Ex-Windows whinge

[adriantoll]

I recently changed from Windows to Mac (17" Powerbook), and overall I haven't regretted it at all.

However, there's one thing that's really bugging me, which doesn't happen in Windows, and I wondered if anyone had found a way around it.

In Windows, when I use a keyboard command which moves me to the end of the current text line (i.e. the "End" key) it does exactly the same thing in all applications. However, when I use the same command on my Mac, e.g. Apple key and right cursor key in Mail and Safari, it doesn't do the same thing in MS Word.

Now you may say that it's my fault for using MS, but aside from the argument about whether I should have bought it or not, IT STILL ANNOYS ME! Besides, as I remember it, Steve Jobs said MS Office is the most popular single piece of software for the Mac. Having to learn different keyboard combinations for different apps is a real pain. This doesn't happen with Windows - with Windows I didn't have to think about what application I was in, it just worked the way I expected it to from use with other applications.

Also, this isn't constrained to MS applications - when using Photoshop CS the usual "AppleKey + `" command doesn't switch between documents, you have to use Control+Tab.

Now I've got that off my chest I feel better. I love my new Mac, I really do, but things like this will stop people switching, and that's a bad thing...

 

[mduser63]

I'm also a recent switcher. Overall I've found Mac OS X's interface, especially keyboard shortcuts to be much more consistent than Windows because Apple really emphasizes UI design with developers. Anyway, there are a few quirks in some applications. You should know that this is due to the developers of those applications not really doing what everyone else is doing, and isn't something Apple can really control other than putting out guidelines for UI design. Anyway, you can create your own keyboard shortcuts quite easily in Mac OS X assuming there's a menu item for whatever action it is you want to perform. Just go into the Keyboard and Mouse Preferences section of System Preferences, and click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab. I realize that not every action you want to perform will have a corresponding menu entry, but many do, and I think you'll find this ability helpful in those cases.

 

[asif786]

Also, this isn't constrained to MS applications - when using Photoshop CS the usual "AppleKey + `" command doesn't switch between documents, you have to use Control+Tab.

Now I've got that off my chest I feel better. I love my new Mac, I really do, but things like this will stop people switching, and that's a bad thing...

With regards to your document switching question, have you tried exposé?

F9 will organise all your open apps
F10 will show you all your documents in the current app, or browser windows etc
F11 will hide everything and show you desktop


HTH
Asif

 

[LeeTom]

Also,
Command(Apple)+Shift+Left will act as Home ... and
Command(Apple)+Shift+Right will act as End

in most applications.

Lee Tom

 

[adriantoll]

Thanks for your replies

I'm surprised you find shortcut keys more consistent on the Mac mduser63 - I definitely find switching between documents within an application and going to the end / beginning of a line to be all over the shop. The UI is definitely nicer to use though.

Asif786 - I do use Exposé, and really like it - I use it mostly for finding stuff on the desktop rather than switching between applications, but it's definitely handy.

LeeTom - It's that word "most" that bugs me! I use that to go to the end of the line in Mac applications, but in Word it goes to the end or beginning of the next word on that line, and I think that might be true of Photoshop as well.

Ah well, hopefully things will come together in the next releases of the programmes. Does anyone know if Word in Office X still does this or not?

 

[decksnap]

Switching between documents in an app is the same in every application.

'Apple+~'

Edit: WTF? Photoshop doesn't do this?? I just checked that- that's odd. Sorry.

 

[Vanilla]

Switching between documents in an app is the same in every application.

'Apple+~'

Edit: WTF? Photoshop doesn't do this?? I just checked that- that's odd. Sorry.

Yeah that photoshop discrepency catches me out every time.
Two options work:

Ctrl + Tab
Apple + SHIFT + ~

Gawd knows why they couldn't standardise on Apple + ~
Vanilla

 

[chaos86]

you could use the photoshop key customizing thing. cant you customize the keystrokes in ps?

 

[mkrishnan]

Ctrl + Tab
Apple + SHIFT + ~

It's really funny to me that they'd choose one option that's already used in the document switching function (apple-shift-tilde) but use it in a non-standard way (since by standard it should work, but should go backwards through the open docs)...

There's some app that I use, which isn't photoshop, which also does not support apple-tilde, but I can't think of what it is off-hand.... If I catch myself using it, I'll post.

 

[adriantoll]

thanks vanilla - i didn't realise it worked if you use the shift key. that's probably easier than ctrl + tab as it's closer to the original.

chaos86 - a good idea, but unfortunately the shortcut customization only works for menu items, palette menus and tools. there isn't a menu item for cycling through windows, so i can't add that as a shortcut.

even more confusing is ms word - using apple and the right arrow, which in all other applications goes to the end of the line, goes to the right of the next word (which in other applications is alt + right arrow). why on earth can't they standardise?

 

[asif786]

even more confusing is ms word - using apple and the right arrow, which in all other applications goes to the end of the line, goes to the right of the next word (which in other applications is alt + right arrow). why on earth can't they standardise?

microsoft + standards? You must be kidding!

 

[mactastic]

PS pisses me off too since they have already mapped cmd-H to something else instead of hide. It's easily the worst compliant piece of software I use.

 

[adriantoll]

mactastic - there's a way of stopping those system keystrokes being taken over by photoshop:

Use System Shortcut Keys. In Mac OS X, Apple appropriated two keyboard shortcuts that were crucial for Photoshop users: Command-H and Command-M. Photoshop users know these as "Hide Selection" and "Curves dialog box." The Mac OS X folks use these shortcuts for "Hide Application" and "Minimize Application." Fortunately, the folks at Adobe give us an option. By default, the old Photoshop keystrokes win. However, if you turn on the Use System Shortcut Keys option, Photoshop defers to the OS X features.


But wait, there's more: If you hold down the Control key, you get the opposite result. That is, when Use System Shortcut Keys is turned off, you can press Command-Control-H to get Hide Application, and so on.

from http://www.adobepress.com/articles/article.asp?p=30163&seqNum=8

i haven't tried this though, so i can't vouch for it working...

 

[kiwi-in-uk]

... snip ... However, when I use the same command on my Mac, e.g. Apple key and right cursor key in Mail and Safari, it doesn't do the same thing in MS Word.

...

Odd.
I just tried "Apple + >" and "fn + >" and BOTH took me to the end of the line. Using Word 2004 for Mac. Don't recall changing any options since installing it.

 

[adriantoll]

Odd.
I just tried "Apple + >" and "fn + >" and BOTH took me to the end of the line. Using Word 2004 for Mac. Don't recall changing any options since installing it.

Nice one - I'll see how much an upgrade is from Office X.

As an addendum to this, Adobe ImageReady DOES use Apple + ` to switch between documents, so not only is this between applications, it's between Adobe applications that have a "Switch to Imageready / Photoshop" button built into the tool palette. Grrr.