Face it, there aren't a lot of Mac keyboard options out there. Apple and a few other companies make USB and Bluetooth keyboards with the Mac layout. That's it, and they tend to cost a lot more than PC keyboards – even good PC keyboards.
The nice thing is, since Apple's switch to USB, you can use any PC keyboard with your Mac. You can even use a Microsoft keyboard if you're so inclined. (Some of their ‘boards have excellent reputations.)
The only problem is these keyboards are all designed for Windows computers, not Macs, and by default, some of the keys are in the 'wrong' location as far as Mac users are concerned. The Command and Option keys are reversed from what we're used to
'Free' Product Key on Mac Boot Camp I have been using my MacBook for a while and I decided to install Windows 10, via Bootcamp, just to see what it was like. Once I was done, I knew, because I never gave it a product key, that I would be limited on my features in things, like getting rid of a watermark or customizing my view. Logitech - K750 Solar Wireless Keyboard - Black. Also wish for the.
Which Keys to Remap
Regardless of which version of the Mac OS you are using, what you want to do is reassign the following keys to let your PC keyboard become layout equivalent to a Mac keyboard:
- PC Ctrl => Mac Control
- Windows key => Mac Option
- PC Option/Alt => Mac Command
In the OS X 10.4 version of the Keyboard system preference, your settings would look like this:
The Classic Mac OS
The long-discontinued Acer Aspire keyboard in the above photo has been used with my Macs since I acquired it in 1999, back in the Classic Mac OS Days, and it worked well with the free version of USB Overdrive using the Classic Mac OS.
Mac OS X 10.0-10.3.9
By some time in 2004, I was using the free uControl system preference that let me reassign keys, turn off Caps Lock, and much more so I could type as though I was using a keyboard with a real Mac layout. There were different versions of uControl depending on your version of OS X up to 10.3.9.
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Apple pretty well ignored the issue until it released Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger in April 2005, at which point it added a wonderful feature to the Keyboard & Mouse system pref. For the first time, you could reassign the keys on a PC keyboard so you didn't have to 'type different' to use the Control, Option, and Command (a.k.a. splat) keys.
Why did Apple finally bite the bullet on PC keyboards? Because in January 2005 it had introduced the Mac mini as a 'bring your own keyboard and mouse' machine. Buyers were expected to buy an Apple mouse and keyboard, use the USB mouse and keyboard from their PC, or buy a new mouse and keyboard. And if it was a PC keyboard, Mac OS X 10.3 Panther didn't know how to remap it. Thank goodness we had uControl.
Like uControl, the Keyboard & Mouse system preference in Tiger lets you apply modifications to the Caps Lock, Control, Option, and Command keys to a specific keyboard, although uControl had provided still more options. Whatever. uControl was not compatible with OS X 10.4 or later, so it didn't matter.
OS X 10.5 and 10.6
When Apple introduced OS X 10.5 Leopard, it separated Keyboard and Mouse into two control panels. The Keyboard system pref retained the same reassignment options as in Tiger, but it no longer applied to individual keyboards. Whatever key reassignments you made applied to every keyboard attached to your Mac, which was a nuisance for notebook users who used PC keyboards in addition to their ‘Book's built-in keyboard.
This is true for both OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Update: A huge thank you to Robert Smith, who let me know that Apple had changed the Keyboard system pref to address this issue beginning with OS X 10.7 Lion. This article was updated to reflect that on August 31, 2015.
OS X 10.7 and Later
Apple brought back the functionality from Tiger when it released OS X 10.7 Lion in 2011 – and every version since then works the same way. Here's the Keyboard system pref in OS X 10.9 Mavericks:
When you plug in a different keyboard, you can click on Modifier Keys… and then choose the new keyboard in Select keyboard, as shown above. On my MacBook, this lets me keep the built-in keyboard Mac standard and modify the USB Multimedia Keyboard to function as a Mac keyboard.
Alternatives to Apple's Solution
Although Apple has reduced the need for third-party keyboard remapping solutions, they haven't disappeared. Each one brings more control than the Keyboard system pref does.
KeyboardRemap4MacBook and Karabiner
Despite its name, KeyboardRemap4MacBook works on any Mac running OS X 10.4 through 10.8, not just MacBooks. The program has since been renamed as Karabiner, and it supports OS X 10.9 through 10.11. It has more options than most of us could ever use.
