Please, where is the '@' key on a macbook pro??

Interestingly. that was the way I had to do it when I was faced with an AZERTY keyboard on a PC in Italy. I never did find out how to type '@'.

 

On my QWERTY MacBook Pro, the alt key is accessed by fn [function key] + option.

David

 

I'm not sure which software you installed and I didn't clearly specify which software it was that I was referring to. The software that you need is Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator and you can download it here.

This should enable you to modify an existing keyboard layout and define the '@' key in whatever manner you like.

 

did you go to 'Character Map' in XP and click the '@' symbol to see what keystrokes it was mapped to?

 

This keyboard '@' key issue seems to be getting less clear as the thread progresses.

After reviewing this thread, I don't see any mention that the '@' key works for you in any environment, so please bear with me;

Can you type the '@' symbol in a native Mac OS X application such as TextEdit? If you can, what key or key combination do you use to do that with? This will verify whether or not your keyboard has a working '@' symbol key.

If you can type the '@' symbol under Mac OS X, then start up Parallels Desktop for Mac and either open an existing vm or create a new one. Can you type the '@' symbol in the name field of the vm? This will tell us if the '@' symbol is working in Parallels Desktop itself.

You say that Bootcamp supports azerty keyboards. Are you also running Windows in a Bootcamp partition? If you are, can you type the '@' character in Windows under Bootcamp and, if you can, then please explain what keystrokes you use to do that.

On the other hand, if you're not running Windows in a Bootcamp partition then, while azerty may be supported, we really don't know if your keyboard can or cannot type the '@' symbol in Windows.

Also, when you say that, under Bootcamp, the keys that do not match are easy to spot; I'm not very clear on what you mean. Could you describe how you 'spot' the keys that do not match by giving an example of the procedure that you use to do this?

The reason I ask is that if the non-matching keys are easy to spot then what is it about the '@' key that makes it difficult to find?

 

Its really an Apple issue - while the Apple US layout is very similar to the US PC layout (modulo the differences with ctrl/alt/fn keys) - some of the regionalized (i.e. non-US) Apple keyboards differ quite significantly from the "standard" PC layouts for those regions. E.g. a British Apple keyboard is more or less a US keyboard with "£" in place of "#" (and doesn't have a marked # key) whereas on a typical British PC keyboard the quote, @, | \ and # keys are in different places c.f. the US.

Sometimes it doesn't appear that Apple - and other software houses - are aware of this.

...N.B. This is also a pain for (e.g.) a UK user who wants to use a non-Apple keyboard with their desktop Mac (particularly relevant for the Mac Mini where the policy is "bring your own keyboard and mouse") - OS X will let you remap the ctrl/windows/alt keys to their Mac equivalents but otherwise assumes an "Apple British" layout. Even if you do find/make an alternate keyboard layout, some apps keep reverting to "Apple British". Not really "it just works"!

Since Parallels are in the business of providing a "seamless" PC environment for the Mac it could be reasonably argued that they should at least document the issue and provide suitable keyboard definition files for Windows.

 

to hughjaas: yes i did. unfortunately this key is NOT displayed in the keyboard layout

note: i'll make a quick reply to every post since their authors are different. i hope that doesn't make things too complicated.
if so, please let me know. thanks

 

It isn't confusing if you reply separately to separate messages but why not use the Quote button? That makes it clear who and what you are replying to.

There is nothing "quick" about the Quick Reply feature.

David

 

To John Purins:

hi John,

no problem whatsoever with my azerty keyboard in mac os x environment (@ works perfectly in any application with just hitting the key located under the "escape" key)


in my windows xp VM, i cannot type neither '@' nor '#', this is why i started this thread here.


although i have a bootcamp partition (i am getting rid of it in the near future), i do not use it as a parallels VM.


strangely enough, what is possible in windows xp bootcamp is NOT possible at all in my parallels windows xp VM (not based on my bootcamp partition, as i've just mentioned).


so, please find below the answers to your questions about which key types what in windows xp bootcamp:

< is obtained when hitting @
# ................................... <
é .................................... 2
@ ................................... Fn-<


on other respects, i installed "microsoft keyboard layout creator 1.4" clicking the link you gave me
i designed a layout, it went fine.
the only thing is that i do know how to make use of it in my windows xp VM

i guess the simplest way, as far as i am concerned, woud be to copy-paste @ or # from a .txt file on my windows xp desktop when needed.

well, i hope that's clear now
thanks very much for your help and concern.

