above: A typical PC keyboard's keys.
Xah Lee, 2007
This page discusses some difference of keysets and their function in Apple Computer's keyboards and IMB PC keyboards.
above: A typical PC keyboard's keys.
above: A typical Apple keyboard's keys.
Apple keyboard differ from PC keyboard in several keys. Most notably, is that it has a Command key (⌘)↗ instead of the Windows key↗. Also, the position of the Alt key↗ is swapped with the Command/Windows key.
Note here that the Ctrl, Alt/option, Windows/Command keys as used in Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh operating systems are rather different. For example, people might think that since both keyboards have Ctrl and Alt keys, their purpose in Windows or Mac might be the same, and that Windows key is analogous to the Command key. Actually this is not so. Here's a rough description:
Roughly speaking, the Ctrl key as used in MS Windows is analogous to the Command key used in Mac. They are used as keyboard shortcuts by holding down the modifier key and pressing another key, to invoke some frequently used commands.
The Alt key in MS Windows have 3 different uses. (1) It used to invoke graphical menus. For example, pressing (and releasing) Alt by itself will invoke the graphical menu, then the user can press a alphabetic key or use arrow keys to navigate the graphical menu. (2) When pressed simultaneously with a key, it execute command directly. (3) When pressed with Ctrl and a letter, it inserts a special character (e.g. é, ü, •, ©).
The Windows key invokes the Start menu under Microsoft Windows.
On the Mac, the Command key is used as a modifier key to invoke shortcuts. For example, ⌘+C is Copy. It is somewhat similar to MS Window's use of the Ctrl key.
The Option/Alt key is used to type special characters, such as •¶™©®∞«»“”. For example, Option+8 will type the bullet character “•”. The Option/Alt key is also used as a modifier key together with the Command key. For example, in ⌘+Option+h invokes the command “Hide Others” in all Apple applications.
The Ctrl key under Macintosh is primarily used as a modifier key in combination with other modifier keys. However, it is almost never employed in Apple's applications. (from my Mac experience from 1991 to 2006)
In summary, there are 5 functions of these modifier keys.
On Apple's keyboards, there is the Return↗ key on the main section, and there is a Enter key↗ key on the numeric keypad. On PC, both these keys are labeled “Enter”. The difference here is purely a matter of labeling. The two Enter keys on PC actually send different scancodes.
On the Mac, the Return key and the Enter key usually serve the same function, but sometimes different. For example, in Mathematica↗ since at least version 2 (early 1990s), the Return key is used to insert a line break, but the Enter is used to execute the code in the current cell (Shift+Return does the same). On many chat clients such as Adium↗ and Colloquy (IRC client)↗, user can set it up in so that the Return will insert a line break while the Enter key will send out the message.
On PC keyboards, there is a Backspace↗ key on the main section, and a Delete key↗ (often labeled Del) on the Home/End key block. On Apple keyboards, both of these are labeled “delete”. This difference is just the key labeling and nothing more.
The key located at the upper right corner (Backspace/Delete) are used pretty much the same in both operating systems when in a text editing application. Specifically, it is used to delete texts to the left of the cursor. However, MS Windows also use the key to “go back”, such as going to a previous visited page in a browser. Only in recent years, Mac OS X's browsers also started to let the key do the same thing.
The key located to the left of the End key (labeled Del/Delete) have different purposes. On Windows, that key is often used to actually delete things. For example, selecting a file, pressing Del, will put the file to the trash can. If in a word processor, the key will delete to the right of the cursor. On the Mac, from early 1990s to 2006, the Del key is usually a dead key (i.e. not used), even in a word processing environment. When there is a function assigned to it, it is used to delete to the right of the cursor.
On PC keyboards, there is the Insert key↗ (often labeled Ins). On Apple keyboards, this key is labeled Help↗. This is just a labeling difference; They both send the same scancode.
The PC has PrtScn, ScrLk, Break keys, while Apple's keyboards may or may not have them, or since about 2004 have F13, F14, F15 instead. These are just a labeling differences. Specifically, F13 is just PrtScn, etc.
These keys have old history back to the 1980's (or earlier) and in general are not used since 1990, except on Windows the PrtScn key is for screenshot↗. These keys are basically never used in Mac (as i know of from 1992 to 2007), except that in recent years with OS X, Apple started to use F14 and F15 to decrease/increase the display's brightness.
Print screen↗, SysRq↗ key, Scroll lock↗, Break↗.
On the Numeric keypad↗. Apple's numeric keypad added a equal “=” key.
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