Nothing tops Apple's infantile refusal to put a (real) Delete key on their laptops. Instead, they have a Backspace key mislabeled "delete."

When the Eject key became obsolete, Apple had a perfect opportunity to fix this omission with essentially no effort. NOPE. Meanwhile, everybody else managed to have a proper Delete key on their laptops.

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joshka 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

A hill that I'll die on is that Apple's terminology is more correct than PC terminology for this.

Backspace makes sense if you see the computer as a fancy typewriter.

Delete makes sense if you consider the actions from first principles.

Consider the various forms of deletion (forward, backward, word, file deletion, etc.) Each of these just has a modifier key in Apple's way of thinking. (None, Fn, Option, Cmd) which makes complete sense when viewed against how consistent it is with the whole set of interface design guidelines for Apple software.

The only reason that this doesn't make sense is that it's incompatible with your world view brought from places with different standards. They will never "fix" this as there's just nothing to fix.

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Findecanor 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> Backspace makes sense if you see the computer as a fancy typewriter.

Backspace on a typewriter only moved the position (~cursor) back one space. Hence why its symbol is the same as the left arrow key's.

Backwards Delete was a separate additional key, if the typewriter even had one, and its symbol was a cross inside an outlined left-arrow: ⌫. Current Apple keyboard has this symbol on the "Backspace" key in some regions instead of the text "delete", but older ones did have the left arrow.

Apple calling it "Delete" goes back to Apple II. Many other older computer platforms also called it "Delete". DEC used the ⌫ symbol.

	▲	rzzzt 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		At least you don't have to type the same letters while holding a thin tape over your screen to erase them! Apple also had separate Return and Enter symbols on keyboards for a while, which also sounds like typewriter territory but their intended use was a bit different: https://creativepro.com/a-tale-of-two-enter-keys/

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VerifiedReports an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Nope. The problem isn't the terminology. I wouldn't even bring it up if Apple had a key to perform the function of everybody else's Delete key.

The problem is missing functionality. And hiding it behind unmarked, multi-hand hotkey combinations is neither equivalent nor discoverable.

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crazygringo 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Not many people use forward-deleting. I find it much easier to just Fn+Backspace anyways, especially when Del is usually part of the shorter function row that you really have to stretch for.

And delete is a perfectly fine name -- it deletes the character you just typed. I've always thought the supposed distinction between backspace and delete was bizarre. If anything, it's the forward-delete that needs a better term, like... well, forward-delete. Fwd-Del.

	▲	VerifiedReports 37 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		"Not many people use forward-deleting" It's just deleting. And that's an absurd assertion for which you've provided no support. You seriously think people Backspace old E-mails away? They Backspace unwanted files away? They Backspace selected areas away in Photoshop? OK. "I find it much easier to just Fn+Backspace" Except most people don't find that at all, because it's not marked on the keyboard. And again, you're asserting that a secret, two-keyed, two-handed hotkey is easier than pressing a clearly marked button? If you watch real users when they're faced with the lack of Delete, they use the arrow keys to move the cursor across the characters they want to delete, and then Backspace them away. Twice as much work. Or they reach for the mouse or trackpad and tediously highlight the characters to delete. And there is no separate function row on Apple laptops. The Eject key was right above the Backspace key... easily reachable.

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4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

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