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Saramin · Jul 8, 2004, 02:11 PM

Hey all, OSX newbie here. So far I'm enjoying the ease-of-use of the OS and switching has been relativey painless, but neither search nor help files have availed me in three small nitpicks I've developed. So when in doubt, ask other people.

Sorry if they seem rather dumb.

1) What's the hotkey to delete a file without dragging it to the trash? I know that it shows you an image of the hotkey when you go to file->delete, but I still have no idea what it is since it looks like an arrow with an "x" inside it. I have yet to see a key like that.

2) Is there any way to make the cursor move across letters faster in things like Word when you hold down the left or right arrows keys? There didn't seem to be a way to configure it in system preferences.

3) I can add most things to the dock easily, but for some reason it won't accept notepad files I imported from WinXP. It can read them just fine, but it won't let me drag them to the dock. Any solutions, aside from copy+paste into Word? It screws up the formatting if I do that.

Turias · 02:36 PM

1) Command-Backspace. The thing with an X in it refers to the Backspace key.
2) Well, command-right arrow goes to the end of a line. Some apps might have a "jump word" key combo, but as far as I know this isn't standard across OS X apps.

Spheric Harlot · Jul 8, 2004, 02:19 PM

Welcome to Macintosh

Originally posted by Saramin:
1) What's the hotkey to delete a file without dragging it to the trash? I know that it shows you an image of the hotkey when you go to file->delete, but I still have no idea what it is since it looks like an arrow with an "x" inside it. I have yet to see a key like that.

It's Apple-Backspace (above Return).

Apple-Shift-Backspace will empty the trash.

Originally posted by Saramin:
2) Is there any way to make the cursor move across letters faster in things like Word when you hold down the left or right arrows keys? There didn't seem to be a way to configure it in system preferences.

Mostly, the Apple (Command) key is the equivalent to Control in Windows.
In Word, Cmd + L,R Arrow keys will skip word to word, Cmd + (Up, Down) will skip paragraph-wise. On Windows, it's the same IIRC, except with Ctrl.

Originally posted by Saramin:
3) I can add most things to the dock easily, but for some reason it won't accept notepad files I imported from WinXP. It can read them just fine, but it won't let me drag them to the dock. Any solutions, aside from copy+paste into Word? It screws up the formatting if I do that.

What format are these in, and what do you mean by "imported"?

-s*

gorgonzola · Jul 8, 2004, 02:34 PM

Option-left/right is also a common shortcut for jumping by word.

drive-thru · Jul 8, 2004, 02:35 PM

2) (If my interpretation of what you're asking is right)...Open System Preferences and go into the Keyboard & Mouse section. Under the Keyboard tab there is an option to slow down or speed up the key repeat rate. Slide it to the Fast end. Note: this will change the repeat speed of all key presses in your whole system not just Word.

wataru · Jul 8, 2004, 04:31 PM

Originally posted by Saramin:
3) I can add most things to the dock easily, but for some reason it won't accept notepad files I imported from WinXP. It can read them just fine, but it won't let me drag them to the dock. Any solutions, aside from copy+paste into Word? It screws up the formatting if I do that.

Are you dragging them to the right place? The region to the left of the divider is for applications only; folders and documents go to the right of the divider, next to the trash can.

Saramin · Jul 8, 2004, 04:38 PM

Aha! Question three was largely caused by my own incompetence and has been resolved. Thanks for the help with the other two questions guys, you pretty much answered everything I wanted to know.

If I discover any other portion of the OS that confuses me I'll run back here and pester you unmercifully, but until then I think I'm set.

Cheers.

wataru · Jul 8, 2004, 04:51 PM

Originally posted by Saramin:
Aha! Question three was largely caused by my own incompetence and has been resolved. Thanks for the help with the other two questions guys, you pretty much answered everything I wanted to know.

If I discover any other portion of the OS that confuses me I'll run back here and pester you unmercifully, but until then I think I'm set.

Cheers.

Your bill comes to $75. Each. Will that be cash or charge?

Saramin · Jul 8, 2004, 06:51 PM

Originally posted by wataru:
Your bill comes to $75. Each. Will that be cash or charge?

I just bought a new mac. What on earth makes you think I have any money left?!?!

Saramin · Jul 8, 2004, 07:26 PM

Hmmm... two quick Safari questions if anyone is still patient enough to deal with me:

1) In Firefox you could hit F6 and it would highlight the address bar for you. Anything of that sort here?

