Function keys - opinions?

[roshi]

Do you use the function keys for anything?
what would you want them to do?

. . . thinking about keyboard design
roshi

[graylocks]

on my desktop computer i use F12 often to bring up my widgets at least once an hour. i use Keyboard Maestro to program F13 to hide others when in the finder.

on my laptop, i also use KM for the above uses and to open frequently accessed programs because i don't want to clutter the Dock.

i use F keys sparingly otherwise, though. i get confused as to which does what and putting labels on the keyboard looks junky.

[jdc]

In quark i use them all day, for other applications, never

[roshi]

thanks.
A keyboard manufacturer was just asking me. They use Windows, and 90% or more of their output is going to be for Win.

I told 'em that it is easy to reprogram function keys with the Prefs, but hardly anyone seems to do it.

[roshi]

The keyboard has 10 buttons available, two rows of 5 each, along one side.

They are thinking of putting volume up, down, mute, eject, and forward delete.

What other desirable key functions would there be?

I suggested they NOT have a SLEEP key. Maybe a Widget key?

[graylocks]

why not a sleep button? i have one on my macalley keyboard and i use it nightly. actually, pushing it gives me the options of sleep/restart/shutdown. i also use the volume/mute buttons on this kb.

[roshi]

Ok, i will tell them, that's a vote for a SLEEP button!

[roshi]

but to use up a whole button for something you push once a day?

[jdc]

i have 2 of these, i use every single key across the top

[BigGuynRusty]

There already is a sleep key.

BGnR