Converting Mac keyboard shortcuts to Windows/PC based shortcuts.

Question

Hello,
Let me say, I have been using Mac based platforms since close to 1991 on and off. I used System 7 (and OS 8/9, but close enough to System 7) for many years up until I started to use Windows starting on the later 9x and XP platforms. As I start to drift away from Windows to more likely use Macs, however I would like to have a consistent keyboard shortcut system similar to Windows or Linux/UNIX (for that matter).
I actually get confused very easily switching from Macs and Windows with keyboard commands often when I use Windows comp and when I am using the Mac. (Just switching from different kinds of keyboards confuse me from the razor thin keys to a regular keyboard, because going from another one confuses me because of different pressures to press the on.)
I also believe this may have to do with a "workflow" process/scripting, if I am not mistaken. Is there a script I can download, that has close to the standard Windows/PC commands that I can import into the Mac, and can these scripts be edited to adapt my own commands as well? Is there a way to use most of the function keys (F1-12) for the standard commands for the different purposes? I also would like the Option (alt)-Tab to cycle the different apps and Option-Esc to cycle all windows opened. I would like to try to reduce all Option/Command/Control/Shift commands to just a couple of keystrokes or an F key. These modifier keys I think are becoming old, especially since it doesn't meet Apple's simplicity, giving there is up to three keystrokes to press at a given time for some commands.
I had tried the way on the System Preferences, but it doesn't go globally through all applications - real problem lies on the Apple apps on some. I strongly believe this is possible to do, since it might be able to work via a scripting system. I hope this could work. Apple has come a long way to open up the system's architecture without really messing things up, or just opening up the OS without hex apps is great. I hope they can just keep this up so the users can decide how they want their mac to work, because they know what's right for their purposes.
Thanks in advance,
Steven

Answer 1

You may like youpi key. It is free. It works fairly well for me in MAC OS 10.4 although not officially supported. There is a commercial version you can buy, called iKey.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/11485&vid=75326
Here is my script for listing my application folder. I have it assigned to function-key 6.
tell application "Finder"
activate
select window of desktop
make new Finder window to startup disk
select Finder window 1
set target of Finder window 1 to folder "Applications" of startup disk
select Finder window 1
set position of Finder window 1 to {60, 45}
end tell
This script was automatically generated in script editor record mode. After I recorded the script and did some minor editing, I copy the script to youpi key.
I have all of my frequently used applications set to function keys. I am thinking of changing the switching to Scripts because there seems to be a side effect to some of the switching like the speaking.