New Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Hi, recent switcher with my new pb, etc, etc.
Just wondering why there's a second "enter" key next to my right command key. It seems like a weird key to have. Is there some insanely useful shortcut I'm missing out on here? |
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ಠ_ರೃ
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
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It's meant to replace the enter key on the number pad. PowerBooks (and almost all other laptops) have no dedicated numpad, so instead they have some keys off to the right with little numbers on them. Press the num lock key and they activate, giving you a kind of number pad. That enter key supposedly goes with it.
Personally I'd use uControl to remap that key to something useful, like another option key. |
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25 chars of wasted space.
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I LOVE having it right where it is. When I use IM I like to have return act as a...get ready for it...carriage return
On a real keyboard, this means that I have to reach over to the enter key to send an IM, but on my powerbook, just use my pinky, and boom, a message is sent. It might be more confusing because on most PC's (specifically dells I think) enter and return keys do the same thing...and are normally both called the same thing. I like how they are treated separately and called different things on a mac, much like the same way we have delete and forwards delete. On PC, it's backspace and forwards delete...shouldn't it be forwards space? |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Can you forwards delete on a Mac? How??
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ಠ_ರೃ
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
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ast3r3x, I just use option-return to insert a carriage return. Having to reach for Enter when I'm so used to using the Return key is simply not possible... way too frustrating. I rarely insert carriage returns in IMs anyway.
"specifically dells" means nothing. Dells ship with the same keyboards that all other Windows PCs ship with, and they run the exact same software as all other PCs. Windows-layout keyboards don't even have a Return key - they're both labeled Enter. When manipulating text in Windows, the "Backspace" key (what Mac users call the Delete key) simply deletes a character like it should. The "Delete" key (what Mac users call the Forward Delete key) also behaves the same way, deleting the character to the right of the cursor. The difference is how they handle non-text objects. Press backspace when a file is selected, and nothing happens. You have to press the delete key to actually delete things in Windows. That tripped me up several times in Windows before I got used to it. "Backspace" is only the same as "Delete" with text. If you have a Mac laptop, I think forward delete is mapped to pressing the Fn key plus the delete key, since it doesn't have a separate forward delete key. Otherwise it's the same as in Windows - the lower left key in the little block of six keys above the arrows. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: New York City
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I use uControl to remap my "enter" key into another function key. It works great. I hit fn+return to send an IM (I like hard returns in my IM also) and use the 2nd fn key to scroll with the trackpad. The arrow keys (home, end, pg up, pg dn) become much more useful as well. Works out great.
I wish there was an fn key on the fullsize keyboards! 1215/234215 (top .51875%) People really have got to stop thinking there is only one operating system, one economic system, one religion, and one business model. -EvilTwinSkippy (/.) |
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25 chars of wasted space.
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Does option return work as an enter on full size keyboards? If so that would save me a lot of time from reaching over to the enter. On my powerbook, like I said, I like having the enter where it is so I can just reach down and use it.
Luca, when I said specifically Dell, what I meant was that it was the only keyboards that I pretty sure labeled it like that, because I normally only see Dell computers, and don't make it a habit to look normally. I use carriage return enough in IM that I prefer easily having it as an option. But that is why they make it an option, so you can have it as an option if you use it. I think I agree with everything else you said |
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ಠ_ರೃ
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
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25 chars of wasted space.
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Adium of course, I only use iChat for file transfer.
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: USA
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Just FYI, the Enter key and the Return key on a Mac keyboard do not always serve the exact same purpose. In a very few cases, you must use one or the other and the reverse won't work. The only example I can think of right off is in my bookkeeping software; to save a numerical entry, I must hit the Enter key (or click "enter" on screen with the mouse). The Return key will not work. If you re-map your Enter key for some other purpose, you may miss the functionality of the Enter key for what it's intended.
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: New York City
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yeah, but fn-return=enter on laptop keyboards...
and that is what I remap the key to. Works great. |
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
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I map Quicksilver to the Enter key. Saves me having to hit two keys for it, although every time Quicksilver restarts I have to remap it (from Command-Enter back to Enter) because the system reserves Enter.
Of course since I only ever put my PB to sleep it doesn't really matter about the remapping bit. |
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