Review: Palua 3.0

Out of the box, Apple keyboards are setup to where the function keys operate in Apple Mode. Within Apple Mode, users can use their function keys to perform a variety of tasks, like play or pause iTunes, adjust screen brightness, and even invoke Dashboard or Mission Control. To access the function keys as function keys, particularly on a Mac laptop or small-sized Apple keyboard, you’ll have to press the Fn key along with the function key.

As a Mac power user, I regularly make use of my keyboard’s function keys. Programs like Flash and Photoshop have various keyboard shortcuts that are specifically assigned to function keys, and it’s a pain in the tookus to have to hit the Fn key + Function Key (i.e. F1) each and every time I need to invoke a specific function.

The developers at Molowa must have experienced my pain, because they are the developers behind Palua, a little Mac software gem (99 cents at the Mac App Store) that lets the user easily toggle the functionality of the Function keys on the Apple keyboard.

Palua installs as a menulet on the Mac’s menubar. Here’s how it works:

Hit Command-Option-Tab (or make up your own keyboard shortcut) and your Function keys toggle to one of two modes:

1. function key mode
2. Apple mode (adjust volume, brightness, etc.)

Once toggled, the keyboard stays in the specified mode until you toggle it back. Bliss!

This functionality, by itself, is pretty nifty, but Palua goes several steps further to earn its status as a Mac gem.

First up is Palua’s Preferences tab, which lets the user assign a configurable keyboard shortcut to toggle the function keys. I kept the default settings. Also within the Preferences tab, the user can elect to specify the default function key mode. (Apple keyboards are set to ‘Apple mode’ by default.)

In the Smart Mode tab, you can choose the default behavior of the function keys, depending upon the app you’re running. So, for apps like Flash and Photoshop, where I use function keys all day long, I’ve set the behavior of my function keys to operate in function key mode. For iTunes, I’ve assigned the keyboard to work in Apple mode. To sum up, you can choose which mode your function keys are in depending upon the app you are running. Yes!

But wait! There’s more! You can also change the look of Palua’s menulet icon. I chose “Black” so I can easily pick out the Palua icon from my menubar.

Palua does what it’s supposed to and then some. At a mere 99 cents on the Mac App Store, it’s a no-brainer purchase for power users. Because of its ease of use and its polish, Palua rightfully earns 5 out of 5 Bob Weiners.

-Krishna

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Krishna February 27, 2012 Mac productivity, Palua