I show off a very cool application available from the Mac App Store, which gives you hints on all of the keyboard shortcuts available on your Mac. Add a New Keyboard Shortcut Get to the keyboard shortcuts tab as explained earlier Choose a program Click the App Shortcuts category from the left list, click the + (Add) icon from the bottom of the list in the right, and select a program from the Application drop-down list (Calendar for this example).
© Provided by TechRepublic Apple's MacBook Air 2020 Image: ApplePress these keys To do this; Home/End Ctrl+Home/End Ctrl+Up/Down Ctrl+A Ctrl+Space Ctrl/Shift+Click Shift+Up/Down Shift+Page Up/Down Ctrl+Enter: Go to first/last field Go to first/last row Navigate without losing selection Select all Toggle row selection Add the row/rows to the selection Add row above/below to selection Select visible rows above/below Focus out of the list. Get the full list of Adobe Premiere Pro keyboard shortcuts you need to know. Learn how to customize your own to improve your efficiency and edit faster.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic closing stores and putting life on hiatus for many around the world, Apple has revealed a new MacBook Air model that's sure to give Apple fans something to be excited about while waiting for the worst to pass. The new MacBook Air replaces last year's model, and while it looks practically identical (the only difference is 0.02' of added height in the 2020 model), the graphics, storage, and processor are all upgraded.
© Image: AppleThose new hardware features pale in comparison to the biggest change introduced in the 2020 MacBook Air: An all new keyboard design. Those who have been holding out hope for a true MacBook keyboard redesign have finally had their wishes answered.
Here is what business users need to know about the MacBook Air 2020. This article will be updated as new information is available about this Apple device.
SEE: Apple Macbook Air 2020: Cheat sheet (Free PDF) (TechRepublic)
Macbook For Dummies Cheat Sheet
Disclosure: TechRepublic may earn a commission from some of the products featured on this page. TechRepublic and the author were not compensated for this independent review.
What is the new MacBook Air 2020?
Apple's 2020 MacBook Air is the latest version of its ultra-portable laptop design that first appeared in 2008. The new MacBook Air retains the design of the 2018 and 2019 models, with most improvements coming in the form of upgrades to internal components; one exception is a new keyboard design.
Apple's MacBook keyboards have long been a source of complaint since the now-extinct butterfly keyboard was introduced in 2015. In place of the unpopular design present in MacBooks from 2015 to 2019 is the same scissor keyboard design present in the current generation of Apple Magic Keyboard. The same keyboard design is also used in the 2019 MacBook Pro 16-inch.
Anyone who has used a MacBook with the butterfly keyboard and an Apple Magic Keyboard or the 2019 MacBook Pro knows how different they feel. Dan Ackerman of TechRepublic sister site CNET even went as far as calling the new keyboard 'positively delightful, which is not praise I offer lightly.'
SEE: Apple's first employee: The remarkable odyssey of Bill Fernandez (PDF download) (TechRepublic)
Other features include the new scissor designed keyboard, a three-microphone array for clearer voice capture, support for 6K external monitors, improved stereo speakers, and Touch ID.
Owners of 2018 or 2019 MacBook Airs won't notice much of a difference aside from performance and the new keyboard—this MacBook is an update, not a redesign.
SEE: Mobile device security policy (TechRepublic Premium)
Specs for the MacBook Air 2020
Display: 13.3' 2560x1600 px True Tone display
Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics
Processor: Choice of 1.1 GHz dual-core Intel i3 w/3.2 GHz Turbo Boost and 4 MB L3 cache; or 1.1 GHz quad-core Intel i5 w/3.5 GHz Turbo Boost and 6 MB L3 cache; or 1.2 GHz quad-core Intel i7 w/3.8 GHz Turbo Boost and 8 MB L3 cache.
Memory: Choice of 8 GB or 16 GB
Storage: Choice of 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB SSD
Security: Apple T2 chip
Ports: 2 USB-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (no Wi-Fi 6), Bluetooth 5
Camera: Front-facing FaceTime HD camera
Operating system: macOS Catalina
Additional resources
Apple's new 2020 MacBook Air left out a key upgrade for people working from home (CNET)
Apple's new MacBook Air and iPad Pro: New floating case, trackpad support and lidar (CNET)
Apple updates its MacBook Air with more storage, Magic Keyboard (ZDNet)
Apple's 5 most important business products of the decade (TechRepublic)
Why should business users care about the new MacBook Air?