Iso Keyboard Layout
This system preference lets you remap keys and can even distinguish between the right and left Command, Option, and Control keys. You can have it apply a remapping only when using a virtual machine. You can change the delay for when a key repeats, as well as how long between repetitions. You can even disable a ‘Book's built-in keyboard when an external one is connected. There's even a page with a full list of remappings and other options. Mac portugal online.
DoubleCommand
See Full List On Keyshorts.com
The current version of DoubleCommand, 1.7 released on October 27, 2013, supports OS X 10.6-10.9 and has problems with 10.10 Yosemite. Earlier versions exist for OS X 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4-10.5.
The developers of DoubleCommand recommend KeyboardRemap4MacBook if you want more control than DoubleCommand offers.
Conclusion
You've got a Mac, but if you don't have a Mac keyboard, you have several options that will allow you to use a PC keyboard as though it is a Mac keyboard. In general, once you swap Command and Option, the PC keyboard will work exactly as a Mac keyboard unless it has an oddball layout – something you often find on compact keyboards, for instance.
Keywords: #pckeyboard #keyremapping
Short link: http://goo.gl/3veofP
searchword: pckeyboardonmac
If you own Intel-based Macs, you can run OS X and Windows on one machine. In fact, it's been possible to run Windows on a Mac for some time — with agonizing limitations. Near-extinct Mac models were loaded with Virtual PC emulation software could do Windows, too, but the program was painfully slow. Even if you find an old copy of the software, it won't work with any current Macs.
Boot Camp software from Apple shook up the computing public upon its apocalyptic arrival in April 2006. Boot Camp graduated from beta, or near-finished, status with the arrival of Leopard. Boot Camp Assistant software is stored in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder.
Boot Camp itself is free. You have to supply your own single-disc or downloadable full-install version of Windows; an upgrade disc won't cut it.
It's also important to note that you can use a 64-bit version of Windows, Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate), Windows 8, or Windows 8.1. Consult Apple support to see which Mac models are compatible with which versions of Windows. In its current incarnation, Boot Camp isn't compatible with 32-bit versions of Windows.
Other requirements follow:
An Intel Mac with OS X version 10.6 or later
At least 2GB of RAM and 20GB of available space on the Mac's storage drive that you want to donate to Windows
A blank CD or USB storage device that you'll use for Windows software drivers
If you don't run into snags, the entire installation should take about an hour.
Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are optimized for a touchscreen environment, though you can use it with a standard mouse and keyboard. For now, Macs don't support touchscreen computing.
To install Windows 8 via Boot Camp, you still must have a legitimate Windows 8 license from Microsoft and a Win8 installation disc, assuming that you have an optical drive. If you don't have an optical drive, you may be able to create a Windows installer from an ISO file downloaded from Microsoft on a USB flash drive that's 8GB or larger.
Because snags are possible, back up all your important information on the Mac's startup disk.
Basic training
Following are the basic steps to get through Boot Camp:
Run Boot Camp Assistant (in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder) to make sure that you have the latest firmware on your computer and to install any support software from Apple that you might need.
You'll find any updates at Apple support. If you're using a portable computer, make sure to connect the power adapter. You will also be given the option to create a Windows 7 (or later version) install disk for which you'll need a USB flash drive and an ISO image downloaded from Apple.
Follow the prompts in Boot Camp Assistant to create a partition for Windows.
You're essentially carving out an area of your hard drive for the Windows operating system,. This partition must be at least 30GB and can swell to the total free disk space on hand minus 30GB. If you don't plan on doing much in Windows, keep the partition small.
Drag the divider to set the partitions for both OS X and Windows, or click Divide Equally to make equal partitions. You can't resize a Windows partition after creating it, though you can replace it with a larger Windows partition.
If you have a Mac Pro with more than one internal hard drive, you can select which drive to partition. If any of this makes you nervous, know that you can remove the Windows partition later and go back to a single-partition Mac. Is winrar available for mac.
Insert the Windows CD or a USB flash drive with the Windows ISO file and then click Start Installation.
If you exited Boot Camp Assistant before installing Windows, open it again, choose Start the Windows Installer, and click Continue. Mac os yosemite download dmg.
When you're asked to choose the Windows partition, select the partition that says BOOTCAMP.
You may have to scroll down to see it.
Don't erase any partitions that you see or create a new partition here. Failure to heed this warning could wipe out your entire Mac OS X startup disk.
(Optional) If you see a listing for Drive Options, click it; otherwise, proceed to Step 6.
