Can I use a non-Apple keyboard with OS X?

Question

Recently I've been thinking about the idea of migrating from PC to Mac, specifically Mac Mini. The biggest issue however is hardware, since I'm not sure what will and what won't work on OS X.

First issue that comes to my mind is keyboard, currently I'm using Logitech G15. If I connect it to a Mac, how well will this work with OS X specific keys like Option, Cmd, etc? Does it work out of the box with all keyboards, or should I rather buy the Apple keyboard?

Answer 1

Macs work just fine with non-Apple keyboards. Alt becomes option, and the Windows key becomes the command key. And if you want to rearrange them, you can easily do so in the System Preferences:

However, I prefer to use Apple keyboards with my Mac as they have buttons on the top to control expose, volume, and pause/rewind/fastforward of media playback. Apple keyboards also have the command key better positioned for keyboard shortcuts than the Windows key is on regular keyboards.

Answer 2

Just in case Keyboard pref setting doesn't stick, try to combine it with KeyRemap4MacBook

Some explanation by myself over there.

Btw, don't be surprised if vendor's drivers act weird or even cause kernel panics - last time I checked, three months ago, the Microsoft driver still wasn't fully functional on Snow Leopard. And I installed it on my Mom's mini…

Answer 3

I use a PC keyboard with my MacBook Pro and I just recently ran into a problem. I'd like a quick keyboard shortcut to sleep the computer without a popup. There is a shortcut that uses the "eject" button, but my keyboard has no "eject" button. There doesn't seem to be any way to redefine the shortcut, or any way to emulate the "eject" button.

So that's a data point for you.

Answer 4

If the keyboard is USB, it should be fine. That USB thing is important though - there are no PS2 ports on a Mac. I was able to use my cymotion keyboard with no hassle, but as Kyle pointed out, I needed to remap one or two keys.

Answer 5

I'm using a Microsoft keyboard with my new Macbook pro and its fine. Recommend the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic keyboard 4000 v1 to anyone. It will save your wrists.