The reason that professionals should care about the 2020 MacBook Air boils down to one word: Keyboard.
As the owner of a 2018 MacBook Air, I can attest to keyboard problems; and, as the owner of an Apple Magic Keyboard I often use to type on it instead, I can also attest to the superiority of the Magic Keyboard's scissor keys.
SEE: All of TechRepublic's cheat sheets and smart person's guides Video clipping software.
Not all professionals are going to be excited over a new keyboard, but anyone who spends a good amount of their day typing is sure to be pleased. The key travel distance on the new MacBook Air Magic Keyboard is only a single millimeter, but that's double the distance of the butterfly keyboard.
Key travel distance can make a huge difference, and while anyone using shallow keys can adjust, it's hard to completely eliminate the feeling that your fingers are slightly clumsier than they are on a keyboard with greater travel.
Travel distance aside, the Magic Keyboard addresses a lot of the issues the butterfly keyboard has, which include missed keystrokes, duplicates, sticky keys, and sensitivity to dust.
If the new and improved keyboard isn't enough to excite you, there's also the promise from Apple that the 2020 MacBook Air gets two times faster performance, and the fact that its entry-level hard drive starts at 256 GB, which is double that of last year's model.
The 2020 Air has a new lower starting price of $999, and even an entry-level model comes with the new keyboard and the twice-as-large hard drive.
Additional resources
Apple's new MacBook Air and iPad Pro offer intriguing new features for business users (TechRepublic)
Nearly half of the third-gen Apple butterfly keyboards at Basecamp have failed (TechRepublic)
Apple lied to me about the MacBook Air and now we have a problem (ZDNet)
The Apple Developer Program: An insider's guide (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
Apple-related news and tips (TechRepublic on Flipboard)
How does the new MacBook Air compare to similar and other products?
The 2020 MacBook Air faces competition from the usual suspects, many of which haven't changed much since TechRepublic covered the release of the 2018 MacBook Air.
Chromebooks are the biggest competitor to the MacBook Air, with their similar slim designs, emphasis on portability, and ease of use. Chromebooks are often a lot cheaper as well; CNET's choice for best business Chromebook of 2020 (the Acer Chromebook 714) only costs around $650 USD.
Apple has made the MacBook Air its entry-level computer, and at $999, it's a significant jump in price over cheaper, more easily secured, and increasingly enterprise-friendly Chromebooks. Businesses looking to buy a lot of machines for users who don't need resource-intensive computers may be better served by choosing Chromebooks.
SEE: Apple MacBook Air 2020 vs. MacBook Air 2019: What's new and different? (CNET)
Then there's the new iPad Pro, which is looking more and more like a full-fledged laptop with each iteration. The latest iPad Pro even includes multi-touch trackpad support, a redesigned type case with backlit keys, and the same Magic Keyboard technology in the 2020 MacBook Air, and a rear camera with LiDAR scanning capabilities. All of those features give it the potential to offer the same level of user experience with the addition of augmented reality features (aided by LiDAR) that the MacBook Air can't even hope to compete with.
Apple may be splitting its user base between two new products, and while that might not harm Apple's bottom line, it could leave consumers in a position where they opt for a cheaper machine with all of the capabilities of both the 2020 MacBook Air and 2020 iPad Pro in one package.
Additional resources
Why the iPad Pro replaced my MacBook Pro for travel (TechRepublic)
Apple's new iPad Pro arrives with updated chip and camera, AR scanner (ZDNet)
Dell vs. Apple: Which laptops are better for business? (TechRepublic)
Bring your own device (BYOD) policy (TechRepublic Premium)
Get our latest coverage about mobile devices (TechRepublic on Flipboard)
When will the new MacBook Air be available, and where can I buy it?
The 2020 MacBook Air is available for order on Apple's website starting on March 18, 2020, and will be in stores the following week.
With the closure of all Apple's retail stores outside of greater China due to the coronavirus pandemic, online ordering is currently the only way to purchase the new MacBook Air until it comes to third-party retailers in the weeks following its scheduled in-store release.
