Every Apple keyboard on Macs and Co. contains a so-called “option key”. But what exactly is this special key all about? We'll enlighten you!
The Option key on the Mac
The Option key is labeled “alt” along with the Unicode symbol ⌥. However, it fulfills different tasks than the (Alt) key in Windows. The five most useful features:
- (⌥) + (L) produces the @ sign.
- Option-drag a file to a new folder. Here the file is not moved but copied.
- Hold down the Option key and click the Close Window icon. Then all open program windows will be closed at the same time.
- In iTunes, you can Option-hold and create a “Smart Playlist.”
- If you hold down the Option key and use the forward/back arrow keys, you can use the cursor to jump forward or back one word at a time in the text.
You can find more useful keyboard shortcuts for Mac here.