Cross Platform Stuff

Other things of note to Windows Users:

Alt Key

On the Macintosh: Option Key

As with the Alt key in Windows, you can use the Mac's Option key to enter hidden characters that don't normally appear on your keyboard, such as Q: and c£. Many of these are clever maps: where Shift-4 produces the $ character, Option-4 creates a Q: symbol. To look up the full set of available characters, open Apple menu -~ Key Caps, and then press the Option key to view which symbols hide behind which keys.

Accented letters require a different technique. The U, N, I, E, and tilde (~) keys are so-called "dead" keys when used with the Option key-that is, typing Option-U doesn't do anything until you type another character to create the accented character. For instance, type Option-U, then 0 to create an O with an umlaut. The table below lists the five possibilities.

Table 1- Accented Characters Available via the Option Key

Option Key Combination	Result
Option-E	acute accent
Option-1	Circumflex
Option-N	Tilde
Option-Tilde	Grave
Option-U	Umlaut

Modified behavior. The Mac's Option key, like the Alt key, can also produce a random assortment of special productivity effects in daily Macintosh use, as summarized in Table 2 below.

Table 2. - Optional Behaviors Using the Option Key

Modified Behavior	Function
Option-click to switch programs	Pressing Option as you switch to another program (by choosing its name from the Application menu, or by clicking in its window) hides all windows of the first program-a handy housekeeping trick.
Option-Empty Trash	The Mac OS deletes locked files in the Trash instantaneously, bypassing the usual confirmation warning.
Option-drag an icon in the Finder	Option-dragging an icon creates a duplicate of the original file.
Option-click a window's close box	Clicking the close box while pressing Option closes all visible windows in the current application (especially on the Desktop).
Option-double-click a folder	Opening a folder while pressing Option automatically closes the previous window (that is, the one that contains the folder you're double-clicking).

Control (Ctrl) Key

On the Macintosh: Control Key, Command Key

In Windows, the Ctrl key is the primary modifier; though every Macintosh keyboard has a Control key, it's used primarily for triggering contextual menus. Instead, the Mac's Command key is the equivalent of the Windows Ctrl key. The Command key is labeled with an apple and a cloverleaf and sits immediately to the left (and right, on full size keyboards) of the Spacebar.

Table 3 --A list of the common uses of the Command key

Keyboard Shortcut	Function
Command-A	Select All
Command-B	Makes selected text bold in most applications, though not the Finder.
Command-Delete	Moves the selected icons to the Trash. See Recycle Bin.
Command-C	Copy to clipboard. Doesn't work with files on the Macintosh - only highlighted material within an application window.
Command-click items in a list like the Open File dialog box	Selects multiple discontinuous items.
Command-Control-Power	Restarts the Macintosh after a lockup.
Command-D	Duplicates Finder icons. (May have other functions in other applications.)
Command-drag an icon in the Finder	Makes a dragged icon snap into position on an invisible grid.
Command-E	Ejects the selected disk.
Command-F	Brings up the Find File or Sherlock window for searching.
Command-1	Displays the General Information window for the selected item. In text-oriented applications, italicizes the selected text
Command-M	Makes an alias of the selected item.
Command-N	Makes a new Untitled folder. In most applications, creates a new document.
Command-0	Opens the selected items. In most applications, displays the Open File dialog box for opening documents.
Command-Option-drag an icon in the Finder	Makes an alias. (Like a Windows "Shortcut.")
Command-Option-Esc	Forces the current application to quit, even if it's crashed.
Command-P	Prints the selected files. In most applications.
Command-Q	Quits the application.
Command-R	Displays the original item for a selected alias.