

Show HN: Delete with your Macbook Pro's power key - pkamb
http://pkamb.github.io/PowerKey/

======
MBCook
Given that holding the button still causes the Mac to shutdown... this seems
awful dangerous. I could easily see myself holding the button to delete a few
lines of text and then * oops *.

As trapexit mentioned, fn+Delete already does this, an can easily be entered
without removing your hands from the main keyboard area.

~~~
esusatyo
It might've been a better idea to remap the eject button on CD drive less
MacBooks. But it would still be weird, I'd just use fn + delete.

~~~
john_marsham
What eject button? Why would Apple put an eject button on a laptop with
nothing to eject? Fucking retard.

~~~
randall
Looks like you're new here?

<http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html>

Check out "in comments" in particular.

    
    
         When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. E.g. "That is an idiotic thing to say; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3" can be shortened to "1 + 1 is 2, not 3."
    

In your case: Apple wouldn't put an eject button on a laptop with nothing to
eject.

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trapexit
Coincidentally, I just discovered today that you can also do a forward-delete
on a Mac laptop keyboard by hitting Fn+Delete. Very useful for e.g. sending a
⌘⌦ (Ctrl-Alt-Del) to a VirtualBox VM.

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sciurus
I'm typing this on a late 2011 Macbook Pro and I'm confused. Do I have a power
key that is different than my power button? The power button seems too far
away from the keyboard to be usefully remapped.

~~~
rane
I was a bit confused as well, the power button on mine is at the edge and not
something you'd like to press very often.

What power buttons on newer MacBooks look like:
[http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/mac/retinaMacBookPro/DSC...](http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/mac/retinaMacBookPro/DSC_7479.jpg)

~~~
sciurus
Thanks for the clarification; this software look more useful in that case. It
would be even nicer if it would enable me to remap my eject key, since I never
use my optical drive.

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bni
Most confusing things for recent Mac converts:

Not having a forward delete key.

No obvious way to "alt-tab" between an apps windows, even less obvious on
international keyboards.

No way to use arrow keys to select the OK and cancel buttons in a dialog.

Some Windows-isms was recently added, such as being able to resize the windows
using any border. This must have been to appease converts. Do you think Apple
will add any of the above soon?

~~~
LordIllidan
Even worse - on my MBP there is no pound sign on the keyboard. Try coding
without a pound sign! (EDIT: I'm referring to the hash key, i.e. #)

(I know it's alt 3, but WHY didn't they mark it on the keyboard? Newcomers
have to google this! There is a sign on the '2' key that indicates euro (alt 2
is euro sign on my keyboard), so they could have done it easily on the 3 key.

~~~
nodata
The hidden pipe key is also annoying.

And the [ key, and the ] key, and the { and } keys. etc. etc.

~~~
LordIllidan
I have those keys, how is it that they are hidden on yours? Special characters
due to language?

~~~
nodata
They aren't printed on the keys:
[https://www.apple.com/macbookair/images/features_keyboard_ba...](https://www.apple.com/macbookair/images/features_keyboard_backlit.png)

~~~
highpixels
Huh? They're right there on the right, below the delete key.

~~~
nodata
Oops that's an American keyboard layout.

Try this: <http://www.kbcovers.com/catalog/GER-M-CB_Full_A.gif>

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henryw
An alternative is Double Command. I've been using Double Command to map the
right ALT key to forward delete for awhile now:
<http://doublecommand.sourceforge.net/>

Here's a screenshot of the settings: <http://i.imgur.com/GQi5Ncj.png>

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r0s
Worked on a mini all last year, first real mod I did was fixing forward
delete: <http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/>

Made the dock 2D, bought a wired keyboard and mouse, line in adapter for my
analog headset and it was a usable workstation.

~~~
pkamb
What did you remap it to?

~~~
r0s
Plain ol' Delete

I remember you need to get a bit creative with the config files, I don't think
it's one of the default settings.

~~~
pkamb
So your Mac's "delete" key now performs forward delete? How do you backspace?

~~~
r0s
I had a full size key board to replace the stock bluetooth one, so I had both.

I'm a big guy and like a full keyboard, large screen etc. After the very first
time the mouse died I went out and got all wired peripherals for my
workstation.

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cdrxndr
OS X has an delightful affinity for Emacs bindings in standard implementations
- try Ctrl-d to delete without leaving home row.

Mind you, if you're in MS Word for Mac then you'll just have to suck on an
egg: no Ctrl-d, Ctrl-a, Ctrl-e for you.

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ultimoo
My CapsLock is mapped to Control and I use 'C-d' to forward-delete in OS X.

~~~
sudoshu
As is mine. It's pretty nice...especially using 'C-h' for regular delete.

