Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Apple, Retro Mac
Save the Open Apple key (or should we?)
Thomas from the German site Rettet die sent us this English version of his petition to save the Open Apple key-- that little Apple icon on the Command key that's missing from the new Apple Keyboards. Already, he's received 1600 German comments in favor of keeping the Apple key, and he asked us to bring the petition to America and join the fight to save the Apple key.But is it a fight we want to join or not? Sure, the Open Apple key is a tradition by now-- ever since I was a kid, I've learned to use the Open Apple key instead of the Ctrl key on Windows keyboards, and even when Microsoft trotted out their "Windows key" in Windows 95, it was just a copy of the classic-- their flag didn't come close to the icon design of the bitten apple.
But Apple has to have a good reason for taking the key off, don't they? So far, all I've heard is that they did it from a design standpoint-- they didn't want Apple logos all over the place, and the Command key is (and works) exactly the same anyway.
For me, that's not a good enough reason. Having a logo on the Command key is a uniquely Apple standard, and no one said that it cluttered up the keyboard before now. Of course, Apple is Apple, and they'll do what they want-- even 16,000 petition signatures probably won't get them to change their product. But that doesn't change the fact that they're wrong to kill the Open Apple.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Stuart said 8:23PM on 8-16-2007
I'm glad it's gone; maybe this comes down to how long you've used Macs. There's no Apple on my old Mac Plus keyboard and it's always just confused people over what the key is. There's no little Apple in menus is there?
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mike said 8:24PM on 8-16-2007
idiots
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required said 8:24PM on 8-16-2007
"they didn't want Apple logos all over the place"
Don't they realize that even w/o one on command key that they still have Apple logos all over the place?
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llamapalooza87 said 8:26PM on 8-16-2007
They were originally going to use the icon instead of the swirly command thingy, but Jobs stepped in, saying it was unprofessional to slap the logo around on all the menus, and that it looked busy. The cmd icon was actually the result of a frantic attempt to find a replacement, and the icon was kept on because of the original plan.
Reference:
http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=Swedish_Campground.txt
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llamapalooza87 said 8:28PM on 8-16-2007
Ack, sorry, this font doesn't support the Apple symbol. That's what the s are in my last post.
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Jordan Golson said 8:40PM on 8-16-2007
The apple key is sort of like having the windows key as far as logos go, but without the funcitonality.
It just doesn't need to be there and it confuses people when you have to say "ok, hit the command key... the one with the little squiggly thing on it next to option... yes the apple key..."
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dostler said 8:41PM on 8-16-2007
Perhaps they did it so that windows people would be more likely to buy their keyboards to use on their windows machines. After all they are making a lot of their other hardware compatible with windows.
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Alex said 8:44PM on 8-16-2007
Keeping the open apple would make sense if the open apple were ANYWHERE in ANY menu. But it's not. The command symbol is everywhere. The open apple is just a distraction.
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Kolby Dukes said 8:53PM on 8-16-2007
i kinda like it, but everyone else doesn't so maybe someone will make an aftermarket apple command key...
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Jeremy said 8:57PM on 8-16-2007
Why don't people make petitions like this for more important things, like...
all the features missing on the iPhone??
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Query said 8:58PM on 8-16-2007
I'm glad that Apple removed the Apple logo from the key. I'm sick of everyone calling it the "apple key," because that's not what it is. They probably removed it because it doesn't have anything to do with "command."
The people who don't like it can just use old Apple keyboards.. or paint their own on. :P
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roz said 9:02PM on 8-16-2007
ok a bit of web searching:
Lisa - Apple, no clover
Mac 128 - clover, no Apple
Mac Plus - clover, no Apple
Apple IIgs - clover and open Apple, ADB
Mac SE - clover and open Apple, ADB
So it seems to me that the open Apple was added with the first ADB Macs - the Mac II and the Mac SE, maybe to make it more interchangeable with the IIgs.
Personally, I'd rather see that key have one name, one function and one image on it. To me it has always been the Command key. So I am really happy to see the word Command finally on that key, since its always trouble getting people to understand what I am talking about when I refer to that key.
I am not sure what the point of the open Apple on that key ever was, other than the case where you'd take a keyboard from a Mac II or SE and plug it into a Apple IIgs, then you'd need an Apple key. Otherwise, its never been part of original Mac terminology to call that the Apple key. but I will admit that I have heard even people from Apple call it that. I think its just for lack of a better term.
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Bruno said 9:04PM on 8-16-2007
What's I'd like to petition is the addition of the OTHER symbols on their respective keys. The Shift symbol, control (^) and Option (which reallly confuses a LOT of people).
Bruno
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Nic said 9:06PM on 8-16-2007
What about a petition to save the matte screens?
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Levi Pinder said 9:09PM on 8-16-2007
I'm sick of people calling the Command key "The Apple key", the Option key "The alt key" and the Return key "Enter". I'm glad Apple have replaced the symbols with their names... but I imagine it's going to make figuring out keyboard shortcuts (which use the symbols) harder.
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BdeRWest said 9:27PM on 8-16-2007
@4:
Also, the Closed-Apple was the key to the right of the space bar back in the day... that's why people call it the "open apple key."
I read that folklore story as well, but I think that was referring more to not having s all over contextual menus. Not keys on the keyboard. That was, though, the beginning of the end of the Apple logo.
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BdeRWest said 9:29PM on 8-16-2007
@15:
Actually, both the option and return keys say "alt" and "enter" on them... And, technically, on "full-sized" keyboards, isn't the enter key on the numerical pad?
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Scott Matheson said 9:38PM on 8-16-2007
I miss the different open and closed Apple keys from my //e. Please keep the open Apple on the "command" key. (And take the "alt" off the option key and the "enter" off the return key.) Minor gripes, but it's part of what makes Apple Apple. If OS X is just a pretty face on BSD, we can just use X. Come on people - drink your Kool-Ade.
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Mark Sapio said 9:47PM on 8-16-2007
It is like taking away an old tradition, it is an absolute trademark. It feels extremely weird typing away from an apple keyboard without having the apple key on it, and it is definitely not a distraction.
It's what makes an apple keyboard an apple keyboard, without it, it would just be an apple manufactured keyboard with keys similar to generic ones, nothing special.
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Mitch said 9:54PM on 8-16-2007
I think removing the Apple Key was a mistake.
Please bring it back!!!
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