Lack of a forward delete key

Fair enough, I'm sorry to have offended you, Alfred and anyone else that reads that post in the future. I guess you poor people unfairly copped the brunt of my frustration over this and many other issues that I have with Apple in general.

I also unfairly labelled KeyRemap4Macbook as "crap", since I have downloaded it again and found out that it does in fact have a standard option for "F12 to Forward Delete", which is what I was previously trying to achieve via its custom private.xml mapping. That didn't work, but if I had've just looked a bit harder through the standard options, I wouldn't have needed to do it! Thankfully I decided to give it another shot, and went through each and every standard option this time.

As for the original argument that Forward Delete is/isn't useful, I really can't see how anyone that types more than 3 words per day could go without it! But if you are one such person, fair enough, I will eat my words. I still think I would be most likely to live in the majority though 😝.

And yes, the Fn+Backspace (or Delete as you guys call it, but I'm still used to the Windows terms where Delete is the name for Forward Delete 😝) combination works, and I understand that to make the world's smallest laptop (or a tablet device) you have to make some sacrifices, but I really just wanted to be able to press one key and forward delete with ease...now thanks to KeyRemap4Macbook I can! 😀

And Alfred, I totally agree with you about Ctrl+Alt+Del! I guess when it really comes down to it, every OS has its own little nuances that newbies have to get used to! Touché! 😉

Oz -

Fair enough, I'm sorry to have offended you, Alfred and anyone else that reads that post in the future. I guess you poor people unfairly copped the brunt of my frustration over this and many other issues that I have with Apple in general.

Nah, no need to apologize. Your post was only the second most irritating today Oz, and perhaps you too took the brunt of some leftover frustration from another discussion. 🙂

...I understand that to make the world's smallest laptop (or a tablet device) you have to make some sacrifices...

That's about what it comes down to. And it's a useless key anyway (zing!)

And Alfred, I totally agree with you about Ctrl+Alt+Del! I guess when it really comes down to it, every OS has its own little nuances that newbies have to get used to! Touché!

That was one of my better counterpoints, but you made it easy - really teed it up nicely for me. I'l still take a bit of pride in that one though. Hope you understand. 😉

Your post was only the second most irritating today

Really? Who wins first prize? I'm a little jealous LOL 😝.

I'l still take a bit of pride in that one though. Hope you understand. 😉😉

LOL go for it mate, I'd do the same if our roles were reversed!

And I apologize if I sounded a bit sharp. Prior to the forum software mutilating it, my post did have a similey. 🙂

People get used to things, comfortable with them. Change is annoying and time-consuming. If my personal computers, when I was younger, had been Windows, I, too, would probably want things like a forward delete key. Currently, I have two cell phones. My work phone is an Android phone; my personal an iPhone. They each have features I wish the other had. Sometimes it makes me testy.

Best of luck.

I didn't read this whole thread very close but coming from the Windows world there is both a backspace and delete key. The delete key deletes the character you are on (or to the right). Never heard it referred to as a forward Delete. I miss it on the iPads. What you can do is use the Apple Bluetooth external keyboard and use the arrow keys to move to the right place instead of trying to use the magnifier. Then you can put the cursor in the right spot to use the backspace key.

And I apologize if I sounded a bit sharp. Prior to the forum software mutilating it, my post did have a similey. 🙂

No problem; you had every right to say what you did 🙂.

People get used to things, comfortable with them. Change is annoying and time-consuming.

Ain't that the truth! Thanks for your kind understanding 🙂.

Currently, I have two cell phones. My work phone is an Android phone; my personal an iPhone. They each have features I wish the other had. Sometimes it makes me testy.

LOL yeah I guess we all have examples of this in our everyday lives...it's something you just have to deal with, or try your hardest to find a workaround. But sometimes there isn't a workaround, and no amount of abusing others (especially when they're completely innocent) is going to change that! 😉

Best of luck.

Thanks! 😀 As I said before, I've got KeyRemap4Macbook working nicely now, and just found Keyboard Maestro which is another absolute godsend for someone like me! I'll keep plugging along with OS X, and who knows, maybe with enough experience I'll end up loving this OS as much as you guys do! 😉 I found myself trying to scroll the mouse wheel down to go up in a web page on a Windows PC the other day, so I guess all this stuff is slowly (but surely) sinking in!

Thanks, lamedge. That's much more helpful than posts telling people "you can't want that." You don't have to be entering large amounts of text to find forward delete useful. One type-o in one word will do it.

Hey, you seem as interested in "why" as you are in "fix" so from a Enterprise IT programmer whose first computer was a 1983? Apple ][e clone with a C/PM card (and a fellow Forward Delete Fanboi):

Apple is the way Apple is because Steve Jobs thought it looked more elegant that way. Things really are about that simple. Forward delete isn't elegant because it approaches deleting from the wrong direction - when you realized the error, the cursor was to the right, not the left. Apple's focus on graphics, music, etc. is no accident. You should approach their products as performance instruments more than tools. Forward delete is like knocking a dent out of a saxophone with a hammer. That has it's place but said place is a workshop, not a concert hall. Don't expect the manufacturer to design for it or musicians to tolerate griping gracefully.

The complete unavailability of Delete & Arrow keys is my greatest obstacle to considering this iPad equivalent to the Android tablets beside it. Unfortunately almost all phone keyboards share this crippling, so I'm trying to bring my usage up on this thing. That it also improves my technical support for the women in my life helps justify the time. (Leave the politics at home, they chose the gear.)

Hope that helps,

-Greg

I Agree too! I wanted a pad for mobile computing and heard so much praise for the Apple min iPad that I bought one. Unfortunately, praise seems to have been based on hype. The lack of forward delete and the slow and clunky operations to get the important things done are the main drawbacks. All that and still no forward delete after several iOS updates! Never mind garage bands and other droS's, Apple, get the basics working properly! I also miss the convenient Windows drop down menus under Edit,where one could request Undo (last action) etc. Pity that Microsoft is now trying to emulate Apple OS with Win 10!

why don't people just answer the question? Why answer question with a question?

IS there a way to delete forward or not?

No.

Wow, this really helped me (use magnifier then roll finger side to side). You were right on the mark that the true problem here was not delete but precise placement of the cursor within the word which can be almost impossible without the magnifier. Thank you 🙂

Glad it helped!

Point, well made. People do seem to find it difficult to just answer the question in any walk of life these days.😉