Poll: What do you call the 'Command' Key?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: What do you call the 'Command' Key? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=548)

[xUKHCx]

I use both command and apple interchangeably.

Who would call it "alt" as there is already the alt key next to it.

[yoman]

For helping my grandparents with their Macs. The :apple: has always been helpful to identify it for them.

[zwida]

Depending on whom I am speaking to, I use "open apple" or "command."

I still think of it as open apple, but I've long since forgotten about the "option" as the "solid apple" key, so I guess this too will pass with time.

[Kingsly]

It will always be the "Apple" key for me... :o

[Royale w/cheese]

I call it command. But if I am helping somebody that has a mac keyboard, I call it apple, but explain it is the command key.

[pdpardue]

I'm teaching my 3 year old son to use the computer so when i tell him how to use the computer to say close a program, I tell him to type apple and q. But, command slips in sometimes when I'm just talking to someone. Calling it the apple key is easier to find because there is a picture of an apple. the command icon isn't really a readily identified symbol except in the mac community, so it's harder to tell others to command q a program.

Apple tab,
apple q
command c
command v

i guess depends?

[cdinca]

I always call it "open apple". I forget what key the closed-apple was...and what did we call it? it was closed-apple right?

[gauchogolfer]

I call it the command key.

You don't 'apple' your computer, you 'command' it.

:D

[juniormaj]

I call it the command key, unless I'm talking to someone who stares at me blankly when I call it that. Then I say "You know, the one with the apple on it. It's called the command key".

I still think of it as open-apple from time to time. It took me a long time to stop calling it that (sometime around System 7).
Was the //e the first to have open and closed apple? I can't remember.
I seem to recall the ][ and ][+ not having them.

[mgargan1]

I call it the "apple" key when I'm speaking with someone who's new to macs... but I always tell him or her that it's really called the command, cmd, key.

[sillycybin]

contrl-open apple- reset

[tobefirst]

It's the command key. It actually annoys me when people call it the Apple key.

[Dagless]

"apple" here, it isn't Alt as there's an Alt key right next to it :confused:

[TDM21]

I'm young by most standards, but I grew up calling it the Open-Apple Key. However, if I have to teach someone about the keyboard I call it Command. Still the key will always be Open-Apple in my head.

When did Apple start referring to it as Command?

[Victor ch]

I call it "Manzanita" (little apple) LOL :D. Im bilingual but here in Costa Rica we speak spanish and to all my family I tell them its "manzanita".

-Victor :apple:

[devilot]

By default I say, "command," but w/ some folks (like my even less techy sister), they have no clue what I mean and so I just sigh and say, "the key w/ the apple on it."

"Ohhh."


:D

[MacNut]

I've always said open apple, Im old.:o

[Daringescape]

I call it the command key, unless I'm talking to someone who stares at me blankly when I call it that. Then I say "You know, the one with the apple on it. It's called the command key".

I still think of it as open-apple from time to time. It took me a long time to stop calling it that (sometime around System 7).
Was the //e the first to have open and closed apple? I can't remember.
I seem to recall the ][ and ][+ not having them.


I remember having a //c and it had both open and closed.

I still call it the open apple key sometimes, but most of the time its just apple

[Earendil]

I'm really surprised at the number of people that call it "apple". (as of writing this it's at 51%)

I may have heard it called the "Apple Key", but never in a sentence involving other keys, it's always "Command Q" or "Command C".

Granted, I was born in 84, but I started using an Apple 512K in 1990 (or so) and have used heavily a Powerbook 180, PowerMac 7600, iMac (bondi) and now an alum PowerBook. I've always called it the command key and so has everyone around me.

Huh...

[FoxyKaye]

I always call it "open apple". I forget what key the closed-apple was...and what did we call it? it was closed-apple right?
It was the "open-apple" and the "closed-apple" keys. Ah, the memories...

[~Shard~]

The key has an Apple on it, so I call it the Apple key. :p ;) :D

[Nermal]

The key has an Apple on it, so I call it the Apple key. :p ;) :D

Not anymore! Take a look at the new aluminium keyboard.

I've always called it the command key, ever since I found out that that's its name.

[macFanDave]

Propeller

[caliguy]

By default I say, "command," but w/ some folks (like my even less techy sister), they have no clue what I mean and so I just sigh and say, "the key w/ the apple on it."

"Ohhh."


:D

Ditto. Same thing happens with me. I switched her to Mac over a year and a half ago, but she still doesn't know the terminology :)

[XheartcoreboyX]

i honestly... >_<...call it ''control''...probably because im new macs user(couple weeks)..so the cmd key has kinda the same job as ctrl key in windows..:p

[Goldenbear]

Since Day 1 of using (although not owning) a Mac (1987), it's been "Command" for me... even though I had owned an Apple //e since something like 1982 (well, OK, my parents owned it, but I was the only one who used it).

