The macosxhints Forums - Open files by pressing Return/enter

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- - Open files by pressing Return/enter (http://hintsforums.macworld.com/showthread.php?t=31633)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Las_Vegas (Post 431355)

Apple hasn't confused the difference between the Backspace and Delete other than calling the key by its synonym. The "delete" key is the same thing as Window's "Backspace" key. The fact that the two call them by different names is a carry over of the origin of their respective keyboards.

There are actually two places where it is unfortunate that Apple calls Backspace "Delete." One is the common shortcut of pressing Backspace as a shortcut to the Back button in a Web browser. For a backspace key, that at least makes some sense. For a delete key, it makes less sense, but Apple didn't want to keep Mac users from having that convenient shortcut.

Same thing when going up a directory on the desktop or in Open/Save dialogs. In Windows, hit Backspace, which is again somewhat sensible. Back as the opposite of Enter (which "enters" folders and files, in Windows). On the Mac, it would be scary to tell someone to hit the Delete key to go up a level, so we can't do that. Instead we have to hit Command and up arrow, and confuse the switchers again.

I will say that they need to document the keyboard commands better and make them more customizable IMO for OS X.

A few I can't live with out are

in safari - cmd + shift + H = load home page, and I tab browse a lot and google in my home page which I use a lot so search things, so I can cmd + T for a tab then it will load google when I use the keyboard command for home page.

log out of OS X - shift + cmd + Q - I have to log out of network accounts and into local admin accounts all the time, this is a life saver.

I just wish there was a way, to cmd + tab to a minimized application window and have it launch back up from the doc, that would be nice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by styrafome (Post 431401)

I agree on the first. Delete is not entirely logical, and not intuitive to use as a back button in a browser (although I would argue that it is more appropriately named on the Mac than on Windows). I rarely use that shortcut, since it requires moving to the keyboard, so it doesn't bother me. The only thing the shortcut has going for itself on my system is that it is near the top right of the keyboard, analogous with my browsers back button on the top right of the screen.

I disagree about the second point. Apple's use of command-arrow keys is a superior solution compared to return & backspace, IMO. It's more consistent, and easier to access from the trackpad without having to slow down to use the keyboard.