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
Ok, but that begs the question, why is Forward Delete so vital. Both methods would require moving the cursor/insertion point to either the beginning or the end of the mistakenly typed section. Then tap, tap, tap to delete the offending characters and retype the correct characters. Either method would amount to the exact same number of steps.
I can tell that you are puzzled. All I can really say is that I am forever using the 'fn' and backspace key together or fiddling with the magnifier on my iPad and iPhone. As others have said on this topic, this is a deal-breaker on whether to use Apple. I would add that I discuss Apple wherever I travel becasue people like the look of the MacBook Air and ask. They then always mention the delete key as the biggest off-putting feature. I like Apple, I want them to win the sales war, but it is not who bought your stuff that matters in the end, its why they didn't.
To be honest I just want them to fix the problem so I don't have to hear about the lack of a delete key anymore. Most of my conversations are more interesting than this, please believe me!
I'm not sure what I could suggest. There are exactly the same number of steps to "forward delete" a typing mistake as there would be in a "back delete". I have always used the back delete function on any computer I have used, be that a Mac or a Windows based computer. For me, the forward delete key is quite unnecessary.
whyisitsodifficult wrote:
They then always mention the delete key as the biggest off-putting feature.
I've spent the last 16 year of my professional life supporting a variety of high tech products, including iPhones, iPads and Mac computers. No one, ever, has asked about a forward delete key. The only time I've ever heard anyone mention the lack of a foward delete key is the rare posting here in these forums. I think we both understand that this is an important feature to you. However, I assure you, the vast majority of the computer using population neither knows nor cares nor makes their computer or tablet buying decisions based on this one (in the grand scheme of things) trivial function.
whyisitsodifficult wrote:
They then always mention the delete key as the biggest off-putting feature. I like Apple, I want them to win the sales war,
I do not want Apple to win any wars. I want to always have a choice.
At times when using the magnifier, esp while walking or in a moving vehicle, I end up to the left of the letter I want to delete instead of to the right. It would be great to just hit a delete-right key instead of having to use the magnifier again. Having a left and right arrow key would be even better, thanks in advance for any thoughts,
Ross
This.^
Having directional buttons, even if they were accessed from another sub-keyboard or something, would make so much difference in the user experience. Not that the magnifying glass is a terrible pain to use or anything, but it can be a bother when you only need to move the insertion point one or two places back/forward - especially if you're working with a large document or happen to be in the car/plane/bus.
I think that you have identified my issue. I normally work on large documents in a car/plane/ bus. So this is part of my issue, the other fact being I can't type well ! I also use voice to text a lot and have to correct one word in twelve.
I fully agree with the original comment. It is difficult to explain but anyone who has to work with large amounts of text will tell you that forward delete is invaluable and saves time, especially when you are reviewing existing text and editing it. Apple should fix this and win yet more fans! It's current lack from Apple products is a serious annoyance, notwithstanding the existing time consuming alternatives... the magnifier included.
Driven here by the frustration of trying to delete just the first letter of a string of text (32 letters), not wanting to waste my time deleting and re-typing the lot and couldn't get the iPad notes App to magnify so I could insert the cursor....was basically hitting the iPad!
I'm surprised that some people have never used forward-delete. I've migrated from windows, so it's just part of life on a computer (which mine seems to be sometimes!)
Using the magnifying glass takes a small amount of practice. I've discovered that rolling my finger side to side allows me to easily place it quite precisely. Once you figure it out, it's a very fast way to place the insertion point in a block of text.
Best of luck.
I understand your frustration, and I know you and others are passionate about the forward delete function, but the iPad is a touch device, not a touch-typing device. It's simply not designed for that. At all. I cannot believe people are trying to use it that way. If typing and editing large amounts of text is your primary use case, then you really should have made a different buying decision. It's akin to buying a sports car to plow your field.
Alfred DeRose wrote:
I understand your frustration, and I know you and others are passionate about the forward delete function,
Uh, no. I'm the person who's never used a forward delete key. Perhaps you meant to reply to someone else? 🙂
Yes, sorry. I "liked" your comment and support it fully. Just accidentally replied you your post. That was a general statement to the OP and others in support of the feature.
Have had my macbook air less than a week, I'm hating not having a forward delete key.... the mac work arounnd is to hold SHIFT down while you press DELETE. cumbersome, but better than not having a choice.
Lack of a forward delete key
