27 ms·

No touch bar is a win IMHO. I'm not against it per se, but a soft `esc` was a mistake.

by tsmarsh 8y ago

plufz 8y ago
Have you tried remapping esc to capslock? (Or ctrl to capslock and esc to ctrl). I would never go back to normal esc.
- narimiran 8y ago
  > Have you tried remapping esc to capslock? (Or ctrl to capslock and esc to ctrl) ¿Why not both? I have (on Linux, not on Mac, but it shouldn't matter): * "caps lock" + key = Ctrl+key * "caps lock" (release) = Esc It works like charm and I can definitely recommend it.
  - xutopia 8y ago
    How do you map it to do that?
    - SkyPuncher 8y ago
      Karabiner - https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/ https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/ I have mine mapped to: * caps (no other key) => esc * caps + home row => corresponding symbol key Extremely nice for programming when '(' and ')' are on 'L' and ';' keys - directly under my fingers.
    - tingol 8y ago
      You can use https://github.com/alols/xcape https://github.com/alols/xcape on linux.
    - narimiran 8y ago
      I guess there are other ways and tools, I use this: 1. to put Ctrl on CapsLock: setxkbmap -option caps:ctrl_modifier 2. to have "dual" CL as described above: xcape -e 'Caps_Lock=Escape'
  - slig 8y ago
    So simple, I wish I had thought about it before. Thanks.
- eckza 8y ago
  For my part: I've thought about it, but I have huge hands. Sometimes, when I'm reaching for Shift or Tab, I hit Caps Lock on accident. I would be frustrated if I hit Caps Lock on accident and it broke me out of insert mode. I can understand how it can be more ergonomic and usable for some people, though.
- tsmarsh 8y ago
  The irony is that I do have capslock mapped to escape, but my fingers frequently rest where the esc key should be, so I catch it when I wasn't expecting it. Sure, this is my problem, its just only my problem on MacBook Pros.
eckza 8y ago
vim lifer here, I'm dreading the day my 2015 rMBP dies.
- lexicality 8y ago
  You should probably stop using the tiny escape key long before that happens. Either swap out caps for esc (my pref), start using ^[ or do one of these tricks: https://vim.fandom.com/wiki/Avoid_the_escape_key https://vim.fandom.com/wiki/Avoid_the_escape_key
  - dbalatero 8y ago
    I don't know if you've tried this, but consider using caps lock for ctrl (the other tiny harder to reach key) and jk for esc. The home row reachability of jk is actually really nice and having ctrl remapped seals the deal for me.
- zachruss92 8y ago
  Vim user as well. My 2014 rMBP died in 2017 and I've had the 13" MBP w/ touch bar ever since. I'm utterly disappointed with the machine. I don't like anything about the touch bar, it's literally completely useless to me, however, the escape key doesn't drive me insane. I work about half of my day using my laptop keyboard and the other half docked w/ a mechanical keyboard. I've tried mapping esc to the backtick (`) key and tried 60% keyboards - I can't get used to it. Depending on what you do you could look into the MacBook Air?
  - tannhaeuser 8y ago
    I considered that a month ago for doing some graphic stuff which doesn't run on Linux (on my XPS 13 main machine). But the Air w/ 16 GB is a bad deal compared to the MB Pro, and the low-end MB Pro (the only one without the freaking Touch Bar) has a worse display and specs than the high-end so I didn't buy anything. I'm wondering why Apple can not just get over the idea of coupling "Pro" machines with the Touch Bar. As a touch typist and vi hard-core user, I'm never going to buy a Touch Bar device, period.
- 8y ago
jeffhuys 8y ago
I get that people don't like that. I do, however, have no problems with it, coming from a developer perspective. It's in the same position, but without the tactile feedback. You'll get only visual feedback in the app you're running. I love the touchbar, mainly because you can customise it any way you want. I have a lot of macros and shortcuts put on there for while I'm programming. Of course, I did that with the F1-F12 keys before, but now it's just more intuitive for me and aesthetically pleasing.
- tsmarsh 8y ago
  I would like to hear your thoughts on why a tactile device, the keyboard, is better when tactile feedback is replaced with visual clues. And why a device you touch and don't look at is more aesthetically pleasing when you remove the bits that the way you use it more pleasant. For my money the innovation we're missing is more tactile feedback. A device that allows you to modify the click of a key, the amount of force required, the position and shape of those keys.
seunosewa 8y ago
There should be a fingerprint sensor, though. