Dec 30, 2017 - I just switched from a PC to a Mac. I'd like to use my Windows keyboard, but it seems to be missing some keys. For example, what is the.
Are Apple keyboards, with only a delete key, less efficient in making deletions than conventional keyboards with both a backspace and a delete key? I have been using a Windows desktop at home and my office. Although I have never had a laptop, I have been planning to buy an Apple laptop for use when I travel. However, I recently used an Apple and found its keyboard, in one particular way, to be inferior to the standard keyboards that I have been accustomed to using. Do you agree?
A conventional keyboard has two keys to make deletions. The backspace key deletes characters to the left of the cursor. The delete key deletes characters to the right of the cursor.
In contrast, the Apple keyboard has only one key to make deletions. It is the delete key and it deletes characters to the left of the cursor. It appears that if I want to delete characters to the right of the cursor, there is no way to do that directly and simply. Am I correct about that? I must either use a second key or I must first highlight the text and then delete it. Using a non-Apple conventional keyboard, it is also possible to delete an entire word and one adjacent space in only two strokes by using a combination of the control key and the delete key.
The same can be done in the other direction using the control key and the backspace key. How would these two types of deletion most efficiently be done with an Apple keyboard? The reality seems to be that two keys to delete can operate more efficiently, in more directions, than only one (Apple). Do you agree that the Apple keyboard is less efficient in making deletions than the conventional keyboard when using Word software? What is the best way to get around that inefficiency in a MacBookPro?
If there is no way around it, should this discourage me from getting an Apple since I do lots of word processing and deletions? Does the Apple keyboard have any advantages over the conventional keyboard that I should be aware of?. Asked by fn from Granger. Feb 29, 2012. So, in summary, (Thanks mostly to Ricky C's answer below and to some experimenting) for those of you coming from PC's who would like to use the same shortcuts you did with a mac, here is how you do them on a mac: Backwards delete 1 character at a time: Delete Delete 1 word backwards: Option+Delete Frontwards Delete 1 character at a time: Fn+Delete Frontwards delete 1 word at a time: function+Option+Delete Command+Delete: deletes a line Command Key acts like the control key on a PC (command C = copy, command X = cut, comm.
V = paste, comm A = select, comm B = Bold, etc.). Answered by Alice B from Red Lion. Apr 21, 2014.
George H from Dayton: In order to quickly take screen shots-it will save the image to the desktop: cmd-shift-3: screen shot of entire screen cmd-control-shift-3: screen shot will save in clipboard cmd-shift-4: crosshair will appear and allow you to capture a screen shot of anything on your screen cmd-shift-4 then spacebar: allows you to capture just a window on your screen. When the window is blue and cursor turns into a camera, click the screen with your mouse and it will save an image of the window to your desktop. (adding control to any of the above keystrokes will save the image to the clipboard) Hope that helps. Also, there is an app called Grab that comes with all Macs that does the same thing. Answered by Amanda G from Massillon. Mar 6, 2013.
The Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad is a full-size keyboard. It has a backspace key and a delete key.
They are in the exact same locations as the backspace and delete keys on Windows keyboards, and they function in the exact same way (deleting characters to the left and right of the cursor, respectively). There is one cosmetic difference, though. The 'backspace' key on a Mac keyboard is labeled with the word 'delete', and the 'delete' key is labeled with the word 'delete' and a tiny arrow pointing to the right, indicating that the key deletes characters to the right of the cursor. Answered by Jonathan S from Newport Beach. Nov 25, 2013.
I've used the laptop keyboard for several years now and this is the only compliant I have but it's a constant irritation. Yes you can use the Fn and delete key but that takes 2 hands since they are kitty corner to each other, as far apart as they can possibly be, and no one with hands smaller than an NBA basketball player could do this one handed, my hands are about 5' too short! Why they couldn't make it a shift/delete I can't understand. It is by far less efficient and certainly less elegant. Out of character for an Apple product and for me, a MAJOR disappointment. I did see I can remap the eject key but then I have no eject key, not what I see as a reasonable solution when shift delete would serve as well and make more intuitive sense.
Answered by Bea C from Windsor. Jan 3, 2015.
I too am a Windows/Linux/Unix developer, I became an apple fan after buying an iPhone 3 when it came out and followed it by a 13' MacBook pro and a 27' iMac. I like the apple products, mostly because of fit and finish of the products. As for the keyboard, its a matter of getting used to the it and unlearning the PC keyboard. Early on, I found out that apple products are more intuitive than most other products I've used. Just play around with the keyboard and when in doubt, use the control keys along with the main key, chances are you will get the desired response.
Answered by Gus S from New York. Sep 3, 2014. You are SPOT-ON with your dilema!
Pain in the toucas! I am constantly annoyed at not having a delete key. I purchased a 3rd part keyboard for mac, and it was great for a little while (and it had a delete key) but then it stopped working. So, I'm headed to the Apple store today to get another keyboard.one with a NUMERIC KEYPAD!! I hope it also has a delete key.
I really miss the numeric keypad.didn't realize how much until work recently switched our laptops to a new one that has the keypad. It make a huge difference in my work. Answered by Cc C from Fort Huachuca. Jul 29, 2013. I have the new wireless keyboard for my new iMac 27'. I definitely agree that it is less efficient than the wireless keyboard I had for my old iMac G5.
I can't believe that the designers eliminated the delete key, so one can delete to the right of the cursor. It's a big mis-design (omission, rather)!
However, I do like the functionality and feel of it. Typing is pure fun with these keys. I hope the corded keyboard is similar in key design and choice of material, because that's what I'm getting to replace the wireless.
I also have the 'miracle' pad, but haven't figured out what to do with it, yet, and I'm currently not using it. I think, the magic mouse makes it redundant.
