
I have to think (and experiment) every single time - fogus
http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2408-i-have-to-think-and-experiment-every-single
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daten
There's very little context in the "article" or these comments. Can someone
give some background for users who have never entered a keyboard shortcut on
an Apple computer?

What exactly is the author concerned about that's interesting enough to post
about on the internet and interesting enough to link to on HN?

I'm interested and feel like I'm missing part of the picture.

~~~
kissickas
The symbols Macs use to represent modifier keys (control, alt/option, command)
are hard to decipher, and on newer Mac keyboards only the command key contains
the symbol printed on it.

~~~
edd
This is true mainly on US keyboards. UK keyboards have all but the 'ctrl'
icons printed on them. I have never understood why the US keyboards only have
their text equivalents.

~~~
sdurkin
Because the symbols are hard to decipher, of course.

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raimondious
In the comments, someone points out that the option/alt symbol looks like a
branch or a highway turn-off. I never realized that but it works for me.

~~~
mbrubeck
Even more interesting is this uncited explanation from Wikipedia (also
mentioned in the comments): _"This symbol, originating on the Apple Lisa,
represented the pull-out plastic card situated under the Lisa keyboard."_

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Option_key>

~~~
zephyrfalcon
I always assumed it was a stylized representation of the word "ALT"...

~~~
Groxx
Now that you said it, I can see that too... interesting.

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telemachos
Entering many of these combinations on a MBP feels like playing Twister with
my hands.

Also ↖? Seriously? (Where the hell is the "Home" key on a current Mac laptop?)

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mattmichielsen
cmd-left

~~~
ek
Actually, I believe it's fn-left.

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mattmichielsen
I guess my MacBook isn't "current".

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JoeAltmaier
I'm a new Mac user, and I concur. I have only figured out the simple one-key
shortcuts. and I am a key-macro person normally!

So I copy files to my Windows desktop, manipulate them there, then copy them
back. Speeds up development.

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richcollins
If you have to think and experiment every time, you probably aren't using the
functionality bound to the keyboard enough to need shortcuts.

~~~
ra88it
I took it to mean that he has to think and experiment each time he's learning
a new shortcut, not each time he uses the shortcut. (Because I've had the same
experience.)

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mhd
_"Why is it that only the command key (⌘) actually has the symbol printed on
the key itself?"_

Hmm? What keyboard is he using? Has there been a change recently? For the old
"Pro" keyboards and the chiclet keyboard I've got he alt/option key has the
switch symbol on it, the shift keys have the arrows. The only odd man out is
the control-key.

~~~
jafl5272
On my MacBook Pro, only the command key has a symbol on it. All other
modifiers only have text.

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masklinn
Interestingly, european and US International keyboards have symbols on almost
all those keys (the only one missing is ^ on CTRL). You never wonder.

And for the USIans out there, it means you can buy key caps with the symbols
on them, from european caps sellers. They'll have both the abbreviation (alt
or cmd) and the symbol.

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lr
I have never understood, either, why something like "new window" is actually
"Command N" (as labeled in the menu), when it is really "Command n". "Command
N" is actually: "Shift, Command, n" (as the shift key makes a lowercase key
uppercase). I know, I know, the keys on a keyboard are labeled in uppercase
letters, and the menu-items are supposed to correspond to what is on the
keyboard, but I feel this only confuses things even more.

(This is not just a Mac problem, as referring to a lowercase key using an
uppercase symbol is how it is done on Windows, and Linux (Gnome and KDE, at
least), too.)

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fourneau
I find that most, if not all, of the shortcuts on a Mac are confusing. Sure,
the icons don't help, but it's even worse when there's no visual indicator.

To this day, I still don't properly remember how to take a screenshot even
after using the system for over a year. It's not that I don't take
screenshots, it's that I have to form a mantis with my fingers to actually use
the shortcut. That really makes it difficult to remember. In the end, I
ultimately mash a combination of command, shift, option and some numbers and I
hope for the best.

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olliesaunders
There are too many of these keys on mac laptops: fn, shift, ctrl, alt,
command. Do we really need five? I'm sure you could work it down to three with
a bit of thought.

~~~
Groxx
You mean like the ctrl, alt, shift, & windows keys on a Windows keyboard? Add
in the lack of a separate F-key row, similar to many laptops, and you
effectively _need_ the fn key.

So we're back to 5. Shift can't be killed for obvious reasons, it's main use
is for inputting _text_ , not commands. Fn can't be killed due to reduced
keyspace while needing to remain compatible with full 101(+)-key keyboards. So
all that really exists are 3: ctrl, alt, and command / win.

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moxiemk1
Though other comments appear to have found the true, Lisa-derived history, I
remember a great explanation from "Macworld Mac Secrets" (quite the noble
tome; it certainly fed me full of tidbits about lesser-known features)

Their explanation was that it looked like a finger pressing on a key in the
way people do when pressing modifier keys, searching with their other hand for
the correct normal key to press.

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jamesbritt
I share a clicky-key IBM model -M style keyboard (with embedded trackpoint!),
via a KVM switch, among Vista, Kubuntu, and Mac Mini boxen.

Not being that much of a regular Mac user I've ended up using a Sharpie to
draw little symbols near keys on the keyboard.

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S_A_P
I got really frustrated with my macbook pro until I discovered the magic that
is the cmd key. At work I find myself hitting the control key all too often
now when Im using a standard windows keyboard.

I definitely can relate to the OP's pain though.

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albemuth
This has kept me from trying to master Textmate. Luckily TM has the 'Select
Bundle Item' dialog, which more apps could definitely adopt.

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frou_dh
If you can't remember the four symbols for Cmd/Opt/Ctrl/Shift then you have a
bigger problem.

The squirrelly ones like Home and Escape I can understand.

~~~
frou_dh
I take it the downvotes mean "No, it is a real challenge to remember four
symbols that are used throughout OS X"

~~~
jodrellblank
No, the downvotes mean saying "hurr you must be stupid" is not a good enough
comment.

~~~
frou_dh
Learning something trivial vs. the creation/promotion of a blog post
complaining about it. Which is stupider?

~~~
jokermatt999
Which makes more sense: simply accepting something that is needlessly weird
(note the affirming comments in this post), or making a post to complain about
something you see wrong and in hopes that it will change? Apple is a company
that is supposed to be excellent at design. I'd guess they pay attention when
people complain about something that could be better, at least I'd hope so.

