Keyboard Shortcuts
Posted April 22nd, 2003 @ 03:03pm by Erik J. Barzeski
Shawn discusses another article about keyboard shortcuts and how they "suck" on the Mac.
My own take: I love using command (Macs), I hate using control (PCs). I love that cmd-A (Mac) works everywhere. I hate that ctrl-A (PCs) works the same in very few PC apps (and even within text fields in the same app it may or may not work).
On the issue of menu control: sure, it'd be nice. We have it already using arrow keys, as Shawn discusses, but isn't the potential for further confusing users greater on Windows? How many newbies do you ever see using keyboard shortcuts on Windows, let alone the menu keyboard shortcuts. So for pros, sure, the argument has merit.
The keyboard shortcuts that do exist, though? The Mac is better. Hands down: more consistent, more thought out, and more intuitively named.
Donate Life
Posted 22 Apr 2003 at 3:46pm #
I'm a recent mac user for the first time in... well, since computers at schools came for a couple of months at a time in a mobile lab (portable) and was filled with apple IIs and I thought carmen sandiego was the coolest thing ever.
Anyway, while playing with a little imac I aquired, I noticed that while some keyboard nav is supported, not all is. Most notably is in the "connect to server" dialog in the finder, where you can tab from workgroup to user to password but NOT to the 'add to keychain' checkbox (which doesn't seem to work anyway). If there was no kbnv, cool, full kbnav, cool, but none of this half and half stuff.
I seem to remember something mentioned somewhere about turning full kbnav on from somewhere in the prefs (assessibility?) but never got that far into it.
Posted 22 Apr 2003 at 5:21pm #
Yes and No
Shortcuts via NSLog(); a comment on OSX's keyboard shortcuts. The world surely waited for my opinion on that, and...
Posted 22 Apr 2003 at 5:27pm #
Yes, there is keyboard navigation included in the user preferences under accessablility, though it isn't as good as that which exists in Windows, sadly.
Posted 22 Apr 2003 at 9:08pm #
I'm not quite sure where you get the assertation that Ctrl-A is inconsistent on PCs. Ctrl-A seems to work everywhere I expect and everywhere I need. Perhaps there a specific application you have in mind?
Posted 22 Apr 2003 at 10:50pm #
If you really want keyboard navigation and shortcuts, mac users should check out quickeys. When I was using 9 that was the product I used, because unless I am playing a game, or messing around with photoshop, I stay at the keyboard (even in the finder). My only complaint is that there is no way to move files using the keyboard. I can copy them, but not move them.
That said, my environment lends itself to the keyboard. I don't know how one can complain about a lack of keyboad shortcuts on the mac. Granted you may have to buy a couple products like launchbar or what not, but it's defnitely possible!
Posted 23 Apr 2003 at 5:10pm #
I like the command key instead of the control key, because control keys have special meaning in terminal applications, and command does not.
Also, check out this, which I just found via MacUpdate:
Menu Master 1.0.1
"Menu Master is a haxie that allows you to change or remove menu shortcut keys in any application with ease. It takes about 15 seconds to learn how to use Menu Master, and saves you lots of time later because you can use the shortcuts you defined and do not bother remembering which ones the developer of the software invented for you. Additionally, you can set shortcuts to any menu item that had no shortcuts, or remove shortcuts from menu items."
Very interesting implications for keyboard accessibility.
--Kynn
Posted 26 Apr 2003 at 10:45pm #
Are you honestly saying that Windows' alt-F4 shortcut for closing a window isn't intuitive?