8 ms·
3D Touch is to iOS as the Option key is to macOS. Hold down the Option key and click on Airport or volume control to see what I mean in macOS. It gives you mor
by jedanbik 10y ago
3D Touch is to iOS as the Option key is to macOS.
Hold down the Option key and click on Airport or volume control to see what I mean in macOS. It gives you more information, and the information it provides is information you didn't necessarily need to have without holding down the Option key.
In airport, with the option key held, you see options to generate a wireless diagnostics report. Without the option key held, you can just switch networks.
In the volume control, with the option key held, you can see options to change speaker outputs and mic inputs. Without the option key held, you just see the volume controls.
On iOS, with regular touch on the camera you get the camera. 3D touch - you get the ability to specify the camera you want before loading the app.
3D Touch is for iOS power users.
Option key is for macOS power users.
- erikpukinskis 10y agoI've been using macs for I guess a decade or so now and I still have no idea what the option key is for. When a keyboard shortcut is like ^+⌥+F6 I just mash buttons until it works. Why do they use a different symbol on the button than in the UI? I really have no desire to learn the seven different buttons in Mac OS and I wish application authors would stop using them so they could someday simplify the keyboard. I don't understand why we tolerative having shift, fn, control, alt, option, and command, not to mention ⌘ whatever that is. Is it really necessary? Do I need to be an Apple historian to be able to understand the primary input device on a Mac? Command makes sense. And we need shift for capital letters. Let's just leave it at that.
- TazeTSchnitzel 10y agoSeven? What? There's Control, Option/Alt, Command, and Shift. Four modifier keys. This is the same set you have on other OSes, except there, Command is called Windows Key or Super. Yes, Apple has symbols as abbreviations for Control, Command, Option, and Shift. Yes, Option is also called Alt. But it's not really all that complicated.
- linkregister 10y agoThe vast majority of Windows desktop keyboards do not have a fn key.
- yoz-y 10y agoBut all laptops do.
- milesward 10y agoI'm on a Chromebook Pixel 2, and it doesn't have this key. So, no.
- yoz-y 10y agoWhat I really meant was Windows laptops as the parent was expressly mentioning Windows desktops. I did not know about the Chromebook though. I am curious though does it have F keys which are usually the ones that are used with the Fn key on Windows?
- TazeTSchnitzel 10y agoOlder Apple keyboards didn't have them either. I'm using one right now.
- dragonwriter 10y agoThe problem isn't the number of modifiers, the problem is that Apple uses symbols for them in the UI that over time it has progressively removed from keyboards, and which have no obvious connection to the names on the keyboards (except for Ctrl sometimes getting the same ^ treatment on other platforms, this just isn't the case outside of Apple.)
- WildUtah 10y agoOption, Escape, Meta, Alt, Control, Shift: ŒMACS
- Raphmedia 10y agoWhy? It's no different than pressing "Windows + D" to display the desktop on a PC. As for the characters ⌘, ⌥, etc. they are printed on the key themselves... Edit: Also, ⌘ historically denotes a place of interest. ⌥ is visually taking an alternative path... it's a straight line which goes parallel. It's the key for alternative functions... alt on pc.
- low_battery 10y ago⌥ is not printed on any key on the Mac I am using, and I am sure ^ on top of 6 is not the ^ parent mentioned. I agree with parent, these are ridiculous.
- fred256 10y agoThey are on non-US apple keyboards, the US keyboards use the text "alt" and "option" and so on. I've always wondered why they don't put the symbols on the US keyboards yet use them in the UI anyway.
- 0x0 10y agoIt's printed on lots of macbooks? http://regmedia.co.uk/2011/09/15/apple_macbook_air_11in_mid_2011_5.jpg http://regmedia.co.uk/2011/09/15/apple_macbook_air_11in_mid_...