I'll see, if I can use the miracle pad in photoshop, as a drawing tool (or am I expecting too much?). Answered by Hans K from Quesnel. Jan 17, 2014. Well if you get the wired keyboard then you still have both the backspace and the delete key, except they are both called the same thing. If you get the wireless keyboard or just the laptop keyboard you can perform the 'delete' (right) function by holding down fn and hitting the normal delete (left).
Apple computers are very nice machines to have, and after the time it takes to get used to apple they are really good computers. They are light, powerful, and have an excellent display (it's not all about the pixels), so if you can afford one its well worth the money. ANd if you buy a mac laptop and find after a few weeks you still don't like it, then you can install windows and make it always start up using windows. Look up apple windows bootcamp.
They are fantastic keyboards. Answered by Floyd B from Hampton. Jul 12, 2013. You can also highlight a whole word with a double click over it. There is as others have posted in response before me a trick with a mac that substitutes the same function on a PC. Also the extended full apple keyboard with the 9 key at home or work where ever you use the MacbookPro more the difference is unnoticeable, and when on the road for work a bluetooth 9 key pad is small and allows numeral work like entering quantities, dollar values, price adjustments, etc.
To be done with ease. I am a contractor and have the small wireless bluetooth 9 key add-on and enter measurements into my construction cad software all the time and I love this product. Overall I would also tell you that the intuitive design of Apples Operating Systems is unparalleled and far outweighs any negatives you are describing above.
The differences in how you execute a command are just the learning curve any person would encounter when changing OS or software. I said apple's setup is intuitive and by that I mean if you have a set of keys that performs one task in a program chances are the same set of keys performs similar tasks in other software written for apple products. Many of my friends have dismissed my suggestions to buy an apple always saying the main reason is the differences between systems and that It's not the same and the mac doesn't have a button for this function or that task. At the end of the day many of those friends have ended up with Apple computers. When they first get their apple I get that phone call with 20 million questions and I ask have you read your provide product info and in the programs read the help stuff know if they had I wouldn't be getting a call so they say 'no'.
Read the literature, play with it, call with any questions you haven't been able to answer yourself in a week. Half the time I have to call them and when I do the express how happy they are with their Apple and that they answered their own questions easily.
INTUITIVE DEFINES APPLE. Answered by Charles B from Thousand Oaks. Dec 18, 2012.
The Problem RELATED: Mac keyboard layouts are subtly different from PC keyboard layouts. On a typical PC keyboard, the bottom-left corner of the keyboard contains keys in this order: Ctrl, Windows, Alt. On a Mac keyboard, you’ll see the following layout: Control,. In Boot Camp, these keys function as Control, Alt, Windows. In other words, the Alt and Windows key are swapped from where you’d expect them to be.
![Mac style keyboard for pc Mac style keyboard for pc](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125628732/331071776.jpg)
Worse yet, Mac users will have to use the Control key for various keyboard shortcuts that require the Command key on Mac OS X. There has to be a way to fix this — and there is. We’ll be using SharpKeys to remap these keys in Windows.
SharpKeys is an easy-to-use, open-source graphical program that creates the appropriate Windows registry entries to remap keys. You could actually if you like — it just takes more work.
This utility works on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and even older versions of Windows. Solution 1: If You’re Used to Mac Shortcuts RELATED: If you’re used to Mac keyboard shortcuts, you may want to make the Command key function as the Control key. You’ll then be able to use like Command+C, X, or V for Copy, Cut, and Paste in Windows. Pressing Command+L will focus the location bar in your web browser on Windows just as it does on OS X — without the remapping, that Command+L shortcut equals Windows Key+L, which will lock your Windows system. To do this, install and launch it.
Click the Add button and click “Type Key” under the “From key” column on the left. Press the left Command key. Next, click the “Type Key” button under the “To key” column on the right. Press the Control key. Click OK and click “Write to Registry.” Log out and log in or reboot to activate your changes. Your left Command key will function as a second Control key, which means many Mac Command key shortcuts will just work like you’d expect them to. If you need to press the Windows key, press the Command key on the right side of your keyboard instead.
Solution 2: If You’re Used to Windows Shortcuts RELATED: If you’re used to, you’ll probably want to swap the Option/Alt Key with the Command/Windows key. This will change the order from Control, Alt, Windows to Control, Windows, Alt — the same order you’ll find on a standard Windows keyboard. The muscle memory you’ve built up for keyboard shortcuts won’t fail you. To do this, install and launch it.
Click the Add button. Scroll down in the left column and select “Special: Left Alt.” Next, click the “Type Key” button under “To key” on the right. Press the Command key at the right side of your keyboard and then click OK. Next, click the Add button again. Click “Type Key” under the “From key” column on the left. Press the left Command key.
Scroll down in the “To key” column on the right and select “Special: Right Alt.” Click OK and click “Write to Registry.” Log out and log back in, or reboot your Mac. The Alt/Option key will function as a Windows key and the Command key will function as the Alt key. This means the layout at the left side of your keyboard will be Control, Windows, Alt — just like on Windows.
Solution 3: Make Mac OS X’s Keyboard Shortcuts Match Windows RELATED: You could instead adjust your keyboard shortcuts in Mac OS X so they work more like they do in Windows. For example, you could swap the Control and Command keys in Mac OS X — then you’d press Control+C, X, or V to Copy, Cut, and Paste in Mac OS X, just as you would on Windows. To do this, boot into Mac OS X, click the Apple menu on the menu bar, and select System Preferences. Click the Keyboard icon, click the Modifier Keys button, and swap the Control and Command key functions. You can also easily from here. If you decide you don’t like the keyboard remapping you chose, you can open SharpKeys up again, delete the rules you created, and click “Write to Registry.” Everything will be back to normal after you log out and log back in or reboot.
Image Credit.