Jumping around with Macbook keyboard

[lidarose]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

I am a new Macbook laptop user and I'm having trouble finding keyboard shortcuts I used to use on my PC with full keyboard. Specifically, I need to know how to
- jump to the top of the page ("home" on the full keyboard)
- jump to the bottom of the page ("end" " " " ")
- delete to the left ("backspace" on full keyboard)
- highlight a whole sentence or paragraph prior to deleting, cutting, etc.

Thanks.

 

[Walter23]

Hi there - half a day ago, I asked a similar question...
, and in the effort to see what keystroke works for you, I found my own answer!!

Here we go:

Paragraph down (or up): CMD+Down (or cmd+up
highlight a paragraph: Click it three times
delete to the left: Backspace
delete to the right fn+backspace
highlight from cursor to the end of the paragraph: Shift+alt+down_arrow
jump to the start of the doc: fn+cmd+left
jump to the end of the doc: fn+cmd+right
move up or down half a screen (or so it seems): fn+up or fn+down.

If you use this keyboard: <http://images.apple.com/euro/macbookpro/images/overview-gallery2-20090608.png>, you'll find the relevant keys on the row closest to the trackpad, from the left to the right: fn, ctrl, alt, cmd etc.

Hope this helps.

Does anybody "out there" has a full(er) list? I find these shortcuts a bit like reading having to perform ritual dances to please oddly-named gods. They are a little too cryptic for my liking. (and why do we edge and carve patterns into tyres simply to please the god of aquaplaning...?) I jest.

W

 

[Jeff_Chapman]

Hello Walter,

Here we go:

Paragraph down (or up): CMD+Down (or cmd+up
highlight a paragraph: Click it three times
delete to the left: Backspace
delete to the right fn+backspace
highlight from cursor to the end of the paragraph: Shift+alt+down_arrow
jump to the start of the doc: fn+cmd+left
jump to the end of the doc: fn+cmd+right
move up or down half a screen (or so it seems): fn+up or fn+down.

Glad to see this list - I often get mixed up too, as I switch between MacBook, MacBook Pro and Apple wireless keyboards (not to mention a Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard for Windows 7!) Thanks for supplying this for us.

Jeff

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Walter;

<snip>

Does anybody "out there" has a full(er) list?

<snip>

Yep, *everybody* has a "full(er) list" -- It's called Help in whatever
application you're using Search using the keywords: keyboard shortcuts.

I can't help you on the "cryptic" issue though... That's what makes keyboard
shortcuts keyboard shortcuts. On a Mac keyboard these are the typical
equivalents to the modifier keys on a Windows PC:

Command (Cmd) = Control (Ctrl)
Option (Opt) = Alternate (Alt)

Additionally, many Mac keyboards also have a Control key [which sometimes
does/sometimes doesn't do the same as the Command key. It just depends on
the program & command involved].

Since notebook & other condensed keyboards are limited in the number of keys
they can physically provide they usually include a key labeled fn. The fn
key is an additional modifier key which adds more versatility/functionality
to those keys. Most PC laptops have a similar key.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Tim Mastrogiacomo]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

I am a new Macbook laptop user and I'm having trouble finding keyboard shortcuts I used to use on my PC with full keyboard. Specifically, I need to know how to
- jump to the top of the page ("home" on the full keyboard)
- jump to the bottom of the page ("end" " " " ")
- delete to the left ("backspace" on full keyboard)
- highlight a whole sentence or paragraph prior to deleting, cutting, etc..

Thanks.

this might help you: http://www.autohotkey.com/


Tim Mastrogiacomo

 

[Jeff Chapman]

Hello Tim,

this might help you: http://www.autohotkey.com/

Unfortunately, it won't - the utility you linked to is for Windows.

Jeff

 

[John McGhie]

The Word keyboard shortcuts are listed in the Word Help.

Go into the WORD help (not the Apple help...) and search for the topic "Word
keyboard shortcuts". Also check the topic "Create a custom keyboard
shortcut".

On the MacBook, you simply need to remember to put "Function" in front of
some of them, to shift the keyboard focus away from the "letters" keys

You also need to look up "Keyboard" in the Apple help. Spend enough time in
there so you can reliably get into the Apple help or the Application help,
and know which one you are in.

The new Apple help mechanism is very confusing: it is slick and pretty, but
half the time you end up looking at the Apple help instead of the
application help. Which is very pretty, but not much use!!

Cheers

Hi there - half a day ago, I asked a similar question...
, and in the effort to see what keystroke works for you, I found my own
answer!!

Here we go:

Paragraph down (or up): CMD+Down (or cmd+up
highlight a paragraph: Click it three times
delete to the left: Backspace
delete to the right fn+backspace
highlight from cursor to the end of the paragraph: Shift+alt+down_arrow
jump to the start of the doc: fn+cmd+left
jump to the end of the doc: fn+cmd+right
move up or down half a screen (or so it seems): fn+up or fn+down.

If you use this keyboard:
<http://images.apple.com/euro/macbookpro/images/overview-gallery2-20090608.png
left to the right: fn, ctrl, alt, cmd etc.

Hope this helps.

Does anybody "out there" has a full(er) list? I find these shortcuts a bit
like reading having to perform ritual dances to please oddly-named gods. They
are a little too cryptic for my liking. (and why do we edge and carve patterns
into tyres simply to please the god of aquaplaning...?) I jest.

W

--

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[bookmanjb]

Hi, The Word keyboard shortcuts listed in Word Help are by no means complete.
For example, try finding a shortcut as basic as "Go to Beginning of Doc" or
"Go to End of Doc" for laptops, which don't have Home or End keys. You won't
find it. Nor will you find it in the Customize list. The
(almost-except-for-Word) universal Mac command for going to the beginning or
end of a doc is Command-up arrow & Command-down arrow. Try those in Word for
mac and see what happens. I find Word Help to be of no help and a waste of
time probably 50% of the time. The post at the beginning of the thread which
suggests using the fn keys is very helpful; you would not get that info from
Word for Mac Help.

 

[John McGhie]

I guess at some point the Help Author has to assume that you know how to
drive your own computer

Cheers

Hi, The Word keyboard shortcuts listed in Word Help are by no means complete.
For example, try finding a shortcut as basic as "Go to Beginning of Doc" or
"Go to End of Doc" for laptops, which don't have Home or End keys. You won't
find it. Nor will you find it in the Customize list. The
(almost-except-for-Word) universal Mac command for going to the beginning or
end of a doc is Command-up arrow & Command-down arrow. Try those in Word for
mac and see what happens. I find Word Help to be of no help and a waste of
time probably 50% of the time. The post at the beginning of the thread which
suggests using the fn keys is very helpful; you would not get that info from
Word for Mac Help.

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]