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⌘ Key is often equivalent to ctrl on windows. Ctrl-C,-V,-X copy'n'paste actions are done with that key on Mac. I think it's much better placed since you can re

by fn1 4y ago

⌘ Key is often equivalent to ctrl on windows. Ctrl-C,-V,-X copy'n'paste actions are done with that key on Mac. I think it's much better placed since you can reach it with your thumb and don't have to rotate your wrist when using it as opposed to ctrl, so when typing macs you might have less strain on your hands.

dontlaugh 4y ago
For that reason, I swap left Ctrl with left Alt on Windows machines.
nikau 4y ago
I've only ever used the control key with the side of my palm, so the bottom left isolated from the alt key a bit is perfect.
daneel_w 4y ago
Agreed, Apple keyboards' placement of CMD/⌘ is a better fit for the human hand.
ilvez 4y ago
When using desktop keyboard, then Ctrl key is so easy to take with your palm, this small part below pinky. Doesn't work on laptops, but this is one of the reasons to prefer normal keyboards.
bloopernova 4y ago
This is partly why I wish I could mimic the Mac's keyboard on my Linux desktop. I remap capslock to ctrl on my Macs for Emacs use, which also helps with "emacs pinky syndrome".
- VTimofeenko 4y ago
  There are tools like xremap which intercept key combos and re-send different ones.
mjlee 4y ago
My favourite aspect of this is that I have ctrl-c for SIGINT when I'm working in terminal and cmd-c for copy. No tracking which terminal emulator or IDE I'm in and which keyboard shortcuts to use for very common actions.
koenvdb 4y ago
I usually hold the left side of my palm down a bit in order to press the ctrl button. So I rarely touch the ctrl button with a finger.
sbf501 4y ago
Unless you have tiny monkeypaws for hands, ⌘-V is a painful gesture and doesn't make sense on any human hand. This is one of apple's major human interface messups. And I'll die on that hill. Ctrl on the far left of the keyboard (where FN is on apple keyboards) is far more ergonomically laid out, doesn't require a radical twist of the fingers, and also allows your fingers to remain in home-row with thumb on space. Personally I think ALL modifier keys should be on the far left/right of a keyboard where they can all be accessed by a pinky finger. It is faster, doesn't require bone crossing, and allows you to remain in a typing position. Combinations of multiple modifiers should be very rare, if it isn't someone needs to go back to UI/UX school. (I blame Emacs for that!)
- twobitshifter 4y ago
  Agreed, if trying to do it with one hand. If you chord with the alternate hand’s thumb all is well. However, I would expect most people tend use only one half of the shift ctrl alt cmd/win keys. Typically with the left hand from what I’ve seen.
- rcoveson 4y ago
  I'm confused by this subthread. Are people hitting the Spacebar-adjacent modifier key with their index finger? It's meant to be hit with the thumb, and it's far more ergonomic than the pinky holding the bottom-left modifier key. ⌘-A should be nothing but an easy thumb contraction. I use the usual Caps Lock position as my "Control" key, which is faster and more ergonomic than any of the traditional modifier positions, but the second place is easily the Spacebar-adjacent modifier key (I use it as my Super key, for window manager controls like workspace switching and application launcher). I have Alt bound to the bottom-left position where Control usually is. Alt doesn't get used nearly as much, and that's the third-best spot. The spot in between the two bottom-row modifiers is the least accessible by far (hard to hit accurately with the pinky, out of reach of the thumb). 101-key keyboards don't have it at all. I've recently started using it as push-to-talk, which works fine since it's not used for anything else and you don't have to chord it with anything.
- whoooooo123 4y ago
  > Unless you have tiny monkeypaws for hands, ⌘-V is a painful gesture and doesn't make sense on any human hand. I don't find this true at all, and as far as I can tell I have normal-sized hands. How do you rest your fingers on the keyboard? When I have my eight fingers on the home keys, I can hit ⌘-C by bending my index finger in isolation. To hit ⌘-V, I have to rotate my entire left hand very slightly to the right while also bending my index finger. However, I've never once thought consciously about how to perform this action before today, despite having hit ⌘-V millions of times - so it's never struck me as a difficult or uncomfortable maneuver.

