Why are there 2 enter keys on the macbook?

Doesn't anyone else find it strange that Apple put two enter keys on their keyboard?

 

return and enter are two different things, although, how they are different escapes me at the moment.

I think return is more like "carriage return" from the typewriter days. Enter is more of a numeric keypad kind of thing.

I agree though, the implementation on the mac keyboard is kinda odd.

I'm lefthanded I find the keyboard to be a bummer in general.

 

It's pretty stupid IMHO. Just like no delete key!
There is also a recent hread on this topic.

 

there is the second smaller enter key to work with the numpad built into the keys I believe, when you press num lock the numpad in the keyboard will work as a numpad, and that is the enter key for that num pad I am guessing.

but overall, pretty odd, having another ctrl would make quite a bit more sense.

 

That key, while generally not in the way for my typing, annoys me also - would have liked to have another ctrl or something there instead, especially since I never use a numerical keyboard on any computer.

I downloaded an application for changing keyboard layouts (Ukulele), thinking of using that to remap it if possible. Haven't gotten around to trying it much yet.

 

like I said, it is for the Numpad, built into the other keys. take a look at a normal desktop Mac Keyboard, you have another Ctrl key, but on the laptops, they decided it would be better to put the enter key there for the numpad.

but honestly, how annoying could it possibly be? it is pretty rare to be using the right ctrl key on any system.

 

What count_schemula said is right. Enter and Return are different keys with different purposes. The Enter key on the Num pad is not identcal to the Enter key on the main keyboard.
Although this is not noticable or significant in normal day's use, it does make a big difference in some coding and other professional environments.

 

I do not think that this is a good design, like some old toshiba laptop keyboard,
space+insert+del+alt, so odd!!!!!

 

The new SR MacBooks don't have that second (smaller) enter key... but then again, it also lacks the numeric keypad.

 

You can also bind that enter key to something else - a number of very useful programs actually utilize it...I can't actually think of them off the top of my head, but I do remember noticing the functionality when I was using those programs.

 

DoubleCommand: http://doublecommand.sourceforge.net/

 

perhaps a mod could merge the two threads?

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=191823

(sam, a job for you now, no? )