Keyboard Layout: English USA vs. English International - Which Do You Prefer?

[macNewbie02]

Hey,

As you all know Apple has two types of keyboard layout:

English USA:

English International:

Which one do you prefer?

 

[Teo Morabito]

U.S style all the way, it's just much nicer and has a much better balance to it (the two shifts are the same size...)
And it also doesn't interfere with the nice lines flowing in the keyboard.

 

[Rizzm]

I've never used the international version but as far as I can tell, I would prefer the U.S. version. I like the wide enter/return and shift keys; anything to help extend farther out keys more inward to my hands is preferred.

 

[Teo Morabito]

The worst is when F5 and F6 are empty

 

[OllyW]

The British one because that's where I live.

 

[macNewbie02]

The worst is when F5 and F6 are empty

What F5 and F6 do on a USA keyboard layout?

 

[Teo Morabito]

What F5 and F6 do on a USA keyboard layout?

the backlighting on MBP ?

 

[416049]

I would prefer the International one, simply as I have never used the usa one.

To be correct though I switch between a hungarian and a danish one depending upon the computer I use.

 

[kamran9558]

I am in the UK but have ordered the US version as the "shift" and "@" keys are quite odd in UK version

 

[AdeFowler]

The British one because that's where I live.

Image

Agreed. I use the tilde key so much, I'd hate to see it moved. I would however like a dedicated hash key… maybe in place of one of the characters under the escape key.

 

[throttlemeister]

Always the US version. I positively cannot stand the vertical enter-key. That alone is a reason for me order BTO, as you cannot get the US keyboard here of the shelf.

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Agreed. I use the tilde key so much, I'd hate to see it moved. I would however like a dedicated hash key… maybe in place of one of the characters under the escape key.

So, what is the difference between hitting shift and the key next to it, or hitting shift and the key that's 3 above it? It's still two key strokes and both are arguably just as easy to reach. If you would have said the £ (option-3 on US, versus shift-3 UK) or some other keys that don't even exist on the US version, I would understand. But the ~, no.

 

[ND40oz]

I'm sure it's just what you're used to, but I can't stand the international, go to hit enter and end up with \

 

[FastEddiebags]

USA version but I'm sure I could switch to the international version if needed. I agree that the return key is weird.

 

[57004]

I'm in Europe too, and that enter key is horrible. I don't mind it being vertical at all, but in that case it should have been bigger. The way it is now, the top part is only as big as a letter key, while the bottom part is even narrower! That's useless for a key that's used so much.

I love what Apple have done with the Japanese keyboard's enter key (but there the brackets are much worse):

If I order new I definitely order the US style, but since I often buy refurbs I don't get to have that choice. I tend to buy refurb and then resell them the next year so I'm always only 1 model year behind, I find refurbs keep their value quite well compared to new models.

 

[macNewbie02]

I'm in Europe too, and that enter key is horrible. I don't mind it being vertical at all, but in that case it should have been bigger. The way it is now, the top part is only as big as a letter key, while the bottom part is even narrower! That's useless for a key that's used so much.

I love what Apple have done with the Japanese keyboard's enter key (but there the brackets are much worse):
Image

If I order new I definitely order the US style, but since I often buy refurbs I don't get to have that choice. I tend to buy refurb and then resell them the next year so I'm always only 1 model year behind, I find refurbs keep their value quite well compared to new models.

This Japanese keyboard looks interesting - I didn't know they have a diiferent layout, I might have added it as an option to the poll