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If you are using the laptop's screen, then the laptop's keyboard will be right in front of you, so you can control the brightness with it.
 
Here's a list of commands you can use to control your laptop screen brightness from the keyboard:

cmd+space; S; Y; S; T ; E; M; space; P; R; enter; tab; tab; tab; down; space; tab; tab; tab; tab; tab; tab; tab;

Then left or right to adjust brightness.

I'm guessing if you have an external monitor you may have to change this somehow.
 
Here's a list of commands you can use to control your laptop screen brightness from the keyboard:

cmd+space; S; Y; S; T ; E; M; space; P; R; enter; tab; tab; tab; down; space; tab; tab; tab; tab; tab; tab; tab;

Then left or right to adjust brightness.

I'm guessing if you have an external monitor you may have to change this somehow.

Are you sure that is not the code for unlimited lives on Contra?
 
When my laptop is connected to my Apple Keyboard, I can control the brightness with the F1 and F2 keys on my external Apple Keyboard. However, when I connect an external monitor to my MacBook Pro, the F1 and F2 keys no longer work.

Is there a way to control the brightness of my laptop's screen (NOT the external monitor) with my external Apple Keyboard even when an external monitor is plugged into my MacBook Pro?

I have the late 2008 uMBP.

Odd, I have the same set up (late 2008 unibody macbook pro) and using it with an external monitor (a samsung in this case) my F1/F2 brigtness keys still work properly. Same when I'm using my Viewsonic external at home (one is running MDP-->DVI, one is MDP-->VGA.

I think it should still work?
 
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