Control-click/2 button mouse?

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Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I have discovered control-clicking an item can do many helpful tasks such as put it in the trash (my favorite). Will the right hand button on a 2 button mouse do the same thing? Or are we still stuck with only one button mice?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    Control+click is the exact same thing as right click on a mouse, in fact, if you look at the set up for a 2 button mouse the right button by default is set to perform a Control+click
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  • Reply 2 of 15
    steve666steve666 Posts: 2,600member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Wrong Robot

    Control+click is the exact same thing as right click on a mouse, in fact, if you look at the set up for a 2 button mouse the right button by default is set to perform a Control+click



    I didnt think it would work on a Mac. I wonder why Apple doesnt just give us a 2 button mouse. Its very helpful. Putting stuff in the trash is a pain when the dock is hidden.
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  • Reply 3 of 15
    Quote:

    Originally posted by steve666

    I didnt think it would work on a Mac. I wonder why Apple doesnt just give us a 2 button mouse. Its very helpful. Putting stuff in the trash is a pain when the dock is hidden.



    actually all you have to do, once your item is highlighted, is hit apple-delete (that is, the delete button where backspace should be). to empty the trash, you hit shift-apple-delete (the same 'delete' button). this works very quickly for me.
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  • Reply 4 of 15
    steve666steve666 Posts: 2,600member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ipodandimac

    actually all you have to do, once your item is highlighted, is hit apple-delete (that is, the delete button where backspace should be). to empty the trash, you hit shift-apple-delete (the same 'delete' button). this works very quickly for me.



    Thats another good way, thanks. I think Im adddicted to control click now though!
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  • Reply 5 of 15
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Get that two-button mouse.



    The reason Apple ships a one-button mouse is to *enforce* the idea that anything you can do in any app should be doable with only one button, and doable with the mouse. This results in apps that are easy to navigate, easy to find functionality in, and just plain easier to use. Developers can't rely on that second button being there, so they have to make everything doable with a single button. Ie, left-click.



    Windows apps are, generally, harder to find things in because a *lot* of things are hidden under *only* right-click... in MacOS X apps, the contextual menu from right-click is completely redundant, but just a shortcut for often-used items.



    Bottom line: if you want a two (or three, or five (yes, they exist)) button mouse, you'll have to buy one. It's strictly for convenience.
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  • Reply 6 of 15
    steve666steve666 Posts: 2,600member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kickaha

    Get that two-button mouse.



    The reason Apple ships a one-button mouse is to *enforce* the idea that anything you can do in any app should be doable with only one button, and doable with the mouse. This results in apps that are easy to navigate, easy to find functionality in, and just plain easier to use. Developers can't rely on that second button being there, so they have to make everything doable with a single button. Ie, left-click.



    Windows apps are, generally, harder to find things in because a *lot* of things are hidden under *only* right-click... in MacOS X apps, the contextual menu from right-click is completely redundant, but just a shortcut for often-used items.



    Bottom line: if you want a two (or three, or five (yes, they exist)) button mouse, you'll have to buy one. It's strictly for convenience.




    Im thinking of buying a Logitech 2 button Optical Mouse Special Edition Black mouse for 20 bucks.

    I also have a Logitech Access keyboard in black that I got for free to replace this god awful small iMac G3 keyboard.

    I considered buying a Kensington keyboard in a box for USB that contained usb ports and a power on button but its hard to argue with a free keyboard (then again if i keep using my one button mouse I wont need a USB hub)

    Unfortunately now I have to buy a USB hub because the keyboard doesnt have a usb port.



    Do I have to buy a powered USB hub? They are more expensive, but I will be plugging in a printer and maybe a scanner later.
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  • Reply 7 of 15
    dviantdviant Posts: 483member
    <insert pet peeve> Why doesn't Apple use the left-click-and-hold = right-click for the entire OS like it does in the dock??? Do it already Apple!</peeve>



    In my opinion that would pretty much eliminate the need for a 2-button mouse, and still be able to maintain Apple's one-button-ness. Contextual menus are so darn handy and really user-friendly if used correctly, they should really be part of the mousing function like other menus. A keyboard modifier breaks the consistancy is is somewhat annoying to me. I really like the Apple mice but until they wake up and address the right-click issue they force me to buy 3rd party mice. Pfffft silly Appleses.
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  • Reply 8 of 15
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by steve666

    I didnt think it would work on a Mac. I wonder why Apple doesnt just give us a 2 button mouse. Its very helpful. Putting stuff in the trash is a pain when the dock is hidden.



    Uh...why not use the actions menu? Or just press CMD-Shift-backspace.
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  • Reply 9 of 15
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Cmd-Delete is Put In Trash

    Cmd-Shift-Delete is Empty Trash.





    Waaaaaaaaay different.
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  • Reply 10 of 15
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by dviant

    <insert pet peeve> Why doesn't Apple use the left-click-and-hold = right-click for the entire OS like it does in the dock??? Do it already Apple!</peeve>





    It's worse than that - support in applications is inconsistent. OmniWeb, for example, supports click-and-hold.



    I'd love this to be a standard feature.
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  • Reply 11 of 15
    Wasn't that feature in OS 9? like system wide?



    It would definitely be a great addition to OS X.
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  • Reply 12 of 15
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kickaha

    Cmd-Delete is Put In Trash

    Cmd-Shift-Delete is Empty Trash.





    Waaaaaaaaay different.




    Shut up. I'm having a bad day here.
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  • Reply 13 of 15
    steve666steve666 Posts: 2,600member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Placebo

    Uh...why not use the actions menu? Or just press CMD-Shift-backspace.



    Using Control button is good enough. I dont remember who told me about it but thanks.



    Problem with my Logitech keyboard, the F controls dont work. I like to use F11 and havnt even discovered what I can do with the others.



    Anyone here have a third party keyboard? I was considering Kensingtons USB keyboard in a box.
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  • Reply 14 of 15
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Wrong Robot

    Wasn't that feature in OS 9? like system wide?



    Nope.



    Some apps implemented it (like OmniWeb for Mac OS X) but not all.



    Anyhow, I have a 5-button mouse with scroll wheel. Mac OS X picks it up automatically with no need to install anything. Middle and right click work perfectly as does the scroll wheel. I have the side buttons mapped to two of Exposé's functions.



    It all works very well, but I still keep my shiny black one-button Apple mouse in the drawer because it holds a special place in my heart.
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  • Reply 15 of 15
    man, I could have sworn OS 9 did that in the finder...ah well, there's gotta be a way to do this with some 3rd party application...right?
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