2) Even though I activated the option to have all my links open in a tab instead of another window, Safari keeps opening them in new windows. Bug, or am I missing something?

dtriska · Jul 8, 2004, 07:31 PM

Originally posted by Saramin:
Hmmm... two quick Safari questions if anyone is still patient enough to deal with me:

1) In Firefox you could hit F6 and it would highlight the address bar for you. Anything of that sort here?

Command-L.

Originally posted by Saramin:
2) Even though I activated the option to have all my links open in a tab instead of another window, Safari keeps opening them in new windows. Bug, or am I missing something?

If you mean how Safari handles links handed to it by other applications (such as a link you click on in Mail), Safari will use an open and unused tab. It will not open a new tab, unfortunately. Of course, I'm still on 10.2, so that might have changed, but I doubt it.

wataru · Jul 8, 2004, 07:37 PM

Originally posted by Saramin:
2) Even though I activated the option to have all my links open in a tab instead of another window, Safari keeps opening them in new windows. Bug, or am I missing something?

I couldn't tell from your posts what version of Safari you have, but in mine (1.2.2) the pref you're looking for is the last one on the first tab of Safari's preferences.

Saramin · Jul 8, 2004, 07:42 PM

Originally posted by dtriska:

If you mean how Safari handles links handed to it by other applications (such as a link you click on in Mail), Safari will use an open and unused tab. It will not open a new tab, unfortunately. Of course, I'm still on 10.2, so that might have changed, but I doubt it.

Ah, I see. Strange way to go about it, but thanks for the heads up.

Okaes, back to occupying myself with getting my ass handed to me in WCIII. Thanks again.

wataru · Jul 8, 2004, 08:30 PM

Originally posted by dtriska:
If you mean how Safari handles links handed to it by other applications (such as a link you click on in Mail), Safari will use an open and unused tab. It will not open a new tab, unfortunately. Of course, I'm still on 10.2, so that might have changed, but I doubt it.

That's not true in 10.3 with Safari 1.2.2. I just tried it out: I loaded a page in the only tab of my only Safari window, and then clicked a link from Mail. It opened in a new tab in the same window.

Xeo · Jul 8, 2004, 10:41 PM

Originally posted by wataru:
That's not true in 10.3 with Safari 1.2.2. I just tried it out: I loaded a page in the only tab of my only Safari window, and then clicked a link from Mail. It opened in a new tab in the same window.

Yes, it does open new tabs in existing windows. The only time it'll open a new window is if they are all minimized or there are none open at all.

Try command clicking a link. See what that does. The way I have it set up, command clicking a link in Safari will open it in a new tab. The middle mouse button is set up to do the same thing (I think it's the default behavior because I have no 3rd party mouse utilities installed).

wataru · Jul 8, 2004, 10:51 PM

Originally posted by Xeo:
Yes, it does open new tabs in existing windows. The only time it'll open a new window is if they are all minimized or there are none open at all.

Try command clicking a link. See what that does. The way I have it set up, command clicking a link in Safari will open it in a new tab. The middle mouse button is set up to do the same thing (I think it's the default behavior because I have no 3rd party mouse utilities installed).

That's exactly what I said it did. The poster I replied to said it wouldn't open a new tab when passed a link from another application. I just said it would (depending on your preferences).

Xeo · Jul 8, 2004, 11:08 PM

Originally posted by wataru:
That's exactly what I said it did. The poster I replied to said it wouldn't open a new tab when passed a link from another application. I just said it would (depending on your preferences).

I know. Just trying to confirm as 2 posts saying the same thing is stronger than one. Sorry if you thought I was correcting you. Just trying to agree.

wataru · Jul 8, 2004, 11:10 PM

Originally posted by Xeo:
I know. Just trying to confirm as 2 posts saying the same thing is stronger than one. Sorry if you thought I was correcting you. Just trying to agree.

Oops. That's the second time I've done that lately. Sorry. I guess I have a contentious streak in me.

St.John · Jul 9, 2004, 10:37 AM

Originally posted by drive-thru:
2) (If my interpretation of what you're asking is right)...Open System Preferences and go into the Keyboard & Mouse section. Under the Keyboard tab there is an option to slow down or speed up the key repeat rate. Slide it to the Fast end. Note: this will change the repeat speed of all key presses in your whole system not just Word.

I've just done that and realised it makes Safari scroll much faster using the up and down keys. Nice one!