Recently, I traded in my Windows PC for a 16-inch MacBook Pro. The hardest part of the transition, surprisingly, wasn’t transferring data or getting used to Apple’s operating system.
It was the fact that for years I had become so used to looking for the Control key in the lower left corner of the keyboard to select everything (Ctrl+A,) copy (Ctrl+C,) paste (Ctrl +V,) and invoke all the other useful Windows shortcuts, that when I was presented with a MacBook keyboard, my habits were turned upside down.
What if I told you that it’s possible to remap the Apple Keyboard so that the Globe key, which is where the Control key is usually found on a Windows keyboard, serves as the Command key instead?
How to remap Globe key to Command key
1. Open Keyboard Settings
Let’s start by running a Spotlight search (by clicking the magnifying glass in the top right of the status bar) and searching Keyboard. Press on Hall and Keyboard Settings should open up, presenting you with a series of options.
You can also access this menu by clicking on the Apple icon in the upper left from the status bar > System Preferences > then Keyboard.
2. Open modifier keys
At the bottom right of the keyboard settings, you should find a button labeled Modifier keys… . This is where you can remap and change what each key to the left of the spacebar does.
Screenshot by June Wan/ZDNET
3. Remap the Globe key to the command
Make sure “Internal Apple Keyboard/Trackpad” is selected from the drop-down menu, then set the Globe key action to Ordered. If you still want the functionality of the Globe key, you can reassign it elsewhere.
Note: There is a “Control” key on the Mac keyboard, but it does not work the same as on Windows. The Command key is the direct alternative.
Screenshot by June Wan/ZDNET
A gain in productivity
From a Windows user’s perspective, being able to access my regular keyboard shortcuts — and by regular I mean the ones I use dozens of times a day — without having to search for the right key combination increases my productivity. It’s also more natural and easier to move my little finger down to press the news Command key and hold it down rather than tucking my thumb under my hand to press the old key.
Source: “ZDNet.com”