 

Another tip I should have added to what I said about using the Quote feature:

It isn't necessary to quote the whole message you are replying to. By editing the quoted message to include only what is relevant, you can make the thread easier for others to follow.

David

 

This thread is on the first page of Google results (item 9) for: apple azerty layout

For those trying to visualize the problem here, this is a mockup of a Mac Azerty keyboard with the physical keys matching those on a MacBook. Note the "@" on the top left of the tablet keyboard (but this keyboard is a mockup, it doesn't exist):



The topic creator mentions getting a superscript 2 (aka "exponent 2") which is shown on that top left key per the "Microsoft AZERTY Layout", but it seems Microsoft puts the "@" on the "0" key, and since it's a tertiary symbol, seems Microsoft requires the secondary (right) ALT key for "@" and other keys shown in green:



It seems to me if one can type any of those green characters in Parallels under Mac, one should be able to type the @ sign as well -- it should be a question of understanding how to type the right-ALT key.

Meanwhile, though, I'd be tempted to respecify my keyboard as Belgian.

 

Ok, a little more sleuthing, and yes, the problem is the lack of a "Right Alt" aka "Alt Gr" key on Macbook Pro.

Here's an elegant solution, remapping the extra "Enter" key as Alt Gr using SharpKeys under Windows XP:
http://www.paulofierro.com/archives/395/

This solution works for French, Norwegian, Icelandic, etc., any key layout requiring the typing of Alt Gr, and works in both Parallels and Bootcamp.

 

In Windows XP go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Regional and Language Settings > Languages > Details and select the keyboard layout file that you created.

 

yes, i thought about it.
but the problem is i am already working with two keyboards (of completely different languages, the second one being qwerty-based but with many more characters than the english qwerty).

going from one keyboard to another is very simple (i use the "apple-space" shortcut to shift keyboards and type the characters i need since i know by heart which corresponds to which on my azerty keyboard)

the thing gets more complicated when you need to handle 3 keyboards as you can figure out...

anyway, thanks for the suggestion


To Skeuomorph:
i took a look at your link, thanks. the "microsoft keyboard layout creator 1.4" software seems to be easier to handle. in any case, the copy-paste solution remains the fastest, more efficient one, as far as i am concerned.

 

The choice of remapping software isn't the point. The ability to easily type those 13 missing characters, once the redundant Enter key is remapped to AltGr is the point.

So, there are 13 characters you can't type without "Alt Gr" aka the right ALT key.

You find it's faster and more efficient to open a text file, find, then cut and paste, each of those 13 characters, than to remap the extra and appropriately positioned MacBook "Enter" key to "Alt Gr", allowing you to type those 13 characters at will in Windows, as they would be typed on any PC?

How odd. Perhaps your point was to create a complaint thread and martyr yourself, rather than find an elegant solution. I apologise for any assistance I may have inadvertently provided.

 

If you remap like this, can you later switch back to an U.S. English keyboard (assuming that's where you started) or do you have to re-remap for that?

Thank you,

David

 

Skeuomorph,

come on, don't be that touchy!
i didn't mean to hurt you, and i repeat once again: thanks for your help and thanks to everybody who has been trying to help on my thread

i am no computer expert whatsoever and, what's more, i've been a switcher for a couple of months.

i first tried John Purins' link since it was posted earlier than yours. i took me such a long time to get the microsoft keyboard layout creator 1.4 software installed and more or less customized that on reading your "elegant" solution, i had the feeling it would take me even longer in order to implement it on my VM

anyway, i'll try to do so when i have time - i quite see your point about the Alt Gr key, of course.

and, another misgiving i got has already been expressed by David5000 in his last post: what if i can't get back to my original keyboards (i work in many languages, i earn a living on that, i can't afford to do without the two keyboards - with their original settings or "mappings" - i mentioned in earlier posts).

sorry if i hurt you, and thanks again for your help and the link you provided

 

You might also try asking on sci.lang.translation or one of the translator Web sites.

David