So I am used to using a PC. I switched to a Mac. I am used to hitting F1, 2, 3 to switch between Abs, Rel, Int modes. When I hit those buttons on the Mac it changes the brightness and lets me toggle between open programs.

What do I need to hit to switch between the three on my Mac?

i think you might have Spaces activated

Try this

System Preferences>Expose & Spaces>Spaces (tab on top)

and disable spaces.

no don't disable spaces, thats a handy tool


go to stytem prefences
go to keyboard mouse
disable use of f1, f2 etc keys as function keys

what the hell does spaces do anyway

if you have a million windows open it seperates them out, makes for quick changing of open windows

Thanks dudes!

or you could just use Fn+<function key> and leave your settings where they are so its still easy to adjust volume and brightness...

you want to check the box that says

"Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys"

General Settings>Keyboard

This makes it so you have to use the fn key to adjust brighness, volume, etc. but gets you into internal mode with one key press.

i'm gonna use this one. thanks Dub.
now can i still use spaces?

Never got into spaces but I would assume so.

Yes, you just have to hit the Fn key

r u serious....fuck i need that bad and it was sitting right in front of my face lol

just take the time to go into your preferences and create your own hot keys and all that sh**.... and spaces IS handy...but I disable whenever I'm rockin for a gig.

Actually spaces allows you to create 'virtual desktops', so you can have several apps in one 'space' and other apps in another 'space' and switch between them, kinda like having more than one monitor. Usefulness would be like having an email app in space2 and a document you're editing in space1. You could switch to space2 to see email instantly, without disturbing the layout of space1.

As for breaking up your windows and showing them all at once, that's done with 'expose' and either hotkeys or mousing into corners. Personally, I set upper right corner to 'all windows' and lower right corner to 'desktop'. If I need to minimize all windows, I just mouse into the bottom right.

huh interesting, this is going to be crazy helpful for doing live video streams....SL on 1 chat\stream on another

Let me know how that works out... SL is a bit too resource-intensive already for me, so like Yoshi I disable stuff like Spaces before I play out.