Additional resources
Coronavirus: What business pros need to know (TechRepublic)
Apple's WWDC 2020 conference will be online only due to coronavirus (TechRepublic)
Coronavirus and its impact on the enterprise (TechRepublic Premium)
Working from home: Success tips for telecommuters (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
Author's note: This article was originally published on March 18, 2020.
To use a keyboard shortcut, press and hold one or more modifier keys and then press the last key of the shortcut. For example, to use Command-C (copy), press and hold the Command key, then the C key, then release both keys. Mac menus and keyboards often use symbols for certain keys, including modifier keys:
On keyboards made for Windows PCs, use the Alt key instead of Option, and the Windows logo key instead of Command.
Some keys on some Apple keyboards have special symbols and functions, such as for display brightness , keyboard brightness , Mission Control, and more. If these functions aren't available on your keyboard, you might be able to reproduce some of them by creating your own keyboard shortcuts. To use these keys as F1, F2, F3, or other standard function keys, combine them with the Fn key.
Cut, copy, paste, and other common shortcuts
- Command-X: Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard.
- Command-C: Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder.
- Command-V: Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. This also works for files in the Finder.
- Command-Z: Undo the previous command. You can then press Shift-Command-Z to Redo, reversing the undo command. In some apps, you can undo and redo multiple commands.
- Command-A: Select All items.
- Command-F: Find items in a document or open a Find window.
- Command-G: Find Again: Find the next occurrence of the item previously found. To find the previous occurrence, press Shift-Command-G.
- Command-H: Hide the windows of the front app. To view the front app but hide all other apps, press Option-Command-H.
- Command-M: Minimize the front window to the Dock. To minimize all windows of the front app, press Option-Command-M.
- Command-O: Open the selected item, or open a dialog to select a file to open.
- Command-P: Print the current document.
- Command-S: Save the current document.
- Command-T: Open a new tab.
- Command-W: Close the front window. To close all windows of the app, press Option-Command-W.
- Option-Command-Esc: Force quit an app.
- Command–Space bar: Show or hide the Spotlight search field. To perform a Spotlight search from a Finder window, press Command–Option–Space bar. (If you use multiple input sources to type in different languages, these shortcuts change input sources instead of showing Spotlight. Learn how to change a conflicting keyboard shortcut.)
- Control–Command–Space bar: Show the Character Viewer, from which you can choose emoji and other symbols.
- Control-Command-F: Use the app in full screen, if supported by the app.
- Space bar: Use Quick Look to preview the selected item.
- Command-Tab: Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps.
- Shift-Command-5: In macOS Mojave or later, take a screenshot or make a screen recording. Or use Shift-Command-3 or Shift-Command-4 for screenshots. Learn more about screenshots.
- Shift-Command-N: Create a new folder in the Finder.
- Command-Comma (,): Open preferences for the front app.
Sleep, log out, and shut down shortcuts
You might need to press and hold some of these shortcuts for slightly longer than other shortcuts. This helps you to avoid using them unintentionally.
- Power button: Press to turn on your Mac or wake it from sleep. Press and hold for 1.5 seconds to put your Mac to sleep.* Continue holding to force your Mac to turn off.
- Option–Command–Power button* or Option–Command–Media Eject : Put your Mac to sleep.
- Control–Shift–Power button* or Control–Shift–Media Eject : Put your displays to sleep.
- Control–Power button* or Control–Media Eject : Display a dialog asking whether you want to restart, sleep, or shut down.
- Control–Command–Power button:* Force your Mac to restart, without prompting to save any open and unsaved documents.
- Control–Command–Media Eject : Quit all apps, then restart your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
- Control–Option–Command–Power button* or Control–Option–Command–Media Eject : Quit all apps, then shut down your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
- Control-Command-Q: Immediately lock your screen.
- Shift-Command-Q: Log out of your macOS user account. You will be asked to confirm. To log out immediately without confirming, press Option-Shift-Command-Q.
* Does not apply to the Touch ID sensor.
Finder and system shortcuts
- Command-D: Duplicate the selected files.
- Command-E: Eject the selected disk or volume.
- Command-F: Start a Spotlight search in the Finder window.
- Command-I: Show the Get Info window for a selected file.
