Macbook Pro keyboard layout

Author
Discussion

Moog72

Original Poster:

1,598 posts

177 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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I fancied a change from PCs and bought a Macbook Pro for my day to day computing needs and have to say I'm loving it and the transition was far easier than expected however there is one niggle that I can't find a solution to and I'm hoping someone can help.

It's a genuine British sourced Macbook and the keyboard language it set to British but the "at" (@) sign is on the "2" key as opposed to being on the " ' " key where it is on virtually all keyboards in this country. Quote marks are normally on the 2 key.

To be fair this is how it's represented on the keys themselves so it's not a fault but is there any way to switch them over so it acts like a "normal" keyboard or is this one of those infamous Mac quirks you just have to live with?

Cheers

boyse7en

6,712 posts

165 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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It is a quirk, but you'll get used to it pretty quickly. It's the same on every Mac.

GuyW

1,072 posts

203 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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Yep, a Mac 'quirk' but you do get used to it in no time.

LordGrover

33,538 posts

212 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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You won't even notice it after a few days. I swap between the two daily and it's not an issue. Now you've made me stop and think about it, the US/Mac way is more logical. The ' & " are on the same key as is 2 & @.

Moog72

Original Poster:

1,598 posts

177 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies - I've had the machine 2 months now though and it still hasn't "clicked" so to speak, but if it's a quirk then so be it, I'll work at it smile

Cheers

AJB88

12,385 posts

171 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
LordGrover said:
the US/Mac way is more logical. The ' & " are on the same key as is 2 & @.
Is it more logical or is that an apple fan saying it is because its apples way?

If apple had the @ key on the ' key, and windows has the @ key on the " would you still say it was more logical?

or if apple did start shipping machines with the UK style keyboard would you still say its logical?

Kind of like the Apple fans saying the screen size of the previous iPhones screen was perfect and they didn't want bigger screens. now the same people are raving about the 6 with its bigger screen.



LordGrover

33,538 posts

212 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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rolleyes

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

182 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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AJB88 said:
Kind of like the Apple fans saying the screen size of the previous iPhones screen was perfect and they didn't want bigger screens. now the same people are raving about the 6 with its bigger screen.
No, they're not. You've just invented that in your head because you irrationally hate something.

AJB88

12,385 posts

171 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
Not really I have Apple products at home.

The Restorer

842 posts

228 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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Have Win7, 8 and a Macbook at home. Despite it's foibles me and more telling the Mrs use the Macbook as the primary device, I think just because of that screen.

The one thing I miss when I'm using a Windows laptop is the 2 finger scroll. I do it several times a day and then have to "adjust" my behaviour for Windows.

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

182 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
The Restorer said:
Have Win7, 8 and a Macbook at home. Despite it's foibles me and more telling the Mrs use the Macbook as the primary device, I think just because of that screen.

The one thing I miss when I'm using a Windows laptop is the 2 finger scroll. I do it several times a day and then have to "adjust" my behaviour for Windows.
You can get plugins that can do that. My Dell laptop does it.

Moog72

Original Poster:

1,598 posts

177 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
The Restorer said:
Have Win7, 8 and a Macbook at home. Despite it's foibles me and more telling the Mrs use the Macbook as the primary device, I think just because of that screen.

The one thing I miss when I'm using a Windows laptop is the 2 finger scroll. I do it several times a day and then have to "adjust" my behaviour for Windows.
I know what you mean about the screen - I was going to plug the Macbook into my 24" monitor except when I did, it looked awful in comparison, all washed out and "low res" - I now use the laptop screen exclusively

ccr32

1,970 posts

218 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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HereBeMonsters said:
The Restorer said:
Have Win7, 8 and a Macbook at home. Despite it's foibles me and more telling the Mrs use the Macbook as the primary device, I think just because of that screen.

The one thing I miss when I'm using a Windows laptop is the 2 finger scroll. I do it several times a day and then have to "adjust" my behaviour for Windows.
You can get plugins that can do that. My Dell laptop does it.
As does my work HP one.

Must admit it works better on my MBP though. And I miss the other "gestures" available on my MBP too, such as four fingers up to display all open windows.

That said, Win7 more than makes up for it with Windows Key + Left/Right/Up/Down for window positioning - fantastic to use with multiple screens and a bit of an omission in OSX if you ask me, where everything has to be dragged about.

Just IMO, obviously.

SlidingSideways

1,345 posts

232 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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If you use the keyboard a lot (which as a programmer, I do) then swapping between keyboard layouts is a real PITA.
I ended up buying an Apple keyboard to use with my (Windows) work machine in the end as it was the only way I found that would really solve it.

The Restorer

842 posts

228 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
ccr32 said:
As does my work HP one.

Must admit it works better on my MBP though. And I miss the other "gestures" available on my MBP too, such as four fingers up to display all open windows.

That said, Win7 more than makes up for it with Windows Key + Left/Right/Up/Down for window positioning - fantastic to use with multiple screens and a bit of an omission in OSX if you ask me, where everything has to be dragged about.

Just IMO, obviously.
Interesting. Work is a HP laptop. Got it working now but needs fingers to be spread out a little more.

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

182 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
SlidingSideways said:
If you use the keyboard a lot (which as a programmer, I do) then swapping between keyboard layouts is a real PITA.
I ended up buying an Apple keyboard to use with my (Windows) work machine in the end as it was the only way I found that would really solve it.
I use an Apple keyboard on my Win7 PC, but can't get the @ and " to map properly.

onlynik

3,978 posts

193 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
HereBeMonsters said:
SlidingSideways said:
If you use the keyboard a lot (which as a programmer, I do) then swapping between keyboard layouts is a real PITA.
I ended up buying an Apple keyboard to use with my (Windows) work machine in the end as it was the only way I found that would really solve it.
I use an Apple keyboard on my Win7 PC, but can't get the @ and " to map properly.
Have you set your keyboard to be an Apple on in test services and input devices?

SlidingSideways

1,345 posts

232 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
HereBeMonsters said:
I use an Apple keyboard on my Win7 PC, but can't get the @ and " to map properly.
Mines the Bluetooth one, so I had to install the windows drivers shipped with bootcamp to get it to connect up properly. It gives me a keyboard layout of "United Kingdom (Apple)" in the language option on the start menu which seems to work correctly.

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

182 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
onlynik said:
HereBeMonsters said:
SlidingSideways said:
If you use the keyboard a lot (which as a programmer, I do) then swapping between keyboard layouts is a real PITA.
I ended up buying an Apple keyboard to use with my (Windows) work machine in the end as it was the only way I found that would really solve it.
I use an Apple keyboard on my Win7 PC, but can't get the @ and " to map properly.
Have you set your keyboard to be an Apple on in test services and input devices?
No, don't have that option. The bootcamp driver might be an idea...

qube_TA

8,402 posts

245 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
Next he'll be asking where the '#' is

spin