As noted by Italian site iSpazio [Google translation], Apple has quietly tweaked its standalone Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad for OS X Lion.

lion keyboard f keys
One minor change is a slight adjustment to the icon displayed on the F3 key to remove the frame around the collection of windows. The F3 key had been used to activate Exposé, but with that feature now being folded into the broader Mission Control feature in OS X Lion, the key now activates Mission Control.

In a larger change, the F4 key has now been repurposed since the previous Dashboard function has also been folded into Mission Control in Lion. Consequently, the F4 key is now used to invoke Launchpad, Lion's iOS-like application launching screen.

The new keyboard is billed as requiring Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later.

We don't know for certain that Apple has also updated its wireless keyboard with the same changes, as the company has not updated the images on its keyboard page or in its online store, but we do know that both the wired and wireless keyboards saw their model numbers transitioned to "/B" revisions alongside Wednesday's launch of OS X Lion. Consequently, it seems reasonable to conclude that both keyboards have been updated with the tweaked functionality.

Top Rated Comments

M-O Avatar
190 months ago
when are these bad boys getting back-lighting?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Akapp42 Avatar
190 months ago
I'll save everyone about $50

Do what I did, change the shortcut key from System Prefs>Keyboard. Then do this: (http://www.flickr.com/photos/65356661@N05/5965532030/)
Hacked for Launchpad (http://www.flickr.com/photos/65356661@N05/5965532030/) by akapp42 (http://www.flickr.com/people/65356661@N05/), on Flickr
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Andy-V Avatar
190 months ago
Why not use the rocket icon for LaunchPad?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coder12 Avatar
190 months ago
Replacing the Dashboard button with Launchpad is extremely stupid:

* There is no gesture to activate Dashboard
* There already is a gesture to activate Launchpad
* Dashboard is more useful than Launchpad


This way, the only way to activate Dashboard is either swipe left a zillion times until you get to the leftmost space which is Dashboard, or if you're like me and find that Dashboard has no place among your desktops and windows in Mission Control, you either have to assign a hot corner to it, or keep the Dashboard icon in the Dock. I just press the Dashboard button on my keyboard and I have Dashboard, simple as that.

FN + F12 still works :P
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mbarriault Avatar
190 months ago
Is there a way to change F4 to open Launchpad instead of Dashboard on older keyboards? (without setting them to use standard function keys obviously).
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9822737 Avatar
190 months ago
IIRC, it always has been. That just means it's not assigned as a specific hot key (with function keys turned off). Probably because many browsers use F5 as "refresh".

Ah thinking about it this could be because it doesnt have a backlit keyboard. As on Apple's portable options this gives the user the chance to turn the brightness down.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...