Never understood why some people insist on calling it Apple, even after they are told otherwise...

I'm young by most standards, but I grew up calling it the Open-Apple Key. However, if I have to teach someone about the keyboard I call it Command. Still the key will always be Open-Apple in my head.

When did Apple start referring to it as Command?

Whey they shipped the 1st Mac in 1984.

[nagromme]

I call it "right-Amiga."

[pimentoLoaf]

Less than 1% of us call it "cloverleaf"??

Dang! :p

[bousozoku]

When the Macintosh first arrived, I was working on a system and terminals that had a command key, so it was no stretch that Apple was using a command key on its Macintosh. They were using the same terminals on their business system at the time.

I saw the Apple keys on the IIe and IIc but those keys were ignored mostly and it wasn't until the Commodore Amiga that closed this and open that actually had meaning to me.

It will always be command key, but I at least know what people are saying when they say Apple key though I draw the line at Cloverleaf.

[iBlue]

I call it my bitch.


Actually I use command and "apple" both depending on if I've had enough caffeine.

[Genghis Khan]

when i'm doing apple stuff in my head i refer to it as the command key (as i think that's what it's called)...but when i'm at uni (as i'm mostly these days it seems) i call it the apple button when any of my friends are borrowing my laptop, so they can easily find it (e.g. "How do i save in word?" ... "Exactly the same as on windows except use apple key instead of control" ...seems to be one of my most common discussions)

call me irrational, but that's what makes us human:)

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Hmmm... it depends...

I use "Eple" when speaking (or writing) Norwegian and "Command" or "cmd" when writing (or speaking) English...

Doesn't really matter, though... you need to point it out to Mac-newbies anyway... :D

[Cyberthato]

I call it control too whenever I'm talking with my gf (for the sake of shortcuts), for everyone else it's command

[miniConvert]

It's the Apple key. Deal with it! Have it, Tracey!

[Jaffa Cake]

I tend to say 'Apple' rather than 'Command' – usually when I'm being asked for a keyboard shortcut or something if I say 'Command' I've then got to tell them it's the key with the Apple on anyway... ;)

[jczubach]

to cover all my bases i refer to it as the "command-apple-thingy"

[twentyeight7]

i call it control also..... but i have been a mac user for 5 years. i guess old habits die hard

[gerygg]

I call it "Manzanita" (little apple) LOL :D. Im bilingual but here in Costa Rica we speak spanish and to all my family I tell them its "manzanita".

-Victor :apple:

lol, i call it manzanita too =) (i'm from argentina)
but if i have to refer to in in a text command

[Clive At Five]

I feel as though I need to take a bit of credit for this poll. I'm pretty sure I started this argument in three other threads. Now all the pointless Apple/Command/Open Apple/splat key banter can be put in one spot. ;)

I'm really surprised at the number of people that call it "apple". (as of writing this it's at 51%)

I may have heard it called the "Apple Key", but never in a sentence involving other keys, it's always "Command Q" or "Command C".

Granted, I was born in 84, but I started using an Apple 512K in 1990 (or so) and have used heavily a Powerbook 180, PowerMac 7600, iMac (bondi) and now an alum PowerBook. I've always called it the command key and so has everyone around me.

Huh...

Huh. I was born in 84, but started using a IIgs and learned everything I knew about Apples from my dad. That might explain why I'm stuck in the "open-Apple" time warp.

The key has an Apple on it, so I call it the Apple key. :p ;) :D

Yeah, but it also has a bowen knot on it... why don't you call it the bowen knot key? hehe.

-Clive

[techlover828]

I say apple key because it is easier to say that to a newbie because they see the big apple.

[mad jew]

The left one is Floyd and the right one is Mr Snuffilufigus.

[nbs2]

I had never realized that the "open" and "closed" got dropped in favor of just "Apple," so I still call it Open Apple, with the occasional Command.

I would love to see a correlation study on age versus naming convention of the key.

[superleccy]

The left one is OFF RVS and the right one is SYMBOL SHIFT. :)

But seriously folks. I call it "Apple". It's got an Apple on it, what else would I call it? And that squiggly symbol... I've never known what to call that.

And what's with calling the alt key 'opition'? Often, when told to press the 'option' key, switchers press the Apple key because "it can't be the 'alt' key because that's got alt written on it, so it must be the other one". Their confusion is then compounded by the fact that in OS X, cut/copy/paste are command-X/C/V, not CTRL-X/C/V. "Now which one is the 'command' key again?".

In fact, whilst I'm on a roll...
What's the point of the button on my MBP between the right Apple key and and the cursor cluster? OK, it behaves like an "Enter" key, but why the impressionist-minimalist witches' hat symbol? Frankly I'd rather have a proper delete key.
What's that key above the 7 on my wireless keyboard that does sod all?
Why don't any of my (UK) keyboards tell me where the "#" (hash) symbol is, despite telling me about the "€" (euro) symbol?
Why don't they put the ESC symbol on the ESC key?