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- karlshea 10y agoI feel like your complaint is a little silly. ⌘ is Command and is printed right on the keyboard, Shift is an up arrow, and ^ is instantly recognizable as Control if you've used a Unix ever. The only one that's really strange is ⌥, which by elimination is Option.
- FireBeyond 10y agoUX by elimination - mystery meat navigation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_meat_navigation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_meat_navigation) for your keyboard.
- coldtea 10y agoMystery meat doesn't really apply here, as keyboards are not supposed to be obvious -- they are supposed to be "learn once and then remember forever". You don't want to be looking "where's the key with the Alt sign" or whatever key you want to find every time you need to hit it. Ideally a keyboard could even be totally black -- and fancy touch-typing key-switching keyboards are.
- Someone 10y agoSee it as a switch in a railway track: something that gives you an option as to where to go. That is way easier to remember than "Swedish Campground", which we only got because there otherwise would be too many apples on the screen (http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=Swedish_Campground.txt; http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=Swedish_Campgroun... the Apple 2 had 'closed Apple' and 'open Apple'. See http://www.macworld.com/article/2867994/think-retro-open-apple-closed-apple.html http://www.macworld.com/article/2867994/think-retro-open-app...)
- Matthias247 10y agoI found ^ the difficult thing. Although working with PCs for more then 20 years (although mostly Windows, only some Linux) I had no idea that it could mean Control. And therefore I needed to google what it means as an OSX keyboard shortcut. ⌥ was obvious, as it is printed on my keycaps, ^ not.
- throwanem 10y ago> I still have no idea what the option key is for It's for "⌥". Yes, that's not ideal, and it's a striking UX failure on Apple's part that the keycap says "option" while the menu says ⌥ - all the more striking given Apple's generally well deserved reputation for getting that kind of thing right. Same goes for control and ^ - granted, Unices have represented Control as ^ since forever, but part of the appeal of a Mac is supposed to be that you don't have to be a grizzled hacker to understand it. That said, how does it take (more than) a decade to learn these correspondences? Not that I don't understand your complaint here, and I agree it should be fixed, but...I mean, this stuff doesn't seem all that hard.
- emehrkay 10y agoAfter reading your message, it just clicked to me that the option symbol could be a fork in the road.
- AOsborn 10y agoHad exactly the same thought. Was never aware - and now I'll recognize the symbol going forwards!
- RotsiserMho 10y agoThe low road at that. Nice catch.
- cookiemonsta 10y agoIt is meant to be like a switch (schematic symbol for a SPDT switch), i thought? https://qph.is.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-6f64cb39bfdaae2f7e097f4eea5942b2?convert_to_webp=true https://qph.is.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-6f64cb39bfdaae2f7e097f...
- selectodude 10y agoThe key has had the word option on it for several years now.
- zeta0134 10y ago
- JonathonW 10y agoUseless fact of the day: the special characters Apple uses to represent keyboard shortcuts in the menu bar, with the exception of Ctrl (^)[1], are all part of an ISO standard [2]. I've never really understood why they stopped printing them on the keyboard, though-- it turns figuring out shortcuts like ⌥⌘⎋ into a game of trial and error for new users, rather than something that's relatively self-explanatory. A few of the symbols are still printed on Apple's keyboards in a few locales, but it looks like the confusing ones (option, escape) are gone in all locales on their most recent keyboards. [1] Apple follows the popular convention from *nix here, rather than the ISO standard, which is a sort of a dharma wheel thing that I can't find in Unicode. [2] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:ISO_9995-7_symbols https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:ISO_9995-7_symbo...
- duskwuff 10y agoFor what it's worth, European Mac keyboards have a lot more of the symbols on them, e.g. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201794 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201794
- aaroninsf 10y agoThought: _hmm there's a business opportunity of lemonade stand scale here_. Sure enough: https://www.amazon.com/WhatKeys-Keyboard-Shortcut-Stickers-WK-MBP/dp/B00ZUWQKES https://www.amazon.com/WhatKeys-Keyboard-Shortcut-Stickers-W... $8 would have been instant click. I program for a living on a Mac and still can't remember the damn 'option' symbol in shortcuts. $20...? Hmmm. Not so much. Where's that silver sharpie...
