Comparing Mac and Windows Keyboards

Apple’s keyboard layouts look very much like standard Windows keyboards. But the biggest difference is in the two keys on either side of the spacebar.

Alt Key than Command Key

On a PC, the keys closest to the spacebar are labeled Alt; the next one over commonly Windows Computer has a Windows logo. On a Mac, the keys closest to the spacebar have an Macintosh logo icon (Command) that looks like a four-bladed propeller or electric fan or clover leaf. These Command keys both have the same function. The next one over is the Option key.

The Command key is used in almost all keyboard shortcuts. It’s one of the most important things to know about the Mac. Another key that may not be familiar to PC users is at the upper-right on Apple keyboards. It’s the eject button for the optical drive (that reads and writes CDs and DVDs). You see the same symbol on the eject button on home audio devices. Continuing to the left on stand-alone keyboards, you find a key with a speaker symbol, which turns the system sound on and off. It’s a mute button, in effect. It is followed by two keys that raise and lower the volume.

The keyboards built into Apple laptops and Apple’s wireless keyboard have fewer keys than Apple’s wired stand-alone keyboard. No separate numeric keypad is available. You can use a group of keys on the right side as a keypad by activating the Num Lock function (press Control+F6). On many Mac keyboards, the sound-control keys, screen-brightness, and other controls are on the function keys.

Backspace and Delete Key

The large key at the right end of the numeral row on PC keyboards is labeled Backspace and deletes the character to the left of the insertion point. Long ago, Apple decided to label this key Delete, because that is what it really does. The problem is that PC keyboards have another, regular-sized Delete key in the group above, or sometimes next to, the arrow keys. This Delete key deletes the character to the right of the insertion point. Apple first omitted this key. Later, when Apple switched to connecting by USB for its stand-alone keyboards, the second delete key came back, labeled del or delete. It also has a standard delete symbol on it which looks like a boxy arrow pointing right with an x in it. The big Delete key doesn’t have a symbol on it, though one exists, and it has the same boxy arrow pointing left. The Apple laptops don’t have a second delete key, but you get the right delete function by holding down the function key (fn) when you press the Delete button.

Main Return/Enter Key

Apple keyboard Note the return/enter key, with dual labels. On Apple's keyboards, the main enter key is usually labeled “return” or just by a symbol “↩”. On PC keyboard, the main enter key is labeled “Enter ↵”.

Note: the main enter/return key is different from the Enter on number keypad. (it sends a different key signal.)

Windows Computer Keyboard	Macintosh Keyboard
Alt Gr key ( alternate graph key )	Alt/Option key ( alternate key )
Arrow Keys ( Up, Down, Left, Right key )	Arrow Keys ( Up, Down, Left, Right key )
Backspace key	Delete key
Caps Lock ( Capitals Lock ) key	Caps Lock ( Capitals Lock ) key
Ctrl key ( control key )	Alt/Option key ( alternate key )
Ctrl key ( control key )	Command key ( Macintosh logo/pretzel key/Apple key/clover key looks like a clover leaf or four-bladed propeller or electric fan )
Delete key	Delete key or looks like a pentagon arrow with intersection line inside
Enter/Main Return Key	Enter/Return Key (different purpose)
Esc key ( Escape Key )	Esc key ( Escape Key )
Fn key ( Function key )	Fn key ( Function key )
Home/End key	Home/End key (different purpose)
Insert key	nothing to compare ( Macintosh does not have a Insert key)
Menu / App Key ( Application key to open a Right click menu / context menu in most applications )	Control key ( similar to Menu or App key in some applications )
nothing to compare ( Windows does not have a = key)	= ( equal key )
nothing to compare ( Windows does not have a clear key)	clear key
nothing to compare ( Windows does not have a F13 to F19 key)	F13 to F19 key (Function key 13 to Function key 19)
Pause Break Key	nothing to compare ( Macintosh does not have a Pause Break key)
PgUp/PgDn key ( PageUp/PageDown key )	nothing to compare ( Macintosh does not have a PgUp/PgDn key, using other combination key )
PrtScn/Sysrq (Print Screen Key/System request)	nothing to compare ( Macintosh does not have a Print Screen key)
ScrLk ( ScrollLock Key )	nothing to compare ( Macintosh does not have a ScrLk key)
Shift key	Shift key
Win key ( Windows key )	Command key ( Macintosh logo/pretzel key/Apple key/clover key looks like a clover leaf or four-bladed propeller or electric fan )