Anybody know what all these symbols mean.

[Jarrett]

The amount of symbols and codes to make life easier, doesn't make life easier.  Where is the legend for all these tricks?  

[loukash]

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=mac+modifier+key+symbols&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

[firstdefence]

Control, Shift, Command and obviously R

https://affinityspotlight.com/article/downloadable-affinity-keyboard-shortcut-cheat-sheets/

[R C-R]

Some but not all Apple keyboards include the symbols for Control, Alt/Option, & Command on the keycaps.

[h_d]

Some but not all Apple keyboards need a damn good clean...

[R C-R]

6 minutes ago, h_d said:

Some but not all Apple keyboards need a damn good clean...

I have a lot of different U.S. English Apple keyboards of various vintages. None of them have the up arrow symbol on the Shift key, the similar one on the Caps Lock key, or the right-arrow one on the Tab key, just the English words. Same for the Return key -- just the word with no symbol.

My 'extended' Apple keyboards all have the 6 key cluster for home, end, page up/down, & forward delete, but only the forward delete one includes a symbol in addition to the English text.

It is as though Apple can't decide on any consistent set of markings.

[h_d]

1 minute ago, R C-R said:

It is as though Apple can't decide on any consistent set of markings.

True that. Mine's a UK 2018 MacBook Pro. My wife's UK 2012 Air doesn't have a symbol for control, and has 'alt' instead of 'option'. I've also got an incredibly ancient iPad dock+keyboard which doesn't even have an fn key. Worth more as an antique than as a piece of technology...

(Haven't we had this discussion before?)

[v_kyr]

16 minutes ago, R C-R said:

None of them have the up arrow symbol on the Shift key, the similar one on the Caps Lock key, or the right-arrow one on the Tab key, just the English words. Same for the Return key -- just the word with no symbol.

Probably due to their QWERTZ versus QUERTY layout habbits, aka german etc. keyboard layouts versus US layouts.

Quote

I have a lot of different U.S. English Apple keyboards of various vintages.

I see ...

... then send an good old Apple Adjustable Keyboard (1993) over here, or at least an old Apple Extended Keyboard II!

[R C-R]

23 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

... then send an good old Apple Adjustable Keyboard (1993) over here, or at least an old Apple Extended Keyboard II!

Never had the adjustable one but I do have (somewhere!!) 2 of the old Apple Extended ones that use the ADB connection. I even have an ADB to USB adaptor but it never worked very well with a modern Mac.

[v_kyr]

6 minutes ago, R C-R said:

Never had the adjustable one but I do have (somewhere!!) 2 of the old Apple Extended ones that use the ADB connection. I even have an ADB to USB adaptor but it never worked very well with a modern Mac.

Cool, how is the type feeling on those (should be pretty sturdy)? - But they don't have mechanical keys or (see here)?

[R C-R]

8 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

Cool, how is the type feeling on those (should be pretty sturdy)? - But they don't have mechanical keys or (see here)?

The feel is great, just clickey enough that there is never any uncertainty about if the key was pressed all the way down, even though the travel is much longer than on membrane keyboards.

AFAIK, they are all mechanical key switches, just from different manufacturers.

[v_kyr]

You should keep them as collectibles and rarities. - Some of those will be in a future very difficult to find and thus get expensive.

[R C-R]

1 minute ago, v_kyr said:

You should keep them as collectibles and rarities.

Well, they are in a box somewhere, but I cannot remember where I put it, so they will probably be something someone discovers after I am long gone.

[v_kyr]

I was in the past hunting after some specific good old Marquard Ergo models with german keyb layout, but no chance. The only two I found were already bought for astronomical prices by some collectors of such stuff. 😒 Similar as with some very old and rare IBM keyboard models. - I have some tenkeyless (TKL) mechanical keyboards, also mothballed in some boxes, though over the last years I've started to like unobtrusive (clicky sound wise) low profile keyboards too here (probably Apple's fault).