I know it's easy when you know how, but every time I've seen a potential switcher try a mac, the keyboard has always been the first stumbling block (after the one-button trackpad/mouse). A bit of clearer labelling would sell a lot more macs. The new keyboards are a step in the right direction, but they still fall short.

SL

[ntg]

I feel as though I need to take a bit of credit for this poll. I'm pretty sure I started this argument in three other threads. Now all the pointless Apple/Command/Open Apple/splat key banter can be put in one spot. ;)

Huh. I was born in 84, but started using a IIgs and learned everything I knew about Apples from my dad. That might explain why I'm stuck in the "open-Apple" time warp.

Yeah, but it also has a bowen knot on it... why don't you call it the bowen knot key? hehe.

-Clive

Damn - I've just recently moved house, and my collection of Apples is buried somewhere at the back of my garage!
However, going from memory, my IIc has both "open-apple" and "closed-apple" keys (which performed different functions in Appleworks, so I always stuck with those descriptions when teaching people how to use the software) and I'm sure so does my old II EuroPlus ('though I'm not sure about the vanilla II+ ?)

anyone else have a europlus they can check?

nig.

[GorillaPaws]

I've always said open apple, Im old.:o

Same. But I think I'm relatively young for having this particular verbal gem. I'm only 26, and while I've been a life-long Mac user, I have a feeling I must have picked this convention up when I was much younger from the head of a computer lab back in middle school or something. I think I'm gonna have a hard time shaking this habit though, and seeing as how low the percentage (among even Mac users), it looks like I should probably work on migrating over to "command"-- not going to be easy though.

[Oryan]

I've got an ergonomic Microsoft keyboard so I call it the Windows key. :p

Works the same though.

[baleensavage]

I used to call it open-apple, back in the PowerPC days when most keyboards were Apple. But since I mostly (along with many other people i service computers for) have third-party keyboards, I started calling it command to prevent confusion. Personally I'm glad to see the Apple go.

[dejo]

i call it control also.....
Doesn't the key on the other side of your option key get jealous? ;)

[seh80]

I switch randomly between command and open apple.

[macnews]

I remember having a //c and it had both open and closed.

I still call it the open apple key sometimes, but most of the time its just apple

Yes, the good old days of open and closed apple keys :)

I miss the //c

[SirOmega]

I've always said open apple, Im old.:o

Yea, it feels weird to call it command. Open Apple for 20 years now. **** I'm old.

[SeanMcg]

RUGBEATER!!!!!

My dad started calling that when we got our first Mac, a Mac Plus, and I just picked it up.

[Peterkro]

I don't really think about it just use it. If instructing I call it command.If I happen to notice in on keyboard I drift of into nostalgic dreams of wonderful Swedish camp sites.

[carloslegarda]

I call it the Command Key or "The key with the Apple Logo on it"

[basiegel68]

Going Old School here: A former professor of mine who taught "Mac Workstation Maintainence and Optimization" always called it the 'Splat-key' - because he said the symbol looked like a bug that went 'splat' on the keyboard. Not sure where he picked it up. To this day I still call it that, and always have to remind myself in conversation that no one knows what I am talking about until I correct myself with 'Apple-key' or 'Command-key'.

[dejo]

I Apple it! :)
i :apple: code

[Gymnut]

I call it the "any key", as in "Press any key to continue". Seriously, I just call it the Apple key. My PC friends look bamboozled.

[pdxflint]

Ever since my first Mac (plus, in '86) I've known those keys (right and left one) as 'command' keys. Heck, I never even really looked at the command keys when using keyboard "commands" like open, close window, quit, print, and various other "commands" from the menus, especially when working with graphics programs like photoshop, so I never really noticed the :apple: logo on the key for a long time. When I did notice it, I just thought it was a cute way of getting the :apple: on a key, with no particular meaning to it. All software books, manuals, etc that I used generally used the cloverleaf symbol, or just "cmd" when describing a keyboard sequence. I always thought it odd when an instructor for some Apple program used the term "open-apple key," but since I already knew how to use the command key, it just sounded a bit kid-like, such as when teaching children, so I shrugged it off. Command key it was, still is, and always will be (to me...:) ) Windows ctrl key basically copied the command key funtionally, so switching back and forth between Win and Mac was always fairly easy when using cross-platform software (Word, Excel, Photoshop, etc.)

[MrSmith]

Alt/Control/Command - why so damn many? How's a boy to remember all that? I call it "the Apple symbol" or "that-key-with-the-funny-symbol-on-it' which covers both the Apple and the squiggle.

[minik]

I never heard people saying 'open Apple'. However, when I was first into Mac (like 1996), my teacher said flower.

