Question

I find it very useful when working with code. It really speeds up my text manipulation. I think that is much faster to select some vertical block of code with scroll when than with keys.

But I hardly can name a few of those keyboards. Why are they so rare? How can I get a new one?

Answer 1

Probably because they're on nearly every mouse. I never used the wheel on my keyboard when I had one.

Answer 2

My keyboard has it: PgUp, PgDown

Many other programs designed by and for programmers have additional shortcuts and many ways to navigate, look at powerhouse editors such as Vim or Emacs, and even simple programs such as less (space to go forward, b to go back, among many others).

Answer 3

They're moving parts, they need an axis, a totally different way of detecting movement, so on. That stuff's already in a mouse, it's really not too much of a stretch to extend that a little, but a keyboard? Totally different input method, and making one with a scrollwheel requires (relatively) a lot of work - and few people would really benefit, so not worth the cost, to the manufacturers.

Answer 4

Because we use J and K.

Answer 5

Thanks for moving it to superuser.

2R. Pate: I'm a big fan of VIM and use it fulltime. I still think that keyboard's scroll is a better for vertical selection of text than just line up/down OR page up/down. Try to select 7 lines in your editor with page up/down or line up/down. You can make it faster vim this scroll wheel.

2 Yoooder: I hadn't used it for some time ago as you did. But when I tried and get used to it I was very happy because of the benefits it gives to you. It has nothing to do with mouse scroll - completely different issue.

Answer 6

Because it's on the mouse?

Answer 7

Because some people know how to use the other buttons on the keyboard as well ...

(oh, yeah, this is gonna get downvoted, but such question, imho, deserves such answer).