Keyboard compatibility

After many years spent using Windows, I am switching to OS X for software development. One thing that concerns me is keyboard compatibility, especially as I will be running Windows in a VM. Does anyone have any advice to give? Will a US keyboard layout provide maximum compatibility?

I run Windows 7 under Parallels on an iMac with a standard UK keyboard with no problems. Likewise on a MacBook Pro with it's onboard UK keyboard.

Why do you think a US keyboard would offer better compatibility?

I've just bought a MacBook Pro and I don't like the keyboard layout. Also, the Carriage Return key is very thin and easy to miss. Detailed images of Apple keyboards that I can find seem to show that US layouts are very similar to Windows layouts. Since I will be doing a lot of software development, I need easy access to the full ASCII character set, so I don't mind forgoing the £ symbol if using the US layout will provide this. Also, I've read that the US layout has a "full size" CR key (with no cut-away). That would be a real boon.

You may find this link on the Apple Support Communities interesting.

If I am doing a lot of key entry on my MBP I use the Apple bluetooth keyboard from another iMac.

Those layouts are very much out of date. The 2011 layouts are very different from the 2009 layouts. I'm thinking of getting an iMac instead of a MacBook so that I can experiment with various keyboards and maybe find one that I like.

In reply to a post by micksharpe:

I've just bought a MacBook Pro and I don't like the keyboard layout. Also, the Carriage Return key is very thin and easy to miss. Detailed images of Apple keyboards that I can find seem to show that US layouts are very similar to Windows layouts. Since I will be doing a lot of software development, I need easy access to the full ASCII character set, so I don't mind forgoing the £ symbol if using the US layout will provide this. Also, I've read that the US layout has a "full size" CR key (with no cut-away). That would be a real boon.

Apple have a picture here (on the UK site sadly) of the US keyboard layout with the thin enter/CR key:
http://images.apple.com/euro/macbookpro/images/overv...

It seems the US layout has more words (e.g. Delete written out, whereas UK has an arrow).

Apple bluetooth UK keyboard:
http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MC184B/B

Apple bluetooth US keyboard:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC184LL/B

Note the product code.

UK keyboard at play (you can zoom picture)
http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/12505629/Apple-MC184B-...

You can find the US keyboard on Google image search using MC184LL .

Thanks for that. It looks like a US keyboard would be more suitable for my purposes. I have decided to stick with Windows for the time being but I shall keep an eye on Apple's keyboard designs.