- Command-R: (1) When an alias is selected in the Finder: show the original file for the selected alias. (2) In some apps, such as Calendar or Safari, refresh or reload the page. (3) In Software Update preferences, check for software updates again.
- Shift-Command-C: Open the Computer window.
- Shift-Command-D: Open the desktop folder.
- Shift-Command-F: Open the Recents window, showing all of the files you viewed or changed recently.
- Shift-Command-G: Open a Go to Folder window.
- Shift-Command-H: Open the Home folder of the current macOS user account.
- Shift-Command-I: Open iCloud Drive.
- Shift-Command-K: Open the Network window.
- Option-Command-L: Open the Downloads folder.
- Shift-Command-N: Create a new folder.
- Shift-Command-O: Open the Documents folder.
- Shift-Command-P: Show or hide the Preview pane in Finder windows.
- Shift-Command-R: Open the AirDrop window.
- Shift-Command-T: Show or hide the tab bar in Finder windows.
- Control-Shift-Command-T: Add selected Finder item to the Dock (OS X Mavericks or later)
- Shift-Command-U: Open the Utilities folder.
- Option-Command-D: Show or hide the Dock.
- Control-Command-T: Add the selected item to the sidebar (OS X Mavericks or later).
- Option-Command-P: Hide or show the path bar in Finder windows.
- Option-Command-S: Hide or show the Sidebar in Finder windows.
- Command–Slash (/): Hide or show the status bar in Finder windows.
- Command-J: Show View Options.
- Command-K: Open the Connect to Server window.
- Control-Command-A: Make an alias of the selected item.
- Command-N: Open a new Finder window.
- Option-Command-N: Create a new Smart Folder.
- Command-T: Show or hide the tab bar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window.
- Option-Command-T: Show or hide the toolbar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window.
- Option-Command-V: Move the files in the Clipboard from their original location to the current location.
- Command-Y: Use Quick Look to preview the selected files.
- Option-Command-Y: View a Quick Look slideshow of the selected files.
- Command-1: View the items in the Finder window as icons.
- Command-2: View the items in a Finder window as a list.
- Command-3: View the items in a Finder window in columns.
- Command-4: View the items in a Finder window in a gallery.
- Command–Left Bracket ([): Go to the previous folder.
- Command–Right Bracket (]): Go to the next folder.
- Command–Up Arrow: Open the folder that contains the current folder.
- Command–Control–Up Arrow: Open the folder that contains the current folder in a new window.
- Command–Down Arrow: Open the selected item.
- Right Arrow: Open the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
- Left Arrow: Close the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
- Command-Delete: Move the selected item to the Trash.
- Shift-Command-Delete: Empty the Trash.
- Option-Shift-Command-Delete: Empty the Trash without confirmation dialog.
- Command–Brightness Down: Turn video mirroring on or off when your Mac is connected to more than one display.
- Option–Brightness Up: Open Displays preferences. This works with either Brightness key.
- Control–Brightness Up or Control–Brightness Down: Change the brightness of your external display, if supported by your display.
- Option–Shift–Brightness Up or Option–Shift–Brightness Down: Adjust the display brightness in smaller steps. Add the Control key to this shortcut to make the adjustment on your external display, if supported by your display.
- Option–Mission Control: Open Mission Control preferences.
- Command–Mission Control: Show the desktop.
- Control–Down Arrow: Show all windows of the front app.
- Option–Volume Up: Open Sound preferences. This works with any of the volume keys.
- Option–Shift–Volume Up or Option–Shift–Volume Down: Adjust the sound volume in smaller steps.
- Option–Keyboard Brightness Up: Open Keyboard preferences. This works with either Keyboard Brightness key.
- Option–Shift–Keyboard Brightness Up or Option–Shift–Keyboard Brightness Down: Adjust the keyboard brightness in smaller steps.
- Option key while double-clicking: Open the item in a separate window, then close the original window.
- Command key while double-clicking: Open a folder in a separate tab or window.
- Command key while dragging to another volume: Move the dragged item to the other volume, instead of copying it.
- Option key while dragging: Copy the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the item.
- Option-Command while dragging: Make an alias of the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the item.
- Option-click a disclosure triangle: Open all folders within the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
- Command-click a window title: See the folders that contain the current folder.
