Keyboard shortcuts are supposed to save you time, so if you need to keep pausing to consciously think about where the ‘Control’ key is, then it defeats the entire point of using a keyboard shortcut.

For example, if you’re used to copying text with the ‘Control+C’ keyboard shortcut, then the fact that the ‘Control’ key isn’t in the “right” place can be a huge source of frustration. If you’ve spent months or even years typing away away at a Mac keyboard, then the fact that the ‘Command’ key isn’t where you expect it is going to play havoc with your muscle memory. Since the ‘Windows’ key is mapped to the ‘Command’ key and the ‘Alt’ key is mapped to the ‘Option’ key, the end result is that the ‘Option’ and ‘Command’ keys are reversed, compared to what Mac users are familiar with. However, on a Mac keyboard, this section contains the Control, Option, and Command keys.

On a Windows keyboard, the bottom-left corner typically contains the following keys, in the following order: Ctrl, Windows, Alt. The problem with these mappings, is that the layout of a Mac keyboard is different to the layout of a Windows keyboard. ‘Option + Control’ is mapped to the ‘Alt GR (right)’ key.‘Option’ is mapped to the ‘Alt (left)’ key.‘Command’ is mapped to the ‘Windows’ key.When you attach a Windows keyboard to a Mac, all of the modifier keys are mapped to the corresponding Mac modifier keys: This compatibility is also handy if you already have access to a Windows external keyboard, for example if you’ve recently made the switch to a Mac, then you can just plug your old Windows keyboard into your new Mac and start typing away. The good news is that your Mac will work with any USB or Bluetooth keyboard, so when you’re shopping for an external keyboard there’s no reason to limit yourself to keyboards that were designed specifically for Macs. In addition, external keyboards that are designed specifically for Mac tend to be more expensive than their Windows counterparts. However, there isn’t a huge number of external Mac keyboards out there, particularly compared to the number of Windows keyboards currently on the market.

While every MacBook comes with a built-in keyboard, many users opt to use an external keyboard instead, either because they find it easier to type on a full-sized keyboard, or because the angle of their laptop’s built-in keys gives them wrist strain.

Mac option key on windows keyboard