Found another missing key on the macbook pro (probably the macbooks too). The delete key is quite conspicuous by its absence on the keyboard. However this isn’t a great draw back as 99.9% of mac software don’t appear to use and rely quite rightly on the backspace key. I have only found to reasons to find the delete key, the first is in RDP sessions to a windows machine and the second is using PSI to map msn gateways etc. to my googletalk account.
FN+BACKSPACE = delete
Thought i’d also add here that the windows key by default in RDP is the Apple key. getting lots of traffic here trying to find out what the windows key is
James
Or just don’t buy a McBook
And what would suggest as a better alternative ?
well, function key (fn) and the backspace will equal DELETE.
Quite fun
And as for a 13 year windows user (1995-2007) and 8 year mac user (1987-1995), i went back to mac.
have to adapt – which is a good thing to try when getting older…
but it’s a marvel. Just adaptation
Totally agree, though still think Micro$oft and Apple could still benefit from a bit more plagiarism.
Still totally loving the MacBook Pro. Who’d a thought a laptop that doesnt depreciate like a Citroen, amazing!
Ctrl D also does forward delete:
On Mac OS X many of the unix / gnu / readline / terminal / emacs compatible control key combinations work in standard apps e.g. Mail, Terminal and even in Firefox:
Another useful one in Terminal is Ctrl R to reverse search your command history for the word (or part thereof) typed next.
See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_key
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/XHIGUserInput/chapter_11_section_3.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP30000361-TPXREF61
ADC Home > Reference Library > Guides > User Experience > Apple Human Interface Guidelines > User Input >
Cocoa: In Cocoa applications, the Control key has additional defined behaviors, as described in “Text System Defaults and Key Bindings” in Cocoa Event-Handling Guide in Cocoa Events & Other Input Documentation.
ADC Home > Reference Library > Guides > Cocoa > Events & Other Input > Cocoa Event-Handling Guide > Text System Defaults and Key Bindings >
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/EventOverview/TextDefaultsBindings/chapter_9_section_2.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000468-611005
/System/Library/Frameworks/AppKit.framework/Resources/StandardKeyBinding.dict
^a moveToBeginningOfParagraph
^b moveBackward
^d deleteForward
^e moveToEndOfParagraph
^f moveForward
^h deleteBackward
^k deleteToEndOfParagraph
^l centerSelectionInVisibleArea
^n moveDown
^o insertNewlineIgnoringFieldEditor or moveBackward
^p moveUp
^t transpose
^v pageDown
^y yank
If you are already used to using these, or want to use them more frequently, the Function key on the MacBook Pro is annoyingly where the ctrl key ‘should’ be. Under System Preferences | Keyboard & Mouse | Modifier Keys … | you can’t swap Fn and Ctrl, but you *can* swap Caps Lock and Control, or have both as Control. Ctrl and ‘D’ are then conveniently both on the home row – much less finger gymnastics than Fn Backspace or reaching for dedicated delete/home/end keys.
hey guys i have a mac pro and i want to delete my search history…the delete key is actually a backward key. And there is no key called “backward” on key pad….
That doesnt work if your deletin from itunes … still stumped !!
probably already figured this one out, but command delete should do the trick
command delete doesnt work in i tunes but alt backspace does!