- Learn how to use Command or Shift to select multiple items in the Finder.
- Click the Go menu in the Finder menu bar to see shortcuts for opening many commonly used folders, such as Applications, Documents, Downloads, Utilities, and iCloud Drive.
Document shortcuts
The behavior of these shortcuts may vary with the app you're using.
- Command-B: Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off.
- Command-I: Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off.
- Command-K: Add a web link.
- Command-U: Underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off.
- Command-T: Show or hide the Fonts window.
- Command-D: Select the Desktop folder from within an Open dialog or Save dialog.
- Control-Command-D: Show or hide the definition of the selected word.
- Shift-Command-Colon (:): Display the Spelling and Grammar window.
- Command-Semicolon (;): Find misspelled words in the document.
- Option-Delete: Delete the word to the left of the insertion point.
- Control-H: Delete the character to the left of the insertion point. Or use Delete.
- Control-D: Delete the character to the right of the insertion point. Or use Fn-Delete.
- Fn-Delete: Forward delete on keyboards that don't have a Forward Delete key. Or use Control-D.
- Control-K: Delete the text between the insertion point and the end of the line or paragraph.
- Fn–Up Arrow: Page Up: Scroll up one page.
- Fn–Down Arrow: Page Down: Scroll down one page.
- Fn–Left Arrow: Home: Scroll to the beginning of a document.
- Fn–Right Arrow: End: Scroll to the end of a document.
- Command–Up Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document.
- Command–Down Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the document.
- Command–Left Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the current line.
- Command–Right Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the current line.
- Option–Left Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
- Option–Right Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the next word.
- Shift–Command–Up Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document.
- Shift–Command–Down Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the document.
- Shift–Command–Left Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line.
- Shift–Command–Right Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the current line.
- Shift–Up Arrow: Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line above.
- Shift–Down Arrow: Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line below.
- Shift–Left Arrow: Extend text selection one character to the left.
- Shift–Right Arrow: Extend text selection one character to the right.
- Option–Shift–Up Arrow: Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the beginning of the following paragraph if pressed again.
- Option–Shift–Down Arrow: Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of the following paragraph if pressed again.
- Option–Shift–Left Arrow: Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the beginning of the following word if pressed again.
- Option–Shift–Right Arrow: Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the following word if pressed again.
- Control-A: Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph.
- Control-E: Move to the end of a line or paragraph.
- Control-F: Move one character forward.
- Control-B: Move one character backward.
- Control-L: Center the cursor or selection in the visible area.
- Control-P: Move up one line.
- Control-N: Move down one line.
- Control-O: Insert a new line after the insertion point.
- Control-T: Swap the character behind the insertion point with the character in front of the insertion point.
- Command–Left Curly Bracket ({): Left align.
- Command–Right Curly Bracket (}): Right align.
- Shift–Command–Vertical bar (|): Center align.
- Option-Command-F: Go to the search field.
- Option-Command-T: Show or hide a toolbar in the app.
- Option-Command-C: Copy Style: Copy the formatting settings of the selected item to the Clipboard.
- Option-Command-V: Paste Style: Apply the copied style to the selected item.
- Option-Shift-Command-V: Paste and Match Style: Apply the style of the surrounding content to the item pasted within that content.
- Option-Command-I: Show or hide the inspector window.
- Shift-Command-P: Page setup: Display a window for selecting document settings.
- Shift-Command-S: Display the Save As dialog, or duplicate the current document.
- Shift–Command–Minus sign (-): Decrease the size of the selected item.
- Shift–Command–Plus sign (+): Increase the size of the selected item. Command–Equal sign (=) performs the same function.
- Shift–Command–Question mark (?): Open the Help menu.
Macbook Pro Shortcuts Cheat Sheet
Other shortcuts
Macbook Pro Cheat Sheet Pdf
For more shortcuts, check the shortcut abbreviations shown in the menus of your apps. Every app can have its own shortcuts, and shortcuts that work in one app might not work in another.
- Apple Music shortcuts: Choose Help > Keyboard shortcuts from the menu bar in the Music app.
- Other shortcuts: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Keyboard, then click Shortcuts.
Learn more
- Create your own shortcuts and resolve conflicts between shortcuts
- Change the behavior of the function keys or modifier keys