Control-escape is equivalent to the Windows key; alt-escape is the shortcut that cycles quickly between recently used applications without showing the small bar

Control-escape is equivalent to the Windows key; alt-escape is the shortcut that cycles quickly between recently used applications without showing the small bar in the middle, like alt-tab does. The mega combo is ctrl-alt-tab (or altgr-tab for the international keyboard aficionados) which gives you the application switcher bar, and lets you navigate with the arrow keys without holding down any other keys.