Accessing the Menu Bar without a mouse

[MisterMe]

Originally Posted by fryke

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This all is also historically grown. Windows was a shell for computers generally more focused on keyboard use. Macs put the focus on mouse-use from the very beginning.

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Also because the MS-DOS CLI was the primary user interface, the mouse was strictly optional. Users typically bought mice in the aftermarket and not with their original purchase. Microsoft and other software developers could not assume that a mouse was available. Therefore, all menu selections needed keyboard-equivalents. OTOH, every Mac shipped with either a mouse or a trackpad. Keyboard-equivalents on the Mac were a convenience, not a necessity.