For at least 12 years laptops have been defaulting to not having the traditional PC 101 key keyboard function key functionality and instead have had other functions like controlling the volume and have had a key labelled Fn to toggle the functions. It’s been a BIOS option to control whether traditional function keys or controls for volume etc are the default and for at least 12 years I’ve configured all my laptops to have the traditional function keys as the default.
Recently I’ve been working in corporate IT and having exposure to many laptops with the default BIOS settings for those keys to change volume etc and no reasonable option for addressing it. This has made me reconsider the options for configuring these things.
Here’s a page listing the standard uses of function keys [1]. Here is a summary of the relevant part of that page:
- F1 key launches help doesn’t seem to get much use. The main help option in practice is Google (I anticipate controversy about this and welcome comments) and all the software vendors are investigating LLM options for help which probably won’t involve F1.
- F2 is for renaming files but doesn’t get much use. Probably most people who use graphical file managers use the right mouse button for it. I use it when sorting a selection of photos.
- F3 is for launching a search (which is CTRL-F in most programs).
- ALT-F4 is for closing a window which gets some use, although for me the windows I close are web browsers (via CTRL-W) and terminals (via CTRL-D).
- F5 is for reloading a page which is used a lot in web browsers.
- F6 moves the input focus to the URL field of a web browser.
- F8 is for moving a file which in the degenerate case covers the rename functionality of F2.
- F11 is for full-screen mode in browsers which is sometimes handy.
The keys F1, F3, F4, F7, F9, F10, and F12 don’t get much use for me and for the people I observe. The F2 and F8 keys aren’t useful in most programs, F6 is only really used in web browsers – but the web browser counts as “most programs” nowadays.
Here’s the description of Thinkpad Fn keys [2]. I use Thinkpads for fun and Dell laptops for work, so it would be nice if they both worked in similar ways but of course they don’t. Dell doesn’t document how their Fn keys are laid out, but the relevant bit is that F1 to F4 are the same as on Thinkpads which is convenient as they are the ones that are likely to be commonly used and needed in a hurry.
I have used the KDE settings on my Thinkpad to map the function F1 to F3 keys to the Fn equivalents which are F1 to mute-audio, F2 for vol-down, and F3 for vol-up to allow using them without holding down the Fn key while having other function keys such as F5 and F6 have their usual GUI functionality. Now I have to could train myself to use F8 in situations where I usually use F2, at least when using a laptop.
The only other Fn combinations I use are F5 and F6 for controlling screen brightness, but that’s not something I use much.
It’s annoying that the laptop manufacturers forced me to this. Having a Fn key to get extra functions and not need 101+ keys on a laptop size device is a reasonable design choice. But they could have done away with the PrintScreen key to make space for something else. Also for Thinkpads a touch pad is something that could obviously be removed to gain some extra space as the Trackpoint does all that’s needed in that regard.
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