I am going to purchase a mechanical keyboard, but it will contain no volume controls or program short-cuts.
Assuming I purchase a plain keyboard, is there a technology available that would provide me quick access to volume controls and common programs?
You could use a generic hotkey utility like AutoHotkey to assign keyboard shortcuts (something unlikely to be used by normal applications, like Ctrl+Alt+F12) to perform your desired special functions.
Examples:
Windows+F11 increase volume:
#F11::Send {Volume_Up}
Ctrl+Alt+Numpad0 start Calculator:
^!Numpad0::Run Calc
See the linked pages for hotkey reference, changing volume.
I found some interesting things in researching this, but this is probably the most interesting:
http://www.piengineering.com/xkeys/xkstick.php
The X-Keys Stick is very spendy at $99 though.
The other alternatives are things like an inexpensive USB keypad, which can be had for under $20, and you could remap its keys via software to multimedia functions. I did find one with dedicated multimedia keys, but it's... odd. The model # is 1000-BRF.
Beyond that, gaming related devices like the Cyber Snipa game pad, or the Logitech G13 gameboard.
More obscure stuff would be shuttle controls like the ShuttleXpress or the Shuttle Pro
Assuming you are using Windows, and if you can do without program shortcuts (I just use WinKey search), you may find 3RVX useful. You can use it to add keyboard shortcuts for volume control as well as mouse combinations. I use WinKey + mousewheel to adjust volume. It also adds an on screen display volume slider. It works well, but as it runs on .NET, it does use more memory than it should for something that runs all the time. The author is making a new version which does not run through .NET though. (I don't know what happened regarding that - there's no longer any mention of it)
NirCMD is a light-weight utility with quite a few nice features.
I setup a few desktop shortcuts (with Keyboard Shortcuts) on an alternate monitor (out of the way).
Finally, I also have shortcuts setup for calculator and the snipping tool:
Each of these keyboard shortcuts work from within other programs. Not bad for emergency Mutes, etc.
ok, found a simple answer elsewhere, and in case someone comes across this page-
go here:
http://download.cnet.com/HotKeyz/3000-2344_4-10590793.html?part=undefined&subj=dl&tag=button%29
download and install, set the key combo to whatever you want and ten seconds later you are done, no programming or text file manipulating needed.
Have fun!
Another option may be to adjust the registry. As an example, in the question's photograph, it looks like there are keys for going to the prior track, and the next track. If you check the registry keys around HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AppKey\ then you can find what key codes perform certain effects.
Searching for "Virtual Key Codes" can provide you with the numbers used by the registry.
Then you could run a program that alters the volume. (I've already posted some documentation about how to do that in another SuperUser.com answer: TOOGAM's SuperUser.com answer to tkf144's question on how to "Change Windows sound volume via the command line".)
I can suggest you VoluMouse, I am using it since long time.
You can use mouse wheel with a keyboard hotkey you define (I am using ctrl+alt+mousewheel) and it works perfectly.
Almost any keyboard macro program will do. One that has not been mentioned yet: Fingertips.
I don't use it that often but my wife lives in it ;-)