Using F keys to launch apps

In OS 9, you could assign an F key to launch an application or open a file. I can't find where to do that in OS X.

Has this ability been dropped, or am I just not able to see it because I'm using an iBook at the moment?

If anyone knows how to invoke this very useful ability, please let me know,

M

Thanks wrldwzrd89, I should have asked if the ability to set up function keys to launch apps is there on desktop Macs. I found where it looks like it might be possible but it seems to be disabled on my machine (iBook)

We're buying Grandma a new iMac and we had her old one set up so she could just press a function key to get to her slot machine or email - teaching her new tricks is not always easy 😀 😀

take care, Margaret

7on said:

You can also put aliases in the Dock or on the desktop. I would think this would be easier than remembering F1 = Internet, because you could have a Safari alias on the desktop and name it Internet.

Click to expand...

You've never seen Grandma try to move the mouse 😀 😀

In OS9 we set up far apart F-keys - like F1, F5, F7, F9, F12 for her apps and put BIG stickers on them so she only needed to aim at one key to get the job done. It worked fine.

I've found a couple of apps that seemed promising, but one was overkill and required too much attention, the other seemed to work, but wouldn't bring the whole app to the front, just whatever happened to be the frontmost window of the app and Grandma isn't savvy enough to figure out how to get to the rest of them.

And don't you dare say a word about how an old foggie should learn better or something. There is a huge market for applications for older individuals and nobody is moving to fill it. There's a glut of applications for kids, and business apps galore, but none for older adults. What a shame.

m