The day Return became Enter
a day ago
- The transition from typewriters to computers was gradual and complex, with the Return key embodying this journey.
- Early typewriters required a mechanical carriage return lever; electricity later enabled a dedicated key, often called Carriage Return, Electric Return, or Power Return.
- Teletypes introduced control characters and decoupled Carriage Return from Line Feed, requiring typists to press both keys for proper line breaks.
- Word processors redefined Return for paragraph ends, adding concepts like hard returns, soft returns, and word wrap, complicating its use.
- Early computers adopted Return, Execute, or Next labels; IBM terminals popularized Enter for form submission, leading to the dual Return/Enter coexistence.
- Personal computers like the IBM PC and Macintosh standardized on Enter or Return, respectively, but the key's function varies by context (e.g., sending a message vs. inserting a new line).
- The article suggests the key's legend is less important than its context, and dreams of a simple, universal 'go' key, but acknowledges the fun of history.