# I Miss the Insert Key...



## kevs~just kevs (Mar 21, 2005)

I don't think i'm a bad person, but I have to say I really miss the Insert key on my pc... call me lazy or whatever but i miss it. Is there any keyboard config that I can use to get it on my Mac?


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

I don't even really know what an insert key does


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

The insert key on the PC I occasionally use actually only gave me problems initially. Now I don't use it anymore..
All it does is toggle between truly inserting characters (ie adding characters and moving the existing characters to the right) and inserting and overwriting the existing characters.
Before I knew what this function was, I somehow inadvertently hit the insert key on the PC keyboard and the next time I tried to insert characters normally, I ended up deleting the characters on the right as it did so. There is no indication that the insert key is toggled (like there is on the caps lock key for instance) and after a few days of frustration where I thought the software program was screwy, I finally phoned our desktop support guys who set me straight.
Unless you use insert for another purpose, I don't understand why you would miss the toggled insert (and delete character) function. If I need to do that on a Mac, and I think the PC works the same, I just highlight the characters I need to delete when I'm inserting and then type over them. That gives me much more control that the insert toggle button on the PC keyboard.
And for normal insertion (without character deletion), just postion your cursor where you want to insert and start typing.


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## MacME (Mar 15, 2005)

my peeve is the bloody "home" and "end" doesn't go the beginning and end of a line when editing text!!!  

i keep having to fuddle with the option ... command .. alt ... shift ... up arrow ... left arrow ... down arrow ... WHATEVER the key combo is!!!


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## Todd (Oct 14, 2002)

Here's a list of OS X keyboard shortcuts. Alas, there is no insert/overwrite toggle for a Mac.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75459


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

Todd said:


> Alas, there is no insert/overwrite toggle for a Mac.


Thank God...nothing worse than a toggle with no indication which mode you're in.


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## RC51Pilot (Mar 26, 2004)

krs said:


> Thank God...nothing worse than a toggle with no indication which mode you're in.


Most apps tell you at the bottom in the status bar what mode you're in.


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