Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
You can't use F1, F2, and so on as standard function keys
As you might know, the keys along the top row of your MacBook Air have been preassigned special features.
For example, F1 dims the screen, F3 displays Spaces, and F4 displays Launchpad. (Note that these key assign-
ments apply to the fifth-generation MacBook Air; earlier versions of the MacBook Air keyboard used different
special function keys.) When you want to use one of these keys as a standard function key, you must hold down
the Fn key at the same time. For example, to toggle Full Keyboard Access, as described in the previous section,
you must press Fn+Control+F7; if you just press Control+F7, nothing happens.
If you use F1 to F12 as standard function keys more than as special function keys, having to remember to hold
down Fn each time is annoying, particularly when you forget and end up launching Mission Control or Dash-
board. Fortunately, you can reverse the way that OS X treats these keys. That is, you can use F1 through F12 as
standard function keys, and then to use a key as a special function, you must hold down Fn. Here's how:
1. Click System Preferences in the Dock.
The System Preferences window appears.
2. Click Keyboard to open the keyboard preferences.
3. Click the Keyboard tab.
4. Select the Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys check box, as shown in Figure 13.1.
13.1
Select the Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys check box to use F1 through F12 as standard function
keys.
You can't right-click the MacBook Air trackpad
Right-clicking something is a useful technique for displaying an object's shortcut menu, which is a list of the
object's most common — or, given the current program context, most useful — commands. It's also a lot easier
than the standard Mac method for displaying an item's shortcut menu: holding down Control and clicking the
item. How frustrating, then, if you find that you can't right-click anything on the MacBook Air trackpad.
As a first troubleshooting step, try pointing at the object you want to right-click. Now tap or click the trackpad
using two fingers. This is the default method for
secondary clicking
(as Apple prefers to call right-clicking). To
change this to a single-click, or if nothing happened even when you used a two-finder tap or click, follow these
steps:
1. Click System Preferences in the Dock to open the System Preferences window.
