Newcomers and old pros alike use Windows keyboards with Macs. Why toss a perfectly good keyboard just because you switched platforms? Some people just like how the keys feel better than the keyboards supplied by Apple. Any wired USB keyboard or Bluetooth-based wireless keyboard will work fine with a Mac.
In fact, Apple even sells the Mac Mini without a keyboard or mouse, requiring customers to supply their own. There's just one little problem with using a non-Apple keyboard: figuring out some of the keyboard equivalents.
Feb 23, 2017 - The problem with using a Windows-layout keyboard on a Mac can be summed up with three letters: Cmd. The Command button on a Mac. Oct 05, 2014 How to Remap Windows Keyboard Shortcuts in Boot Camp on a Mac. Chris Hoffman @chrisbhoffman October 5. RELATED: A Windows User’s Guide to Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts. If you’re used to Mac keyboard shortcuts, you may want to.
Windows and Mac Keyboard Differences
There are at least five keys that may have different names or symbols on a Windows keyboard than they do on a Mac keyboard, which can make it difficult to follow Mac-related instructions. For example, a software manual may tell you to hold down the command key ( ⌘ ), which appears to be missing from your Windows keyboard. It's there, it just looks a little different.
Here are the five most commonly used special keys on a Mac and their Windows keyboard equivalents.
Use these to control various Mac functions, including using Mac OS X startup shortcuts.
Another helpful bit of information for new Mac users is to know which menu key symbols correspond to which keys on the keyboard. The symbols used in the Mac menus can be a bit strange to those new to the Mac, as well as old hands who may be more mousers than keyboard users.
The Command and Option Key Swap
Besides Windows and Mac keyboards having slightly different names, they also swap the positions of two often-used modifier keys: the Command and Option keys.
If you’re a long-time Mac user transitioning to a Windows keyboard, the Windows key, which is equivalent to the Mac's Command key, occupies the physical position of the Option key on a Mac keyboard. Likewise, the Windows keyboard's Alt key is where you expect to find the Mac's Command key. If you're used to using the modifier keys from your old Mac keyboard, you're likely to run into trouble for a while as you relearn the key locations.
Instead of having to relearn key locations, use the Keyboard preference pane in System Preferences to reassign the modifier keys, allowing you to keep the fingering skills you already possess.
- Launch System Preferences by clicking its icon in the Dock, or clicking the Apple menu on the left side of the menu bar then selecting System Preferences.
- In the System Preferences window that opens, select the Keyboard preference pane.
- Use the pop-up menu next to the Option and Command keys to select the action you wish the modifier keys to perform. In this example, you want the Option key (the Alt key on a Windows keyboard) to execute the Command action, and the Command key (the Windows key on a Windows keyboard) to perform the Option action.Don’t worry if this sounds a bit confusing, it will make more sense when you see the drop-down pane in front of you. Also, if things get a bit mixed up, you can just click the Restore Defaults button to put everything back the way it was.
- Make your changes and click the OK button, then close System Preferences.
With the modifier keys remapped, you shouldn't have any problems using any Windows keyboard with your Mac.
Keyboard Shortcuts
People new to the Mac but proficient using keyboard shortcuts to speed up their workflow may be a little taken aback by the notation used in the Mac's menu system to indicate when a keyboard shortcut is available.
If a keyboard shortcut is available for a menu item, the shortcut will be displayed next to the menu item using the following notation:
I have the following system specifications:
- Microsoft Ergonomic keyboard 4000
- OSX Yosemite
- Macbook Pro mid-2010 model
I’ve Googled everywhere and even tried several programs, but to no avail.
I use my Macbook on a desk more often than not where I have a keyboard and mouse set up. I recently got a Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 keyboard and see that there are a lot of possibilities to be had.
I am looking for a way to assign certain system commands to certain keys that are not available in the default Mac options. If you look at the picture provided you can see the keyboard I am referencing.
Now if you look between the G and H key there is a toggle switch that only goes up and down (think: zoom in, zoom out). I’d like to map that to the default Mac command of control+up (the OSX command that shows all your windows at a glance) AKA “Mission Control”.
Also below the space bar there are two silver keys that are normally a back-forward key on Windows browsers, but I would love to map those to next work station (three finger swipe to right/left on Mac trackpad aka control+left key on keyboard).
Now i understand that there are commands on this keyboard that already do those things but they force me to deviate from the natural home key position too much and hinder productivity since I only have one screen and switch between workstations often. Are there any good programs that can help me map these commands out and have the possibility to map other keys on this keyboard? (I.E. some of the silver function keys in the picture above the F key row.)
- While it doesn't specifically state support for Yosemite I would try the official IntelliType driver for Mac. It enables you to reassign (and remap) almost all keys to various actions and should make sure that all keys are actually working within OS X.
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/d/natural-ergonomic-keyboard-4000Finally, start looking into the keyboard shortcuts system preferences of OS X
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18418?locale=en_USIf a command or action cannot be assigned by OS X itself it is unlikely a third party tool will give you that option. In such cases you mostly have to start creating your own service or application actions using Automator and/or AppleScript and then assign those to a keystroke.Other than that I second Karabiner. - Karabiner?
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/25141/karabiner
http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/79728/how-to-map-caps-lock-as-a-second-control-key-on-a-microsoft-natural-ergonomic-ke