Dec 23, 2017 - So if you have your Mac partitioned in order to run Windows or a macOS beta, for. Start or restart your Mac and immediately press and hold the C key on your keyboard. Reset the NVRAM and PRAM: option-command-P-R. All of the modifier keys on a Windows keyboard map 1:1 with the keys on a Mac from a functionality standpoint. Key on Mac does the same thing as the Alt key on Windows, and the Command.

Lesson 14: Using a Windows Keyboard With a Mac /en/osxbasics/creating-smart-playlists-in-itunes/content/ Using a Windows keyboard with a Mac If you want to use a Windows keyboard on your Mac, the good news is it's pretty simple. You can use almost any Windows keyboard as long as it has either a USB or connection. Why use a Windows keyboard? One of the main reasons you might choose to use a Windows keyboard on a Mac is that it's more readily available. In most stores, you'll find that there are more Windows keyboards than there are Mac keyboards. You may also have one lying around the house from an older computer. Some people simply prefer to use Windows keyboards for various reasons.

Maybe you recently switched from a Windows computer to a Mac and you prefer the feel of your old keyboard. There's also a variety of custom keyboards available, with most of them made for Windows machines. What are the main differences? Even though Windows and Mac keyboards feature most of the same keys, there are a few that differ.

When using a Windows keyboard on a Mac, the Windows key is used instead of the Command key and the Alt key is used in place of the Option key. For example, the Undo shortcut would use Windows+Z instead of Command+Z. It's also worth noting that their positions are reversed on the two different types of keyboards. Remapping the keys If you've recently switched keyboards, using shortcuts can be frustrating. Some modifier keys are arranged differently, which can be difficult to get used to.

For example, if you're used to pressing Command+Z, this same typing movement would press Alt+Z on a Windows keyboard. Luckily, Macs allow you to remap your keys. This means you can change the function of the keys so when you press one key, it's actually performing the action of another. For example, you can set it so that the Alt key will act like the Command key when pressed.

To learn how to remap your keys, check out.

Tuesday, January 17th, 2017 Author: It may not be the best kept secret, but you don’t have to use Apple-branded keyboards with your Mac. You have a wide range of keyboards to choose from, including most of the keyboards made for use with Windows. I’ll let you in on a little secret; the last Apple-made keyboard I used routinely was the Apple Keyboard (A1048).

This was the last keyboard Apple made that included the Apple logo alongside the cloverleaf image on the Command key. I didn’t give up on Apple keyboards because of the missing logo; it was actually because the next generation of Apple keyboards went to the low-profile key design that is still in use today. I like a keyboard with a bit more key travel, thus I made the move to Windows-based keyboards; I’m currently using a Microsoft Digital Media Pro model.

Related: Of course, there are a lot of other reasons to use a Windows keyboard. You may be coming to the Mac from a Windows environment and already have a favorite keyboard.

Or you may like some of the more advanced Windows keyboards that offer more, specialized keys,. (Windows keyboards, such as the Logitech G105 Gaming Keyboard, can offer unique layouts.) No matter the reason, you can use most Window keyboards with your Mac. Making the Change to Windows Keyboards Actually making the switch to Windows-based keyboards is surprisingly easy.

Apple has supported USB-based keyboards since it abandoned the ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) interface as the primary means of connecting keyboards and mice. Once, users were free to pick just about any USB-based keyboard and use it with their Macs.

No special drivers or software were required, although some keyboard manufacturers did make special software for assigning keys to specific Mac functions (more on that a bit later). Mac Compatible Keyboards A few Windows keyboard manufacturers started churning out “Mac compatible” versions of their more popular keyboards. Making a USB-based Windows keyboard compatible was a pretty simple process; they already were, at least electrically. You could plug in the Windows keyboard and it would, for the most part work, fine with your Mac. The only real issues were the names given to special keys, and where they were physically located on the keyboard layout.