When you hold down a key on the Apple IIGS keyboard, it repeats just as it would on an electric typewriter. This feature is called auto-repeat.

If it's physically difficult for you to press and release the keys quickly or if you just have a heavy hand on the keys, you can use the Control Panel Program (explained in Appendix A) to change the length of time before a pressed key starts repeating. By the same token, if you have a very light touch and find the keyboard sluggish, you can use the Control Panel Program to make the keys repeat after a shorter interval.

After you get familiar with an application, you'll know by heart the questions it asks, and you'll find yourself typing responses before the questions even appear on the screen. For example, you'll remember that after you choose the Print command from the menu, the application will ask you how many copies you want to print. To save time, you can type the answer to the question before it even appears on the screen. The application isn't ready for the answer, so what you type doesn't appear on the screen, but it's stored in a special part of memory called the keyboard buffer. When the application is ready to accept input from you, it retrieves what you typed from the keyboard buffer and carries out your typed instruction.

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Chapter 3: The Mouse and the Keyboard