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Where is the delete button?

Is there a delete button or shortcut on the MacBook? I need it for deleting photos, emails, in fact anything -as- I -go and I'm used to the delete key on my iMac keyboard. is there an equivalent on the Macbook keyboard?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Jul 14, 2006 12:45 PM

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13 replies

Jul 14, 2006 12:52 PM in response to Stephen Weaver

i'm not sure if you mean 'delete' from w/in an app, or delete a file from the filesystem....

if the former, it's application specific... e.g. in Mail, highlight the message then hit the delete key...
if the latter, highlight the file in the finder, then command-delete moves it to the trash and shift-command-delete empties the trash...

if i misunderstood you, post back! cheers

Jul 14, 2006 3:45 PM in response to Dan Tsai

well after having a quick play, if you press command and then backspace (thats the apple key and then backspace) then you will delete a file in finder, or ont he desktop or something....

if you mean delete as in a textediting environment, then if you press Fn and then backspace, then it will delete the letter in front of the cursor.

thats not F and then n. - its the button at the very bottom left of the keyboard marked Fn, or maybe Function if your keybaord is marked differently to mine - i know that a post the other day said the alt key had option written underneath it on someones keyboard which is clearly wrong on mine - i have some wierd squiggly character.

Jul 16, 2006 7:22 AM in response to Stephen Weaver

The discussed key (below the eject key, top right) is the backspace key - this is different to a dedicated delete key - for one of those I have to look to another keyboard; it's marked on my InteliMac keyboard. It deletes the char to the right of the cursor, the backspace key deletes the char to the left of the cursor. There's nothing unusual about a dedicated delete key, they are pretty useful - I wish my Macbook had one! (especially so when BootCamp'd into Windows XP.

Jul 16, 2006 2:01 PM in response to timp55

You're making this tougher than it needs to be. Apparently UK keyboards have the key below the eject button labeled as "backspace." On my old Powerbook Titanium this key was marked "backspace [delete]." In Mac OS X this key does both operations.

For instance, if you are in iPhoto and have a picture selected, hitting this key will cause it to be deleted {as if it were a delete key}. However if you are in a text editor (like Word) the key will remove text that is to the left of it {as if it were a backspace key}.

I don't know why Apple decided to changed the key so that it no longer is labeled with it's dual nature. However, you need to realize that on a laptop computer space is limited and non-essential keys are removed.

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Where is the delete button?

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