Seriously no key repeat in Lion?

Note: I didn't use the terminal command before because the Apple Tech told me not to and that it doesn't work. However, I gave up on the tech and did it anyways and it works now.

as you confirmed some apps, I'll also include Firefox, it works for that and iChat too.

Wow... this one just bit me. No key repeat... come on Apple. I use that *so much* just to have some text when editing a web page, or a layout, just so there is some text there. Apple needs to take off cuffs and let us do what we want with our OS. This is number 11 of my top 10 gripes about Lion.

Bryan

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Message was edited by: D0GG

Try reading the thread before posting a complaint. The Terminal command to switch back to having the key repeat enabled is in this thread.

So if you want key repeat, read a bit and you will find the command.

LOL.. terminal command. This should be a preference setting, not a terminal hack.

Bryan

I just noticed this right now--unreal! It takes longer to notice than usual because backspace and spacebar repeat still work in Lion by default. LAME! (This setting should definitely be under keyboard preferences.)

The way it should have been done is to use the "option" key to bring up that popup and leave key repeats alone.

Hold down "option" and hit 'a'. You get popup.

Simple.

Whatever floats your boat, you can always switch it off if you wish. I think it's an incredibly useful feature (and the best implementation I've seen) for people who work with languages.

Thing is, it seems to be limited to a set of 'popular' accented characters but is missing quite a few variations. Great if you want Western European, Nordic or Slavic languages, but if you need to write Turkish like I do then you're left without ş ğ and ı.

Anyone know if it's possible to customise the character list at all?

russellfrombrookline wrote:

The way it should have been done is to use the "option" key to bring up that popup and leave key repeats alone.

Hold down "option" and hit 'a'. You get popup.

Simple.

That is how common sense would dictate that it be done. Sadly, this is not what you get from Apple. Not only does their implementation break a basic keyboard function, but it violates good user-interface convention by requiring delay. Forcing the user to sit there and wait every time he wants to do something is amateurish, clumsy, and embarrassing.

For those who profess to like this shoddy implementation, you're not thinking it through. So Apple has hard-coded a few exceptions that do repeat. But how does Apple know what other keys and functions you may have mapped on your keyboard, which require repeat? Great example: Most of Apple's keyboards lack a real Delete key (another bizarre Apple defect). Apple laptops and small keyboards have only a Backspace key that's mislabeled "Delete." So to get a Delete key, you have to use something like KeyRemapForMacBook. Delete is a key that you definitely want to repeat. How does Apple know which key you're going to put Delete on? Or an application-specific function, like some action in Photoshop?

We know which key you won't remap: Eject. Apple has long claimed that optical media are dying, so what do they do? They devote an entire key on their keyboards to ejecting that media. To make matters worse, they put a hardware delay on that key, so you can't remap it to something useful (like Delete). If there were so many fatalities from accidental disc ejections, why didn't they put Eject on the key as a secondary function and make Delete the primary function?

And Caps Lock doesn't work half the time because, again, there's an inexplicable hardware delay on it.

And on and on...

works great! problem solved! (luckily)

If you want to report this issue to Apple's engineering, send a bug report or an enhancement request via its Bug Reporter system. To do this, register as an Apple Developer—it's free and available for all Mac users and gets you a look at some development software. Since you already have an Apple username/ID, use that. Once a member, go to Apple BugReporter and file your bug report or enhancement request. You'll get a response and a follow-up number; thus, starting a dialog with engineering.

jukki wrote:

Thing is, it seems to be limited to a set of 'popular' accented characters but is missing quite a few variations. Great if you want Western European, Nordic or Slavic languages, but if you need to write Turkish like I do then you're left without ş ğ and ı.

Anyone know if it's possible to customise the character list at all?

If you use a Turkish keyboard (System Preferences > Language & Text > Input Sources) you will have access to those characters.

Stokestack wrote:

Not only does their implementation break a basic keyboard function, but it violates good user-interface convention by requiring delay. Forcing the user to sit there and wait every time he wants to do something is amateurish, clumsy, and embarrassing.

Apple is redefining the keyboard. If you don't want the delay, you can still use the old option key method. The new method still has more functionality. If I need to type diacriticals from French, I can use the old option key method, but if I need something else, the keyboard delay is way faster than hunting through Character Viewer.

to get a Delete key, you have to use something like KeyRemapForMacBook.

Or hold down the "fn" key when pressing "delete".

If they wanted to add more functionality to the old Option-key method, why not add delay to that? Regular Option key gives you the basic options, Option key + delay gives you the enhanced ones you're looking for. Your needs would be served and standard keyboard functionality would have been retained.

As far as "fn" + "delete" goes: No. Two hands to delete a character is ridiculous. Besides, that's just one example of why Apple can't know in advance which keys need to repeat and which don't. Applications can use keys for whatever purpose they want, and they might need to repeat.

Stokestack wrote:

If they wanted to add more functionality to the old Option-key method, why not add delay to that? Regular Option key gives you the basic options, Option key + delay gives you the enhanced ones you're looking for. Your needs would be served and standard keyboard functionality would have been retained.

No. Having a delay on option would not work. The old option key method is based on the user thinking of the diacritical first and then the character. You type option + some character to get a diacritical, then type the character to be modified. If you just use option, how would you know which set of modifiers to use? You would have to display them all. The new system works well for casual users who want to type the correct character but don't know the modifier. If you are not a casual user and know all the modifiers for some language, you can still use them.

Applications can use keys for whatever purpose they want, and they might need to repeat.

Certainly. That is why the only program that anyone can think of that might need to repeat alphabetic characters (Terminal.app) can still do so.

Really, this whole topic is pointless. Who really needs to repeat yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy in Pages or Word? And who needs to do that so much that this change is any kind of problem? It is just an excuse to go online and complain about Apple - everyone's favorite pasttime.