Christopher,

I think, in part, that this depends on the particular laptop.  I use a
laptop with JFW almost exclusively and I use the standard keyboard layout,
not the laptop layout.  In my situation I use the embedded numeric pad that
is centered around the right-hand home-row keys and this works fine for 99%
of what I need and want to do.  Some of the more complicated compound key
combinations can be a real exercise in finger gymnastics, but in the case
of my laptop this is due to the fact that there is only a single control
key (at least for most combinations) and that some of the other cursor
movement keys require the special shift key to be pressed to access them.
I do also have an external numeric keypad, but literally haven't used it in
over a year.

If there were any combinations that were too difficult or inconvenient to
use, and they were for functions that I used frequently enough, I would
consider re-mapping the function to another keystroke using the scripting
capability.  Of course, only you can decide what is meant by "inconvenient"
and "frequently" in your circumstance.

The bottom ine is that it doesn't really present any unsurmountable
barriers and is only a rare and minor inconvenience which I feel is more
than compensation for the portability factor (which is why I don't often
use the external numeric keypad).

Hope this helps,

Jim

---------------------------
James A. Rebman

Cognitive Levers Project
Center for Life-Long Learning and Design (L3D)
Department of Computer Science
College of Engineering and Applied Science
University of Colorado, Boulder

"In times of change, the learners will inherit the earth, while the learned
will find themselves beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists."
- Eric Hoffer

"...and the times they are a changin'..."
- Bob Dylan