# Macbook French keyboard



## satchmo (May 26, 2005)

*Replacing MacBook w/french keyboard*

I might come into a french MacBook. 
Wondering if the differences are so great that I'd have to replace it.

Can anyone with a french MacBook keyboard tell me if the shape of the keys are the same as the english ones? Wondering if it's a matter of replacing individual keys or the whole keyboard.


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## singingcrow (May 6, 2005)

It depends. If it's french from France, yes, it's different, but easy to adapt to. the Canadian French keyboard is closer to / the same as the english Canadian keyboard.

This is the french from France layout
<&é"'(§è!çà)- 
azertyuiop^$`
qsdfghjklmù
wxcvbn,;:=

If you want to see it exactly, open your international in system preferences, and choose whichever country you want, then open the keyboard viewer.


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

The French Canadian keyboard is fairly different from the standard US QWERTY keyboard.

I've typed on both, and I found the French intolerable.


That said, replacing the keyboard isn't a huge cost.


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## Demosthenes X (Sep 23, 2004)

You should just be able to change the keyboard settings to the international norm, no? Obviously the printed letters wouldn't be correct, but it would type normally.

Might be tolerable.


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## MACinist (Nov 17, 2003)

John Clay said:


> The French Canadian keyboard is fairly different from the standard US QWERTY keyboard.
> 
> I've typed on both, and I found the French intolerable.
> 
> ...



Not a huge cost but definately way more expensive than an iBook. It will cost you around $100 depending what authorized service centre you will go to. I had a Macbook with a French keyboard (got a discount) some time back and agree with John Clay, I had to get the keyboard changed, it was really annoying. I would say that a lot of keys are the same but some commonly used symbols and action keys are not.


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

Several keys are smaller, and some are "misshapen", like the Return key, which is a kind of reverse ¬ shape, if I recall correctly.


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## Chris (Feb 8, 2001)

I used a French Canadian (ISO) keyboard on my old PB 5300c for many years, and had no problem. I'm a touch typist, and was reasonably accurate in both French and English. Aside from a couple of minor keys, it's all pretty similar. The French keyboard actually reminded me of the layout of a very old Royal typewriter that I learned on and used through high school.

Candidly, I wouldn't worry.


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