Tasked with finding a symbol to represent the very abstract notion of “command,” Kare came upon the current now-iconic pretzel-shaped design, a shape used in Nordic countries to indicate a campground on a map. Some of these keys have unique symbols defined in the Unicode block Miscellaneous Technical.
That decision meant there would also need to be an alternative logo, a duty that fell to Susan Kare, Apple’s resident bitmap artist at the time. To serve the functionality of the Macintosh operating systems (and because of historical differences), the Apple Keyboards layout differs somewhat from that of the ubiquitous IBM PC keyboard, mainly in its modifier and special keys. It was a situation Jobs described as “taking the Apple logo in vain.” The Apple logo, for instance, was everywhere - on every menu screen, all over the keyboard and, of course, directly on the Apple key. During the development of MacDraw, a drawing app that released with the Apple Macintosh in 1984, Steve Jobs decided the Apple name and logo were being overused, which was diluting the brand. The name “Command” key, and the now-iconic symbol, are in part thanks to the whims of Steve Jobs. The current pretzel-shaped design is used in Sweden to indicate a campground on a map. In combination with the other keys, it allows you to operate your machine without ever touching - or even having - a mouse, a situation that was far more common before the trackpad laptop took over computing. The Apple logo is one fo the few symbols here that can be easily typed with a typical keyboard layout: K There is also an Fn modifier on modern Mac keyboards.
The Command key dates back to the early 1980s, and its secrets are bound up in its original name: the “Apple key.” According to Andy Hertzfeld, an American software engineer who helped develop the original Macintosh computer, the original purpose of the key is to allow you to completely do away with a mouse. The Command key was formerly represented by an Apple logo. But what was the original purpose of this key that is unique to Macs and, more curiously, why does it look so weird? The Command key is arguably the most important key on a Mac, and required for just about every major keyboard shortcut. If so, you probably never met the Command key - that large button with a pretzel-shaped logo next to your space bar - until well into your computer-using life.
If you’re over the age of about 25, there’s a good chance you didn’t learn how to use a computer on a Mac. This week: the mysterious symbol on Apple’s Command Key. i guess that match the symbol printed on keycaps. Mac finally changed its home/end key symbols from the incomprehensible to the make sense. Welcome to Further Details, a series dedicated to ubiquitous but overlooked elements hidden on your favorite products. Mac keyboard key unicode symbol change Mac keyboard viewer changes see Mac Keyboard Viewer.