- f_allwein 10y agoInteresting facts in Wikipedia: "The "⌘" symbol (the "looped square") was chosen by Susan Kare after Steve Jobs decided that the use of the Apple logo in the menu system (where the keyboard shortcuts are displayed) would be an over-use of the logo. Apple's adaptation of the symbol — encoded in Unicode (and HTML) at U+2318 ⌘ (HTML ⌘) — was derived in part from its use in Scandinavian countries to denote places of interest. The symbol is known by various other names, including "Saint John's Arms" and "Bowen knot"." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_key https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_key
- nevster 10y agoAnd Apple II's used the Apple logo. There was an Open Apple and a Closed Apple
- wingerlang 10y agoFunny, I just realised where I had seen the icon before while reading your first sentence. Then later it was confirmed in the same paragraph. Thinking back, I can only remember once instance of the sign and it happens to be just around the corner from where I grew up. And just for kicks, if someone wants to see it in action: https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/Guml%C3%B6sa+Kyrka,+288+90+Vinsl%C3%B6v,+Sweden/@56.1740217,13.9709495,3a,66.8y,115.05h,88.56t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sF4qu3e6QIXV5cxLS7lK2Mg!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x4651552d2c1b9ad1:0x677532897d565ee8 https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/Guml%C3%B6sa+Kyrka,+288+...
- smnscu 10y agoWell, then you haven't been using macs for a decade, but for a year, times ten (and that's totally fine, unless you're leaving arrogant comments on HN about "why we tolerate this or that"). I've been using macs for about 5 years and I still learn new useful features and shortcuts, and having 3 modifier keys is so useful (e.g. emacs + iterm2 + spectacle) that I can't see myself going back to linux/similar. ETA: also, brew is lovely for people who want a stupid simple package manager
- mintplant 10y ago>and having 3 modifier keys is so useful (e.g. emacs + iterm2 + spectacle) that I can't see myself going back to linux/similar Linux has control, alt, and meta (aka "super" or "the Windows key").
- __d 10y agogotta love X. super is not meta, and you forgot hyper too. also, shift (although most people just use it for the obvious).
- jrockway 10y agoI miss open-apple and closed-apple. I guess I didn't realize that Apple took those away at some point, and that the command and option symbols aren't printed on the keyboard anymore. Weird. I am still not sure why PC keyboards have a context menu key. I've only ever pressed it by accident.
- middleq 10y agoI've found 3D touch to be useful. Looking forward to the increased support.
- Swizec 10y ago> Hold down the Option key and click on Airport or volume control to see what I mean in macOS. It gives you more information, and the information it provides is information you didn't necessarily need to have without holding down the Option key. You just blew my mind. I've been using Macs for nigh on 10 years and this is the first time I've heard of this. This is going to make so many common tasks (choosing sound output) so much easier! Until I forget it exists 2 hours from now.
- melvinmt 10y ago> On iOS, with regular touch on the camera you get the camera. 3D touch - you get the ability to specify the camera you want before loading the app. Every time there's a thread about 3D Touch on HN, I learn new things. Which tells a lot about the discoverability of the 3D Touch features...
- intoverflow2 10y agoTap and hold was already the option key for iOS. 3D Touch is a technology in search for a use.
- 7Z7 10y agoTap and hold does other things.
- zavulon 10y agoThank you for this. For years, I've been going into Settings -> Sound to change output and input settings - this is so much easier!
- 2461001642 10y agoa: mind blown b: isn't this a terrible UX? I mean, these features are GREAT but unless I randomly caught this comment in an HN thread, I would never have known about them. And when I option-click an icon, I have no idea what's going to happen before I do it. (Incidentally, I have the same problems with 3D Touch).