Differences between British and US Apple Keyboards
This article is a re-post of an old article I wrote about the Apple Ultra thin British edition keyboard from January 2008. There are subtle differences between the British and American editions you may not have ever considered like where is the hash key? I have updated the article to included some images so you can see the difference in the key layouts.
My mac keyboard is set to spanish, my Win7 and Windows Server 2008 computers also have their keyboards set as spanish. However when I connect with RDC to any of the windows computers the session has an english keyboard layout. May 15, 2018 Usually this is because you're using a different keyboard map to the keys on the keyboard, i.e. A US-purchased Mac being used with a British English keyboard. Press alt-3 to get the other symbol above the number 3.
Apple Macbook Keyboard Layout
The US keyboard is based on QWERTY, the standard keyboard setup in the US. You can't go wrong. I'll be honest and tell you I don't know/have never used the ABC keyboard setup, but it can't be more 'accurate' than the QWERTY setup, which is what we all use here in the US (it doesn't matter what country you're typing in, you still use the the same US keyboard to create US/American/English.
Apple has updated its range of keyboards to match the aluminium finish of its latest range of computers. The keyboard is available as a wired full size keyboard or a compact wireless keyboard. When it became necessary to replace my white Apple wireless keyboard I decided to go back to a wired keyboard. My reasons being that one my keyboard spends most of its time sat in front of my monitor and secondly I would miss the numeric keypad and direction keys missing from the new compact wireless keyboard. The wireless keyboard is well designed if you want to use it sat in front of your TV and want something easier to handle when sat on your lap. Using a keyboard for design work or programming you tend to become accustomed to the extra keys. A side benefit is I would not have to keep buying batteries for the keyboard. Battery life was actually very good however not as good as a wired keyboard that never requires the batteries to be changed.
The ultra thin design is very aesthetically pleasing. The keys are flat much like those found on laptop computers and take a little getting used to if you have been using a normal ‘fat' keyboard for many years. The face plate of the keyboard is made from brushed aluminium to match the casing of the new Mac line up.
The keyboard layout on the UK version differs slightly from its US counterpart. Many of the keys on the UK keyboard are identified by symbols rather than text as on the US version. The ‘Return Key' is in a vertical position rather than the horizontal orientation found on US keyboards. Having the ‘Return Key' in a vertical position does not allow for a full size key with the design layout. The UK layout seems more of a compromise than I would have expected from Apple and its design based philosophy.
The above shows the US and British versions of the English keyboard. Notice the shape and location of the return key as the main difference.
Apple has dropped the Apple symbol that has appeared on the command key since the introduction of the Apple II computer. The Apple symbol has been replaced with the word ‘command' or ‘cmd' on the UK version. The omission seems sensible on Apples behalf with the ability to use Windows on the new Intel Macs the timing is right to drop the symbol for the more generic ‘command' term. The odd four leaf clover like symbol that represents the ‘command' key was reportedly designed by Apple to be used on the keyboard instead of over using the Apple logo. This remains on the new keyboard along with its text description. While the US keyboard replaces may symbols with text the symbols remain on the UK version in most cases. Shift for instance is an upwards arrow on the UK keyboard and ‘shift' on the US version.
On their website Apple say 'Yes, we did think of everything' but I am not sure that's quite true. You see what Apple seem to have forgotten is to include a hash key (#) on the UK version yet again. On US keyboards the hash key (#) appears above the three (3) key and therefore when shift + 3 is pressed a hash is drawn. In the UK the pound sign (£) appears above the three (3) key. All other UK keyboards place the hash key (#) next to the return. Apple seem to think that we can live without the hash (#) in the UK but this makes things difficult when you are programming and need to use the hash (#) key regularly. The good news it you can get the hash (#) symbol on a UK Apple Keyboard by pressing Option + 3. Providing you remember this it's not such a big issue.
This article was posted on 30 January 2009 in Apple
That's the end of this article. I hope you found it useful. If you're enjoyed this article why don't you have a look around the archives, where you can find some more tutorials, tips and general ramblings.Most of us prefer the QWERTY keyboard layout, as it's more popular. But that doesn't mean this input source can fit into the needs of everyone. This is where customization becomes the need of the hour.
macOS has the support for tons of languages and their accepted input sources. And based on your preference, you can change the keyboard layout on your Mac to type faster in a specific language. So, whether you want to write comfortably in Dutch or Chinese, there is a suitable layout for you. Let me walk you through the quick steps!
Quick links:
How to Change Default Keyboard Layout on Mac
Step #1. Launch System Preferences on your Mac.
Step #2. Now, click on Keyboard.
Step #3. On the next screen, click on the 'Input Sources tab' and then click on the '+' button that is located on the bottom left.
Step #4. Next up, select the desired language on the left side. It will show the matching keyboard layout option/s on the right.
For instance, if you choose the Dutch language, you will see two options: Belgian and Dutch input options on the right. Choose the preferred layout and click on Add.
Now, here you can see the layout you have just added. Circuit cutting machine software.
Sticky note: One thing worth noting is that you can add as many languages and their available layouts as you want.
On the next screen, you can choose to make the keyboard layout switch to a document's input source automatically. Check out the option at the bottom.
Besides, make sure the box for Show input menu in the menu is ticked off. It will help you switch between multiple input options a lot quickly. Now, quit the window.
How to Switch Between Keyboard Layouts on Mac
Step #1. Check out the input menu at the top right in the menu bar. And click on it.
Step #2. Now, you should see your selected keyboard layouts. Pick the one you want to use, and you are ready to go!
Go ahead and type on the keyboard. The keys will have a different role to play.
What if you no longer want to use a specific input option? You can easily remove it from your list.
How to Remove Keyboard Layout on Mac
Macbook Air Keyboard Layout
Step #1. Open System Preferences → Keyboard → Input Sources tab.
Step #2. Now, select the input source you want to remove and then click on the '-' button at the bottom left.
There you go!
More Customization Options?
There are many ways you can customize the keyboard and its functionality on your Mac. Some of the coolest ways to bring some fun element into the play are using third-party apps like Ukelele and Karabiner. While the former allows you to create keyboard layouts, the latter lets you change the functions of the modifier keys.
That's not all; there are quite a few impressive decals and funky keyboards that can help you spice up your experience.
Signing Off…
Assuming, you've got what you had wanted. Now, make the most of these little nifty tricks to get the most out of your keyboard. But if you wish to go even further, craft some custom keyboard shortcuts to speed up your typing.
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The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
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