Reformat the partition by using the Windows installer: Click Format.
You're using the reliable and secure NTFS file system, but you won't be able to save files to Windows from Mac OS X, at least not without a techie workaround.
Follow the onscreen instructions to finish installing Windows.
Boot Camp 5.1 includes several Mac drivers so that Windows will recognize your trackpad, Thunderbolt, USB 3.0, the iSight (or FaceTime) camera, the Eject key on the Mac keyboard, networking, audio, graphics, and so on.
A Boot Camp Control Panel for Windows and an Apple Boot Camp system-tray item will be added.
As with any new Windows computer, Microsoft requires that you activate your Windows software within 30 days.
Switching operating systems
An Intel Mac with OS X version 10.6 or later
At least 2GB of RAM and 20GB of available space on the Mac's storage drive that you want to donate to Windows
A blank CD or USB storage device that you'll use for Windows software drivers
If you don't run into snags, the entire installation should take about an hour.
Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are optimized for a touchscreen environment, though you can use it with a standard mouse and keyboard. For now, Macs don't support touchscreen computing.
To install Windows 8 via Boot Camp, you still must have a legitimate Windows 8 license from Microsoft and a Win8 installation disc, assuming that you have an optical drive. If you don't have an optical drive, you may be able to create a Windows installer from an ISO file downloaded from Microsoft on a USB flash drive that's 8GB or larger.
Because snags are possible, back up all your important information on the Mac's startup disk.
Basic training
Following are the basic steps to get through Boot Camp:
Run Boot Camp Assistant (in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder) to make sure that you have the latest firmware on your computer and to install any support software from Apple that you might need.
You'll find any updates at Apple support. If you're using a portable computer, make sure to connect the power adapter. You will also be given the option to create a Windows 7 (or later version) install disk for which you'll need a USB flash drive and an ISO image downloaded from Apple.
Follow the prompts in Boot Camp Assistant to create a partition for Windows.
You're essentially carving out an area of your hard drive for the Windows operating system,. This partition must be at least 30GB and can swell to the total free disk space on hand minus 30GB. If you don't plan on doing much in Windows, keep the partition small.
Drag the divider to set the partitions for both OS X and Windows, or click Divide Equally to make equal partitions. You can't resize a Windows partition after creating it, though you can replace it with a larger Windows partition.
If you have a Mac Pro with more than one internal hard drive, you can select which drive to partition. If any of this makes you nervous, know that you can remove the Windows partition later and go back to a single-partition Mac. Is winrar available for mac.
Insert the Windows CD or a USB flash drive with the Windows ISO file and then click Start Installation.
If you exited Boot Camp Assistant before installing Windows, open it again, choose Start the Windows Installer, and click Continue. Mac os yosemite download dmg.
When you're asked to choose the Windows partition, select the partition that says BOOTCAMP.
You may have to scroll down to see it.
Don't erase any partitions that you see or create a new partition here. Failure to heed this warning could wipe out your entire Mac OS X startup disk.
(Optional) If you see a listing for Drive Options, click it; otherwise, proceed to Step 6.
Reformat the partition by using the Windows installer: Click Format.
You're using the reliable and secure NTFS file system, but you won't be able to save files to Windows from Mac OS X, at least not without a techie workaround.
Follow the onscreen instructions to finish installing Windows.
Boot Camp 5.1 includes several Mac drivers so that Windows will recognize your trackpad, Thunderbolt, USB 3.0, the iSight (or FaceTime) camera, the Eject key on the Mac keyboard, networking, audio, graphics, and so on.
A Boot Camp Control Panel for Windows and an Apple Boot Camp system-tray item will be added.
As with any new Windows computer, Microsoft requires that you activate your Windows software within 30 days.
Switching operating systems
You can go back and forth between OS X and Windows on your Mac, but you can't run both operating systems simultaneously under Boot Camp. Instead, you have to boot one operating system or the other — thus, the name Boot Camp.
Restart your Mac, and hold down the Option key until icons for each operating system appear onscreen. Highlight Windows or Macintosh HD, and click the arrow to launch the operating system of choice for this session.
If you want OS X or Windows to boot every time, choose app → System Preferences, click Startup Disk, and choose the OS you want to launch by default.
You can perform the same function in Windows by clicking the Boot Camp system-tray icon and selecting the Boot Camp Control Panel. Click either the Macintosh HD or Windows icon, depending on your startup preference.
