Garrett Murray noticed the unusual changes to the function key layout on the new Apple keyboards. I saw this from the photos, and am equally bewildered. I'm especially curious how backwards compatibility is maintained in default key bindings: Do the new function key assignments of Exposé et al only apply to people using the new Apple keyboards? Is F12 assigned to Dashboard for everyone except the new-boarders, where it's F4?

Garrett wonders why the Bluetooth keyboard is shorter at all. It's not just because it's "more portable," it's because you naturally center a keyboard when you put it in your lap, and centering a full keyboard puts all the keys you normally type off to the left, slowly injuring your wrists. It's difficult to align a full keyboard correctly even on a desk surface, because the stuff off to the right gets in the way of comfortable mousing for right-handers. There aren't enough mini keyboards in the world.

The only thing I'd miss is all the fancy new function keys (F19!), which presumably would never be bound by default (because not everyone has 'em), but would be bindable in System Preferences.