Hi folks, this is a weird one

I have two el cheapo (c. $8) 89-key keyboards. One is PS2, and the other USB with a PS2 converter.

They are somewhat different in appearance and key layout, so I imagine that they are from different manufacturers, but there is neither name nor country of origin, so I would guess China?

Anyway; I have discovered that if I type lower case "l" in Notepad on either of them, I get an "L" that is upside down and in mirror writing.

As you can see the lower case "l" is fine on this forum, and also in Wordpad!!!

It isn't the dead golf club (logical "not") ¬¬¬¬¬¬ mismapped and screwed up, either.

Regional/Language settings are UK English, and the same thing happens with Windows XP Pro SP3 and Vista Home Premium SP2. Which would seem to rule out the OS?

I am guessing that it must have something to do with notepad being 16-bit? Both the OSes are 32 bit. The keyboards must also have some part to play though,but there was no software included with either of them (retail packaged).

It doesn't happen with regular 102 key devices. The XP machine looks on the 89 as a 102 key device, whereas the Vista box says that it is an HID.

No big deal, but it is mildly interesting? and you might get someone ask you about it, thinking that they have a "virus"

I know several people who have these compact keyboards, either because they are cramped for space or they want something with a layout closer to their laptop than a regular 102-key. Nobody has said anything to me yet, so it really is a chance find!

I have just looked at a Dell laptop with XP, and it doesn't have the problem. My laptop running Windows 7 doesn't either, but it has a widescreen and a regular 102 keyboard anyway.