Adjusting the Key Repeat in Macintosh

• What is key repeat?
• Key repeat variables:
  • Repeat rate
  • Delay until repeat
• Adjusting key repeat variables

What is key repeat?

In normal keyboard use, holding down a key causes a repeat effect. If you want to type a row of fifty exclamation points, you do not need to hit the key fifty times. Instead, you press down on the key and hold it. Initially, only one exclamation point appears. However, once you hold the key long enough, exclamation points begin appearing one after the other until you release the key. This behavior relates to the key repeat settings.

Key repeat variables:

There are two independent variables that affect they way your keyboard processes key repeats: the repeat delay, and the repeat rate.

Repeat rate

The repeat rate controls how fast you want the key to repeat. In our exclamation point example, this corresponds to how often you want to see another exclamation point once the key has started repeating. There are 5 possible repeat rates, from Slow to Fast (actual numerical values are not available).

Delay until repeat

The delay until repeat is the amount of time you want to hold the key before it begins to repeat. There are four possible delay settings, from Short to Long (actual numerical values are not available). You can also turn the key repeat off by selecting the "Off" button (after "Long"). In this case, you can hold the key as long as you want without repeating.

Adjusting key repeat variables

Note that on the Macintosh keyboard, the Command key is the one with the picture of the apple on it.

1. Bring up the Keyboard window. You can do this with the mouse, which is the easiest option, but it is also possible to do this using only the keyboard.
2. Select the key repeat rate you want.
3. Select the delay you want, or choose "Off" to turn off keyboard repeats.
4. When you are satisfied with your key repeat settings, hit Command + w to close the Keyboard window. If you opened this window using the keyboard, the focus will switch to the Control Panel. You can continue using Command + w to close windows until all of the desired windows are closed.

Open the Keyboard window using the mouse

1. Choose the apple menu in the upper left corner of your screen.
2. Select the Control Panel.
3. Choose Keyboard from the Control Panel submenu.
4. Go back to step 1 above.

Open the Keyboard window using the keyboard only

1. Move the focus to the desktop. You should be able to do this using Command + d, but it does not always work.
2. Hit Tab until the focus is on the hard drive.
3. Press Command + o to open the hard drive.
4. Hit s and then Tab until the focus is on the system folder.
5. Press Command + o to open the system folder.
6. Hit c and then Tab until the focus is on the control panel.
7. Press Command + o to open the control panel.
8. Hit k and then Tab until the focus is on the Keyboard icon.
9. Press Command + o to open Keyboard.
10. Go back to step 1 above.

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