[gui-talk] Fancy Computers and Function Keys

[David Andrews]

I will ask my guys at work tomorrow -- they set up 1 or 2 new 
computers a week, each, mostly Dells, but the odd HP, Sony, Toshiba, 
Asus, IBM etc.

Dave

At 05:29 PM 1/2/2011, you wrote:
>Hello, all.
>
>I just bout a rather fancy HP Pavillion DV7 laptop.  Once I got over 
>the initial hurdle of getting the machine to a position to install 
>JAWS, all went well ... Until I tried to use the function keys 
>(either alone or in combination as with Alt-F4 or JAWS combinations 
>using the function keys).  I soon discovered that the "new thing on 
>the block" is not to have those keys be function keys by default 
>but, rather, to have them do other things as with new Mac 
>keyboards.  One can still get them to function as good old function 
>keys by holding a modifier key down while pressing them.  Which is 
>OK, I suppose, unless you want to kill a program from the keyboard 
>or do a myriad of other things.  One doesn't have enough hands to 
>hold down the combinations.  I suppose I could use Sticky Keys but 
>that seems almost equally awkward.  I understand that changing this 
>behavior, i.e., reversing the situation so the keys would be 
>function keys by default and do their fancy new thing when the 
>modifier key is held down, requires a BIOS change which is double-plus uncool!
>
>My question:  has anyone discovered a work-around for this short of 
>ditching the computer and getting something more bare-bones (read 
>old-fashioned)?
>
>T I A!
>
>Mike Freeman