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Comment by jschwartzi | Hacker News Reader

Do people even use function keys? The only shortcuts I've seen people use are Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. I think this is a step backward because it'll make it harder to touch-type and there's a possibility that the word processor can remove your volume controls.

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Like most of the replies, yes to the volume/media/brightness controls.

I also still use the old "Dashboard" overlay (using the FunctionFlip widget to remap the F4 key to how it used to behave prior to Yosemite), and Exposé.

Part of me doesn't want to see these keys taken away, made context-sensitive, or made 'flat' and losing the haptic feedback.

Another part of me wonders if this is just the standard resistance-to-change behaviour, and I might discover all sorts of good uses for the feature.

Loss of haptic feedback would be a big negative, but two years ago Apple patented a virtual keyboard with haptic feedback on individual keys: http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/03/19/apple-patent-mac-key...

Perhaps its time has come?

This. I would hate for the new "pro" macbook to come with non physical keys for stuff like volume/brightness control. Please apple, there are people who don't just use it to fuck about on facebook in a coffeeshop. People who can't remember basic shortcuts like copy/paste have plenty of alternatives. I find the choices we have for "pro" laptops lacking as it is.

On top of my wishlist are:

  - 32 GB (or more) memory
  - Better battery life / supported external battery packs
  - Multitude of ports (add USB-C but keep some "legacy" around as well)

I use the media and volume controls, sometimes the brightness ones (when the mac decides to make the brightness lower than I'd like it to be).

For about 15 years, I've bound each of my commonly used applications to a function key. This lets me work on a laptop-sized display without constant, furious alt-tabbing or hunting around with the mouse. Add an external keyboard with proper spacing between groups of function keys so you can touch type, and you have an almost autonomic app-switching experience.

Developers use Function keys - yes.

Do developers need an LCD display to remember when their function keys do?

I'm actually a bit worried about this. Function keys had better be "functional". :D

Yes, all the time. There are multiple helpful controls on them, and the function keys themselves are useful in many editors. I'm not keen to lose them in favor of a touch screen that can change on a whim, with minimal tactical feedback.

I use F3 to search everywhere. Also my byobu actions are all tied to the F keys. I hate those laptops that default to Fn instead of F and provide no toggle between them.

> I hate those laptops that default to Fn instead of F and provide no toggle between them.

Agreed…Apple don't provide a simple toggle, thankfully there's a free third-party widget for this (called "FunctionFlip").

Yes they do. There is a checkbox under System Preferences > Keyboard. Though, function flip seems to work on a per key basis. While the apple toggle will toggle all of the F keys.

Oh, I wasn't aware of that, thank you.

>> I use F3 to search everywhere

Ctrl-F!

2 keys vs 1!

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