[alec]

Apple key (only after a windows user I'm helping becomes confused about their new Mac keyboard)

[Billicus]

Open Apple

[autrefois]

contrl-open apple- reset

Exactly.

I'm not surprised Apple is apparently moving away from it though. I nearly never see "open apple" in print. I guess calling it "command" makes it (seem) more universal or more professional even?

When I'm thinking, I think either "Command" or "Open Apple", but I usually only say "open apple" out loud just because it's pretty easy for people to figure out which key is the "Open Apple" key.

Since the new keyboard says "Command" it should be fine.

But the fact that "Apple" is winning is interesting. I don't remember ever hearing anyone call it just "Apple". Maybe "the one with the Apple one it" or something like that, but never just Apple.

[feyd_ehway]

i call it control also..... but i have been a mac user for 5 years. i guess old habits die hard

yeah, when im helping students i still sometimes say ctrl [well, i dont say ctrl but that is still how i visualize it from growing up pc]. so now that i have been un-pc for 3 years, i vow to work on my terminology this semester with the class. ill say, "that-key-with-the-funny-symbol-on-it'! :D
JK, ill write it up on the board the first day
:apple: = clover interchange = cmd
[our school doesnt have the latest machines :( ]

[Fairly]

I call it what Apple call it because it's their key.

They call it the command key.

[A Pittarelli]

i call it the apple key or the command key depending on who im talking to

[PCMacUser]

I call it command. But if I am helping somebody that has a mac keyboard, I call it apple, but explain it is the command key.

Same here.

[Cassie]

I'm fairly young, however my computer teacher always told us to use "apple q"

[pdra05]

Apple.

[serralves]

In speech I call it "curly"

In my mind its "command"

As far as I'm concerned, the apple is just extra ornamentation...

[JesterJJZ]

I've always called it :apple:

[Darkenvamp]

Doesn't the key on the other side of your option key get jealous? ;)

oh lol right its confusing to call it control O_O..
kill that bad habit dude!!
*cough**cough* i call it control too..:mad:

[brooker]

Going Old School here: A former professor of mine who taught "Mac Workstation Maintainence and Optimization" always called it the 'Splat-key' - because he said the symbol looked like a bug that went 'splat' on the keyboard. Not sure where he picked it up. To this day I still call it that, and always have to remind myself in conversation that no one knows what I am talking about until I correct myself with 'Apple-key' or 'Command-key'.

The guy who hooked me on Macs a few years back always called it the splat key ("splat-q", "alt-splat-escape",...), and i love it. One syllable, easy for people to identify, and fun.

I will continue to call it that, and make people think they are missing out on one more inside-apple phenomenon if they don't do the same!

[vicious7]

When I first got my MBP, a sales guy trying to sell me an Apple KB vehemently told me that it is a "Command" key. So now I call it "Command." lol, I'm such a push-over. :)

[Macked]

I call it the "Interesting Feature" Key! Lol! :D

[AirborneAngel]

I call it apple :P

[grafikat]

I took to using command apple key when I had to work with PC folks

[Arcane86]

apple for the win

[Principessa]

I call it the apple key or the command key depending on the person I'm talking to.

[MikeTheC]

I'm young by most standards, but I grew up calling it the Open-Apple Key. However, if I have to teach someone about the keyboard I call it Command. Still the key will always be Open-Apple in my head.

When did Apple start referring to it as Command?

The answer is both never, and from the beginning. Ah, I see you're confused. Here, maybe this will help unconfuse you...

*cracks knuckles, puts everyone into Star Wars mode*

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7334/lukequestion01lp0.png

But you said Apple calls it the "Command Key".



http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7808/obiwanghost01qm5.png

Luke, you're going to find that many of keyboard nomenclatures we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. Apple once made another series of computer. It was called the "two". The keyboards on those ancient computers had both an outline of the Apple logo, called the "Open Apple" key, which was on the left of the space bar, and a solid silhouette of their logo, called the "Closed Apple" key, on the right. Both were used by programmers, but eventually the Open Apple key won out. When this happened, the Closed Apple key was destroyed.

When I first started using Apple computers, I was amazed at how strongly the power of the Open Apple was with them. However, in 1984 they introduced the Macintosh, and it had only a clover-leaf'd Command Key and no other keys with Apple's logo on them. It remained this way until Apple released the Macintosh ADB Standard and ADB Extended keyboards, where they added the Open Apple symbol to them.

Apple's more Command now than Open Apple, twisted and clover-leaf'd.

[Dybbuk]

I was surprised to see that they removed the Apple from the key. Although if they want it to be referred to as the Command key, it was the thing to do. How can you expect people to not refer to it as the Apple key when there is a damn Apple on it?

And I'll keep calling it that until I don't have this keyboard anymore.