What purpose does the insert key have

Factual Questions
21

I find it curious that so many functions have been added to keyboards over the years and never removed. I know why it has happened – to maintain backwards compatibility. New buttons keep getting added to support new functions but the old ones still remain.
My current keyboard is typical in that it has crtl, alt, fn, the windows button, context sensitive menu button, a row of function keys (most of which are seldom used) and some special shortcut keys (of which I normally only use the volume control). When I first picked up a pc it had 86 keys.

I wonder if there will ever be a return to a keyboard with fewer keys on it?

22

I still use the DOS Edit editor from time to time, it supports the Insert key to toggle insert or overwrite. EditPad Pro also does that.

Overwrite can be handy for people that edit fixed-length data files.

23

If you count portable devices (cell phones, Kindles, etc.) there already has.

24

Not in any version of DOS I ever used. To do what you are talking about you’d generally type

TYPE filename.txt | MORE
ETA: Sorry, didn’t realize this thread was over a month since last reply, I had no intention of raising a zombie.

25

I just wish they’d go back to altering the cursor in insert mode, and provide an option, either in the better programs or globally over the entire OS, to disable Insert. Or at least make it work like other keys like it–needing a modifier key to get the function. It sounds like the OP is only complaining because he accidentally hits it.

26

I don’t understand why anyone would want to use “overwrite” mode. Does anyone here actually use it?