|
Aug
06
|
When you press the Option key, persistent keys appear in orange.
The keyboard is one of the translators’ most valued tools and one that can also be problematic. While past trends on the PC side have moved in the direction of hypertrophied ergonomic command centers, Apple has chosen a different philosophy in keeping with its primary goal of simplification. Aligned with the chicle key design introduced with the black and white Intel MacBooks, the compact keyboard is now the de facto standard on all models, whether integrated to the laptops or distinct for the desktops. Less is more on that keyboard: gone is the numeric pad and many absent keys are easily accessed via a combination with the “fn” key. Forward delete, for example is “fn+delete”. To view all the options available to the diminutive keyboard, you just enable the Keyboard Viewer utility in the main menu from the International panel of the System Preferences, under the Input tab. There, you can add various keyboard layouts to match those with which you are most comfortable. Of course, you will need to know them by heart if your hardware keyboard has the English layout.
Interestingly, when you configure a new Mac online, you can not only choose between 3 types of keyboards (wireless, compact, and extended) but also decide in which of the 3 languages of NAFTA: English, French and Spanish layouts you would prefer it. While I would have appreciated that option when I was still typing from my memorized French layout on a material English keyboard, now my favorite keyboard feature is the versatility offered by the built-in key combinations offered by Mac OS X.
This is where the Keyboard Viewer becomes most useful: when you press the Option key, the accents appear in orange. To type “é”, for example, you start with Option-E, then E, and the accent is added to the letter “e”. Not as efficient as the “é” key on the French keyboard, but when you often type in both your native and target languages, it is convenient to only use one layout. For those who want a keyboard in another language layout or just buy an extra keyboard outside of a computer purchase, tough luck. Apple’s US online store only offers English flavors and even if you have a bank account in another country allowing you to purchase the keyboard of your choice in that country’s online store, it will not be shipped to the US. But you can buy an Danish keyboard and have it shipped it to your German cousin you are visiting this Fall… For all the aforementioned reasons and the simple fact that I find typing on this new generation of keyboards smoother and faster, I find the Apple keyboard another good argument for using a Mac.
Written by Yves
Print This Post
