This post originally appeared April 1, 2018, in my blog To Well With You.
I’m not sure when I discovered the beauty of a computer shortcut – or exactly when I dubbed myself the Queen of Keyboard Shortcuts. 🙂
But I LOVE them.
I had used PC systems at all four of my summer newspaper internships, but it wasn’t until my senior year of college, when the school paper replaced its clunky old computer system with Macs (cue celestial music), that I realized just how technology can make our lives easier.
I bought my first computer in November 1996 (I remember because it was Election Day – and also because I just remember stuff like that), and I’ve spent the quarter-century learning how to make computers work faster and more efficiently for me. I love passing along my little tips to anyone who’ll listen. (You’re welcome.)
While PCs and Macs use different operating systems, the platforms accommodate many of the same keyboard shortcuts. Also, different software programs (“apps,” for you young whippersnappers) use different shortcuts, meaning that not everything is universal, but many things are.
Why am I so in love with keyboard shortcuts? Let me count the ways:
- They save a lot of time. (Duh.) I’m serious. Little detours away from the keyboard add up. Having to take your hands away from the keys to grab the mouse is time consuming. If you type fast and know the shortcuts, you can zing through those paragraphs like nobody’s business. I cannot tell you how much time I save by favoring the keyboard over the mouse.
- No need for a mouse. What if you’re in a mouseless situation (or maybe the little critter’s battery is dead) but still need to perform a function in your document? Two strokes (or a combination of keys) and you’re all set.
- They’re more precise. Have you ever tried to close a window on your screen where the little exit x or red dot was small, and maybe your mouse was a little uncooperative – maybe it wandered around the screen when you didn’t tell it to? Keyboard shortcut.
- They cut down on “mouse hand.” (I’m not sure that’s a real term, but I know it’s a thing.) Haven’t you experienced cramps in your mouse-wielding hand that could be eased with a little break from the normal position? I sure have.
- It’s cool. No, really. It just is.
I’m going start you with five of my favorite shortcuts for each of the two major operating systems; if you’d like to learn more, I’ll add to the collection in a later post. And feel free to suggest other tech lessons you’d like to explore.
| FUNCTION | MAC | PC |
| SAVE | Command + S | Control + S |
| UNDO | Command + Z | Control + Z |
| COPY | Command + C | Control + C |
| CUT | Command + X | Control + X |
| PASTE | Command + V | Control + V |
If you’re reading this post on a computer, take a few moments to try these keyboard shortcuts. Open a document, type a few words and try the commands. Don’t worry: If you make a booboo, there’s always Command Z!
Do you already use keyboard shortcuts? What’s your fave? (Mine is Command + Z – undo!)/