The lack of a forward delete key is absurd, how does the community communicate with Apple that this is a SERIOUS PROBLEM? I have yet to meet anyone who does not say in the opening conversation about otherwise brilliant kit, that it has no forward delete key and how very peculiar this is. Yet it is still not fixed. How can this be? Has Apple lost the plot?
MacBook
devadog wrote:
You say "It's simply not designed for that. At all." well it should be....that's the whole point of the original comment.
"It's akin to buying a sports car to plow your field". No it's not. It's a very basic omission of the software and a problem that needs addressing by Apple.
Apple does things Apple's way. That's the way they've always done things. Not everyone likes that.
To say the lack of a forward delete key is a "basic omission" is your opinion, not a fact. User interfaces are full of things that come down to opinions about what is or is not important. I still haven't really figured out what purpose a forward delete key serves or why I would every need one. So, to me, it doesn't even make the "nice to have" list, let alone the "basic" list. That is my opinion. It's not a judgement on whether or not your opinion is valid. Of course your opinion is valid. That doesn't mean Apple has to agree with it.
You should still submit feedback here:
Stop flaming. If you have a Bluetooth keyboard for iPad, like from Logitech, holding Fn down plus Delete does the forward delete. However, Apple store experts seem unaware of this when I asked them How to do this, they said it's not possible.
Since iOS 9, Apple implemented the keyboard trackpad feature to control the "I' beam cursor in any text input application/s.
iOS has an insertion point "I" beam cursor that can now controlled, since iOS 9, by invoking the iOS software keyboard and then do a two-finger single tap to turn the entire software keyboard area into a giant trackpad area.
You can place insertion "I" beam anywhere you want, then use the delete key to delete a letter and/or replace a letter in a word.
If you use two-finger double tap within the keyboard area, you can highlight words, lines of text or entire paragraphs for editing.
No real need for a forward delete key, now!
Carl Sunshine wrote:
Stop flaming. If you have a Bluetooth keyboard for iPad, like from Logitech, holding Fn down plus Delete does the forward delete. However, Apple store experts seem unaware of this when I asked them How to do this, they said it's not possible.
The person you're responding to posted almost four years ago. And, expressing a strong opinion doesn't really isn't flaming. I'm not sure that it necessitated resurrecting a thread that's been dormant for almost a year.
If you would like to leave feedback to Apple, use the link already given.
You say "It's simply not designed for that. At all." well it should be....that's the whole point of the original comment.
"It's akin to buying a sports car to plow your field". No it's not. It's a very basic omission of the software and a problem that needs addressing by Apple. Just because a user chooses to use an iPad for their typing needs doesn't mean they should be denied the use of a forward delete key in addition to the backward delete key.
You are making excuses for a company that once again shows how little it cares about it's users. A software keyboard does not need to be any more limited than it's hardware equivalent. If it's restricted it's because the company is 'corner cutting' nothing to do with design. If it were well designed it would have ALL the functionality of a hardware keyboard.
devadog wrote:
Point, well made. People do seem to find it difficult to just answer the question in any walk of life these days.😉
Because the posters here are not robots. Because, like you, they have opinions they want to express.
Yes, I've noticed that. Apple does do things it's own way does it not. There was a time long ago when they actually went out of their way to please their users (wistful sigh). No it's not my opinion, it's (as I've already stated) a basic omission. As you say this omission doesn't affect you in any way and you don't see the need for it. That's your opinion as you have noted. If Apple were to provide both forward and backward deletion virtual keys on the iPad then they would please everybody. those users who don't see the need for a forward deletion key could ignore it and those who desperately want a forward deletion key could use it. Simple isn't it ?
devadog wrote:
There was a time long ago when they actually went out of their way to please their users (wistful sigh).
Not by changing the User Interface, they haven't.
devadog wrote:
No it's not my opinion, it's (as I've already stated) a basic omission.
Yes, that it is a basic omission is your opinion. One which you are absolutely entitled to have. But that doesn't make it more valid that anyone else's. And, in this contact, it's less important than Apple's.
If Apple were to provide both forward and backward deletion virtual keys on the iPad then they would please everybody. those users who don't see the need for a forward deletion key could ignore it and those who desperately want a forward deletion key could use it. Simple isn't it ?
That's exactly what Apple tends not to do. They don't like to clutter up the interface with too many choices. I don't believe it would please everyone. That's rarely an option. People who don't like cluttered interfaces and "feature bloat" wouldn't be happy. As Apple knows they will never please everyone, they tend to please themselves. As Lawrence noted, it seems to work.
Here ya go.
I have given them feedback and asked them to explain why they they think their customers only make typing errors in one direction.
Thanks for taking the trouble. I know about the magnifier, which has its place.
But my question is why have a backspace key but no forward delete key. Do the designers only make their mistakes in one direction?
Why is it easier to delete forward than backwards? Do you delete the mistake before you type it?
I delete both ways as appropriate, like most people, now I can't.
whyisitsodifficult wrote:
But my question is why have a backspace key but no forward delete key. Do the designers only make their mistakes in one direction?
I can't recall every using forward delete. In fact, I had to look up if it was even possible on a Mac. In order to forward delete, I'd have to move the insertion point back, then activate forward delete, then delete. Why not just delete?
No one here would know why Apple made this particular UI decision. It is unlikely that they will answer you. It does state on the Feedback page not to expect a response.
Lack of a forward delete key