by fn1 4y ago

dontlaugh 4y ago

For that reason, I swap left Ctrl with left Alt on Windows machines.

nikau 4y ago

I've only ever used the control key with the side of my palm, so the bottom left isolated from the alt key a bit is perfect.

daneel_w 4y ago

Agreed, Apple keyboards' placement of CMD/⌘ is a better fit for the human hand.

ilvez 4y ago

When using desktop keyboard, then Ctrl key is so easy to take with your palm, this small part below pinky. Doesn't work on laptops, but this is one of the reasons to prefer normal keyboards.

bloopernova 4y ago

This is partly why I wish I could mimic the Mac's keyboard on my Linux desktop. I remap capslock to ctrl on my Macs for Emacs use, which also helps with "emacs pinky syndrome".

VTimofeenko 4y ago
There are tools like xremap which intercept key combos and re-send different ones.

mjlee 4y ago

My favourite aspect of this is that I have ctrl-c for SIGINT when I'm working in terminal and cmd-c for copy. No tracking which terminal emulator or IDE I'm in and which keyboard shortcuts to use for very common actions.

koenvdb 4y ago

I usually hold the left side of my palm down a bit in order to press the ctrl button. So I rarely touch the ctrl button with a finger.

sbf501 4y ago

Unless you have tiny monkeypaws for hands, ⌘-V is a painful gesture and doesn't make sense on any human hand. This is one of apple's major human interface messups. And I'll die on that hill. Ctrl on the far left of the keyboard (where FN is on apple keyboards) is far more ergonomically laid out, doesn't require a radical twist of the fingers, and also allows your fingers to remain in home-row with thumb on space. Personally I think ALL modifier keys should be on the far left/right of a keyboard where they can all be accessed by a pinky finger. It is faster, doesn't require bone crossing, and allows you to remain in a typing position. Combinations of multiple modifiers should be very rare, if it isn't someone needs to go back to UI/UX school. (I blame Emacs for that!)

twobitshifter 4y ago
Agreed, if trying to do it with one hand. If you chord with the alternate hand’s thumb all is well. However, I would expect most people tend use only one half of the shift ctrl alt cmd/win keys. Typically with the left hand from what I’ve seen.
rcoveson 4y ago
I'm confused by this subthread. Are people hitting the Spacebar-adjacent modifier key with their index finger? It's meant to be hit with the thumb, and it's far more ergonomic than the pinky holding the bottom-left modifier key. ⌘-A should be nothing but an easy thumb contraction. I use the usual Caps Lock position as my "Control" key, which is faster and more ergonomic than any of the traditional modifier positions, but the second place is easily the Spacebar-adjacent modifier key (I use it as my Super key, for window manager controls like workspace switching and application launcher). I have Alt bound to the bottom-left position where Control usually is. Alt doesn't get used nearly as much, and that's the third-best spot. The spot in between the two bottom-row modifiers is the least accessible by far (hard to hit accurately with the pinky, out of reach of the thumb). 101-key keyboards don't have it at all. I've recently started using it as push-to-talk, which works fine since it's not used for anything else and you don't have to chord it with anything.
whoooooo123 4y ago
> Unless you have tiny monkeypaws for hands, ⌘-V is a painful gesture and doesn't make sense on any human hand. I don't find this true at all, and as far as I can tell I have normal-sized hands. How do you rest your fingers on the keyboard? When I have my eight fingers on the home keys, I can hit ⌘-C by bending my index finger in isolation. To hit ⌘-V, I have to rotate my entire left hand very slightly to the right while also bending my index finger. However, I've never once thought consciously about how to perform this action before today, despite having hit ⌘-V millions of times - so it's never struck me as a difficult or uncomfortable maneuver.