Where Do You Put DELETE on a 65%?

[Kavik]

As the title says, where do you guys put the delete key on your 65% keyboards?

I built my M65-A this weekend, and it's my first sub-TKL board, so I'm struggling a bit on where to put certain keys. I am a heavy user of the nav cluster except for the insert key.

I had an old laptop with a layout that I really liked: the right-most column was delete, home, pg up, pg dn, end from top to bottom. It could fit all of these keys in one column because it had the F-key row at the top. Since the F-key row is missing from a 65%, this also chops off the spot I'd want my delete key to go unless I shift everything down one row and give up my arrow keys.

I've thought about making my backslash/pipe key delete, setting my backspace's Fn layer to delete, or possibly switching to a 1u backspace with adjacent delete; although I really hate 1u backspaces. What does everyone here do?

[TerryMathews]

On a 60 or 65%, FN+Backspace I think is easiest to remember assuming you don't want to split your backspace - I think that's a bad move, there aren't many sets that support split backspace.

[Zobeid Zuma]

I agree, my first obvious answer would be to make Fn-Backspace work as Delete.  That would be especially easy to remember for us old Mac users, since the Mac always had the backspace labeled as Delete!

A more ambitious answer might involve creating a layout with a split spacebar, then the left half could become backspace, and some space would be freed in the upper-right corner to do some other things.  I would like to try this eventually, maybe based on the Banana Split 60.

Edit:  Here's an example of my noodling around in the layout editor. . . . .

[kmba]

Split backspace into backslash and delete, and use hhkb style backspace where backslash usually is, which is an infinitely better position anyway.

[TalkingTree]

Split backspace into backslash and delete, and use hhkb style backspace where backslash usually is, which is an infinitely better position anyway.

This on any form factor.

[ideus]

Split backspace into backslash and delete, and use hhkb style backspace where backslash usually is, which is an infinitely better position anyway.

This on any form factor.

I use delete to the right of the split right shift, plus space-Fn. Backspace in its Unix layout, my preferred, or 1u or 2u in standard top right location.

[ander]

Ever since I built my 65%, I've typed so efficiently, I've never needed a Delete key. That's the whole idea behind such a compact, super-efficient layout. If you need a Delete key, maybe you're not ready for a 65% board. So ha.

[ideus]

Ever since I built my 65%, I've typed so efficiently, I've never needed a Delete key. That's the whole idea behind such a compact, super-efficient layout. If you need a Delete key, maybe you're not ready for a 65% board. So ha.

Remove the backspace also. Otherwise, you are not ready to be  part of GH.

[ander]

Ever since I built my 65%, I've typed so efficiently, I've never needed a Delete key. That's the whole idea behind such a compact, super-efficient layout. If you need a Delete key, maybe you're not ready for a 65% board. So ha.

Remove the backspace also. Otherwise, you are not ready to be  part of GH.

 

[ddot]

It’s an experiment in progress, but currently I have the Backspace key in the HHKB spot and the Delete key to the right of it.  Tried just having the delete action as a sub function of the backspace key, but I just couldn’t get used to it.  Part of my reason for moving from 60% to 65%.  Also trying the Backspace key in place of the capslock, a la colemak, so I have 2 backspace keys at the moment.  Also experimenting with SpaceFN.

Current layout for the record.

[chuckdee]

Split backspace, using \ and `.  Backspace instead of \ on the next row, and Fn+BS = delete.  If I have a full row where the extra keys are above the right arrow, I'll put delete and insert there in addition to my normal pause/break and prtsc, but I hardly ever use them.

[Tom_Kazansky]

here is mine:


Fn + V = Delete

I hardly ever use the dedicated Del on the right, I wonder why I put it there myself   

[OfTheWild]

Ever since I built my 65%, I've typed so efficiently, I've never needed a Delete key. That's the whole idea behind such a compact, super-efficient layout. If you need a Delete key, maybe you're not ready for a 65% board. So ha.

Remove the backspace also. Otherwise, you are not ready to be  part of GH.

We only move forward here.

[ideus]

Ever since I built my 65%, I've typed so efficiently, I've never needed a Delete key. That's the whole idea behind such a compact, super-efficient layout. If you need a Delete key, maybe you're not ready for a 65% board. So ha.

Remove the backspace also. Otherwise, you are not ready to be  part of GH.

We only move forward here.

You got it. 

[Kavik]

Great suggestions, everyone. This is giving me a lot to think about. 

I probably need to rethink my bottom row so that I can put an Fn key there. I opted for a 7u spacebar with 1.5u ctrl and alt keys on both sides; I mainly did this on the right side because I thought it would help me proprioceptively find the arrow keys better since they're the only 1u keys on the bottom. My current Fn key is Caps Lock, and it is using an MX lock switch. I thought that was pretty clever at first, but I'm actually finding it harder to use as a toggle than just holding it. 

[ideus]

Great suggestions, everyone. This is giving me a lot to think about. 

I probably need to rethink my bottom row so that I can put an Fn key there. I opted for a 7u spacebar with 1.5u ctrl and alt keys on both sides; I mainly did this on the right side because I thought it would help me proprioceptively find the arrow keys better since they're the only 1u keys on the bottom. My current Fn key is Caps Lock, and it is using an MX lock switch. I thought that was pretty clever at first, but I'm actually finding it harder to use as a toggle than just holding it.

You should give Space-Fn a try. It allows to put your arrows anywhere you like. The home row is a good candidate.

[davkol]

Why use a Backspace/Delete key at all? Looking at classic terminals and their spiritual successors in GNU Readline/Emacs, Vim etc., it's not even necessary. A chord comprising accessible keys is arguably more efficient: Control-H/D in this case. Or, when used outside such environments, then some variant of DreymaR's Extend layer… SpaceFn is good too.

[psiclone]

Could you also do an Alt + Enter or Alt + Space?