues to be an issue as of Version 8.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “IntelliType”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Itype logo.png by Unknown author, Fair use
- Itype ps2.jpg by Unknown author, Fair use
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