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saintforlife

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 25, 2011
1,045
329
When compared to Windows, the backspace is too slow on my Mac. It is especially annoying when you are trying to delete a long sentence by pressing backspace. Is there way to make it go faster?
 
Nov 28, 2010
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located
OPTION/Alt+Backspace does delete complete words, or you could select the words you want to delete via mouse/trackpad or OPTION+SHIFT+LeftArrow or OPTION+SHIFT+RightArrow.
 
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interrobang

macrumors 6502
May 25, 2011
369
0
Well, since there is no backspace key on the Mac, you'd be waiting forever.

Otherwise, option-delete will delete the previous word, and command-delete will delete everything on that line.
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
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Well, since there is no backspace key on the Mac, you'd be waiting forever.

Otherwise, option-delete will delete the previous word, and command-delete will delete everything on that line.

Isn't it the other way around? There is a backspace key, but not a delete key. Pressing fn+backspace is the equivalent of pressing the delete key on a "regular" keyboard.
 

interrobang

macrumors 6502
May 25, 2011
369
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chrono1081

macrumors G3
Jan 26, 2008
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Isla Nublar
Isn't it the other way around? There is a backspace key, but not a delete key. Pressing fn+backspace is the equivalent of pressing the delete key on a "regular" keyboard.

Nope, definitely only a delete key ;)

EDIT: I've been ninja-ed by Interrobang :p
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
9
On a full keyboard, you get a Delete key (⌫) and a Forward Delete key (⌦).

http://store.storeimages.cdn-apple....icub&op_usm=0.5,0.5,0,0&iccEmbed=0&layer=comp

On a small-format keyboard, you get a Delete key and press fn+Delete for the Forward Delete key.

Nope, definitely only a delete key ;)

EDIT: I've been ninja-ed by Interrobang :p
Look at that... To me, "delete" on a mac is backspace, and "forward delete" is delete :) I wonder why Apple decided to change the name from what everyone else used...
 

interrobang

macrumors 6502
May 25, 2011
369
0
Look at that... To me, "delete" on a mac is backspace, and "forward delete" is delete :) I wonder why Apple decided to change the name from what everyone else used...

Probably because the delete key, you know, deletes characters.

Back in the typewriter days, the backspace key moved back one space (character.) Today, that's what the left-arrow key does.
 

MSlaw

macrumors regular
Aug 11, 2010
108
2
Look at that... To me, "delete" on a mac is backspace, and "forward delete" is delete :) I wonder why Apple decided to change the name from what everyone else used...

If I remember correctly, modern macs have the same keyboard layout as the apple IIgs (not sure about the apple II)
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
9
Probably because the delete key, you know, deletes characters.

Back in the typewriter days, the backspace key moved back one space (character.) Today, that's what the left-arrow key does.
Yes, but the key has kept its name for so many years. I guess I'm just reacting because I only found out today, after 26 years of owning a personal computer, that the backspace key is called the delete key on macs :)

But then again, pain is just another French word for bread...
 

dasmb

macrumors 6502
Jul 12, 2007
413
437
Why is it a delete key? Concurrent evolution.

The original Apple II and II+ keyboards (1977) had no backspace or delete. They had left and right arrows; everything at that point was still more or less "insert" mode, move the cursor to a position and press space to delete. I remember word processors would frequently remap keys to "back delete." The Apple IIe (1983) had a delete key.

The IBM 5150 (1981) had an unnamed key which did "back deletes" and sat in more or less the same place as backspace keys today. Its symbol was an extended left facing arrow, which I notice is a feature of the Dell board I'm typing this on.

The "Enhanced" keyboard (101+ keys) came out as a third party accessory in 1982, and became an official IBM thing in 1986. This featured both a backspace and a delete (aka fwd delete).

I ask you, though -- which name makes more sense? Why should delete mean "forward delete," necessitating the awkward and baroque "backspace" to indicate back deletes for what's the much more commonly used key? This is one of the things that confounds me most about switching between mac and PC OSs, along with the schizophrenic behavior of the windows key (a meta key that is a modifier OR an action?) and the over-reliance on "mouse combos" that in some cases don't work at all due to the trackpad's design.
 
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