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Which finger am I supposed to use for the Command button?

G

Gary King

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Which finger am I supposed to use for the Command button? I usually use my left thumb (I'm a newbie at this!) and it is very painful. I am more used to the Windows keyboard method, which uses the ctrl key and therefore I can use my pinkie in relative ease.
 
i use the left one so i use my left thumb, but looking at the keyboard layout the command key on the PB is under the "X" so i would assume the ring fingure. or if you use the right one, your pointer or middle finger....
that's my guess.....

also how many differnt thread can u start at once 😉
 
If you go into the Keyboard & Mouse preferences, click on the "modifier keys" button and you can swap the meanings of control, command etc. A different combination may be more comfortable for you.

I like to change the caps lock key to control, and control to command. That, or some other combination, may be more comfortable for you.
 
I use my left thumb on the left Command key. Perhaps I'd be more efficient if I used both Command keys, but my right Command key is totally pristine - never been touched.

Was it by design that the most-useful Command key combinations are on the left of the keyboard? Q=Quit, W=Close, A=Select All, S=Save, Z=Undo, X=Cut, C=Copy, V=Paste
 
Well, for things like cmd-q and others on the left side the of the keyboard, I use my left thumb for the left cmd key and my middle finger for the letter. Otherwise, if it is something like cmd-p or something else on the right side of the keyboard, I use my middle finger for the cmd key and my other middle finger for the letter. 😎
 
I don't really see how using the left thumb can be painful... When I use my Mac I just rest my left hand on the left side of the keyboard, thumb rested on the command key, at the ready, right hand on the mouse. Maybe it doesn't hurt because I'm used to it...?
 
Which finger am I supposed to use for the Command button?
Click to expand...
It would entirely depend on what fingers you have available to your disposal. Not everyone has five fingers on each hand. I know someone who has four and I know someone who has six (although the sixth is only partially formed). Thus, you may have some options when it comes to the ellusive command key. I actually have been watching myself type for the last couple of minutes and noticed that I am using my thumbs for the command keys. I don't experience any pain from that; however, my wrists move left and right while I type because I don't let them rest heavily on the laptop.

By the way, those initial comments were meant in jest.
 
Duff-Man says...on my Powermac I have a multi-button mouse so I rarely touch the control key - I right-click instead...but on my Powerbook I use my left thumb most of the time...I would say use the one that is most comfortable for you...laptop keyboards are not very "ergonomic" anyway so it is somewhat up to individual comfort, as well as your level of typing skills....oh yeah!
 
It took me a while, but now I actually use my left thumb for Alt as well. Before I got my Mac I think I used to use my ring finger for Alt on Windows - I don't even remember. Using the left thumb becomes second nature after a while...
 
Left thumb user here too. Most of the time anyway. Sometimes I use my middle or ring finger. Also, do many people use the right shift key? I never use the right shift key, but I always use my right thumb for the spacebar.
 
Doctor Q said:
I use my left thumb on the left Command key. Perhaps I'd be more efficient if I used both Command keys, but my right Command key is totally pristine - never been touched.
Click to expand...

This comment just made my brain go weird. I'm the same! And I don't think I've ever used the right-command key. Why is it even there?!?
 
I'm either left thumb for copy/paste/close/quit

or right index finger for opening in tabs.
I don't know why there's a difference in what I'm doing, I think it could be hand-to-trackpad relation, or I'm crazy button-pressing-ambidextrous, haha.
 
I use my left thumb too. It just seems to fall there comfortably, being right next to the spacebar and all.
 
cooknwitha said:
This comment just made my brain go weird. I'm the same! And I don't think I've ever used the right-command key. Why is it even there?!?
Click to expand...
I use my left thumb too, but use the right command key for cmd-, and cmd-l. I seem to use them a lot for some reason.
 
My left hand controls that region of the keyboard, so left thumb. But sometimes I use my middle finger if my hand is too far "down" on my PowerBook.
 
Left and right

I use Powerbooks only, so here are my main combinations:

Left thumb "Cmd" + left index "Q, W, C, V"
Left index "Alt" + right index "u" for the German Umlaut, i.e. ü, ä, ö
Right thumb "Cmd" + right index "I"
Rigth thumb "Cmd" + right index "[, ]" for Safari, although sometimes I use
Right index "Cmd" + right middle "<-, ->".
 
Left thumber here.

Our Art Director is ambidextrous. You should see him work with keyboard shortcuts.
 
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