Mac Os X 10.4 Tiger (Visual Quickstart Guides)

Keyboard & Mouse

The Keyboard & Mouse preferences pane enables you to customize the way the keyboard and mouse (or trackpad) work. Options can be set in three panes: Keyboard (Figure 62), Mouse (Figure 65), and Keyboard Shortcuts (Figure 66).

Figure 62. The Keyboard pane of the Keyboard & Mouse preferences pane.

Figure 65. The Mouse pane of the Keyboard & Mouse preferences pane.

Figure 66. The Keyboard Shortcuts pane of the Keyboard & Mouse preferences pane.

Tip

  • If you have a wireless keyboard or mouse attached, you may see an additional button labeled Bluetooth. Click this button to configure your input device.

To set keyboard options

1.

In the Keyboard & Mouse preferences pane, click the Keyboard button (Figure 62).

2.

Set options as desired:

  • Key Repeat Rate sets how fast a key repeats when held down.

  • Delay Until Repeat sets how long a key must be pressed before it starts to repeat.

3.

Test your settings by typing in the test field at the bottom of the pane. If necessary, repeat step 2 to fine-tune your settings for the way you type.

Figure 64. This pop-up menu enables you to make a modifier key work like a different modifier key.

4.

To change the behavior of modifier keys such as , , and , click the Modifier Keys button. In the dialog that appears (Figure 63), use the pop-up menus to set the action you want each key to perform and click OK.

Figure 63. Use this dialog to change the behavior of modifier keys.

Tips

  • Key Repeat settings are especially useful for heavy-handed typists.

  • Why you'd want to change the behavior of modifier keys is beyond me. It would make a good April Fools joke, though.

To set mouse speeds

1.

In the Keyboard & Mouse preferences pane, click the Mouse button (Figure 65).

2.

Set options as desired:

  • Tracking Speed enables you to set the speed of the mouse movement on your screen.

  • Double-Click Speed enables you to set the amount of time between each click of a double-click. You can test the double-click speed by double-clicking in the test area; make changes as necessary to fine-tune the speed.

Tip

  • If you're just learning to use a mouse, try setting the tracking and double-click speeds to slower than the default settings.

To customize keyboard shortcuts

1.

In the Keyboard & Mouse preferences pane, click the Keyboard Shortcuts button (Figure 66).

2.

To enable or disable a specific keyboard shortcut, toggle the On check box beside it.

3.

To change a keyboard shortcut, double-click the shortcut to select it, then hold down the new keys to change it.

4.

To access an item with the keyboard (as well as the mouse), turn on the check box in the On column beside the item.

Tips

  • You can add custom shortcut keys for applications. Click the + button at the bottom of the list to get started.

  • With full keyboard access enabled, you can use the shortcut keys in Table 1 to activate onscreen items. Then use , , , , , and to select and accept items.

    Table 1. Full Keyboard Access Keys

    To do this

    Press these keys

    Turn full keyboard access on or off

    Highlight the menu bar

    Highlight the Dock

    Highlight the active window or thewindow behind it

    Highlight the toolbar

    Highlight a tool palette, then eachpalette in order

    Access all controls in thecurrent dialog

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