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    Remapping the FN key for P-6860

    Discussion in 'Gateway and eMachines' started by PiusPatronus, Nov 17, 2008.

  1. PiusPatronus

    PiusPatronus Notebook Consultant

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    The FN key on the left side of the P-6860 is very annoying! Its usually that the bottom leftmost corner of the keyboard is the CTRL key, however, its the FN key!

    This gets very annoying especially when your playing games which requires to use the CTRL key quite frequently.

    I was wondering if there is any easy way to remap the FN key to change it to act similarly as the Left CTRL key?
     
  2. Jakamo5

    Jakamo5 Tetra Vaal

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    if it's anything like the 7811, it can't be remapped
     
  3. Mimino

    Mimino Notebook Communist

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    just take it out and use the other fn key :)
     
  4. PiusPatronus

    PiusPatronus Notebook Consultant

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    Hehehe, that would be too easy Mimino, too easy :D
     
  5. PiusPatronus

    PiusPatronus Notebook Consultant

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  6. iaTa

    iaTa Do Not Feed

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    I think it's been thoroughly investigated already and it was deduced that it's not possible on our hardware.

    Interesting link though.
     
  7. Kamin_Majere

    Kamin_Majere =][= Ordo Hereticus

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    Yeah i've tried everything short of bashing the keyboard with a hammer to remap the FN keys function... just not possible with out rewireing the keyboard.

    And if you can do that you wouldnt be posting here so much as bragging and making money off of us who cant at 40 bucks a keyboard :p

    It was a good site, but laregly the same stuff as always, and nothing i've found can remap our hardware. The best thing to do is remove the key and use the secondary FN key as has been stated previously if you cant get used to typing with it "backwards"
     
  8. PiusPatronus

    PiusPatronus Notebook Consultant

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    Well, I guess I am keeping my external keyboard then :(
    I bought an external keyboard which feels exactly like my notebook's keyboard and I was thinking of returning it if ever I could get the FN key to switch or act like the Left Control Key.

    Only reason why I hate that FN key being there is that almost 80% of the time I press that instead of CTRL and that messes up when I play games like Counter Strike: Source and such.

    Oh well, worth the try! :p
     
  9. iaTa

    iaTa Do Not Feed

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    I use one of these instead of a full keyboard.
     
  10. PiusPatronus

    PiusPatronus Notebook Consultant

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    Quite a steep price for something that looks a tad small.
    I think the Microsoft Curve Keyboard 2000 works just fine.
    It makes me feel like im still typing on my laptop keyboard :)
     
  11. iaTa

    iaTa Do Not Feed

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    You can get it for a lot cheaper than that and there are other similar products out there. You mentioned CS:S that's all and they are pretty good for gaming as you have all the keys perfectly placed.
     
  12. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    Tried using Autohotkey? You will need to write up a script though.

    Once you learn to do it, you can do just about anything...
     
  13. stormlifter

    stormlifter Notebook Consultant

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    zboard fang is cheaper, check it out. Not $45 and does pretty much the same thing.
     
  14. el_touristo_duo

    el_touristo_duo Notebook Geek

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    I can get used to the fn where it is.. but I want fn function on an external keyboard, mainly to adjust brightness quickly. Anyone know of way to get that. Maybe some little scripting app or something.
     
  15. Kamin_Majere

    Kamin_Majere =][= Ordo Hereticus

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    Autohotkeys that Flipfire posted should be able to do that for you quite easily, if you can figure out how to script in the leveling effect the FN key give you as well.

    Other than that... nope
     
  16. rot112

    rot112 El Rompe ToTo

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    sounds like a lost cause.
    Just buy one an fps game pad that fits in the palm of your hand and you wont need a keyboard again.
     
  17. Divine_Madcat

    Divine_Madcat Notebook Evangelist

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    I remember back when I got my Sager 5680, it was only a few weeks before they released a keyboard firmware and instructions on how to switch the FN key with the CTRL key.... those were the days..
     
  18. Mormegil83

    Mormegil83 I Love Lamp.

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    LOL that's because sager actually cares about their customers after they by their products
     
  19. stormlifter

    stormlifter Notebook Consultant

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    wait... that's what she said?
     
  20. PiusPatronus

    PiusPatronus Notebook Consultant

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    :D :D :D

    Hahahahaha I assure you, she was correct :p
     
  21. Divine_Madcat

    Divine_Madcat Notebook Evangelist

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    whoa there.. don't manipulate my words there. I don't think this is Gateway not caring about their customers, because lets be honest - all the makers pretty much use this layout. I don't think this is a big deal, and I don't blame Gateway for not wasting their time..
     
  22. Mormegil83

    Mormegil83 I Love Lamp.

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    it was just a little jab at gateways CS didn't really mean a whole lot by it...
     
  23. areacode212

    areacode212 Newbie

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    This layout really drives me crazy, though, because not only does it suck for games (when I'm trying to fumble for the Ctrl key, I often end up hitting the Windows key instead, launching me back to the desktop), but it makes attempting to copy, cut and paste, and other keyboard shortcuts with the Ctrl key really awkward as well.

    It makes me want to use my crappy Dell Latitude D600 for typing. I guess an external keyboard is a solution, but it's space-inefficient. I would be willing to sacrifice the NumPad for a more normal-sized main keyboard.

    Any chance of Gateway releasing some remapping utility?
     
  24. N00d13s

    N00d13s is too legit to quit!

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    you get used to it after a few days, i can barely tell the difference now. it's just like using any other keyboard to me.
     
  25. Mimino

    Mimino Notebook Communist

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    agreed. at first, i couldn't type on it that well(too small). now i can't type on other keyboards :)
     
  26. N00d13s

    N00d13s is too legit to quit!

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    kinda the same for me, i can type on other keyboards but make mistakes all the time now, especially at school where they have POS computers, i like typing on laptop keyboards cause the keys are that high up.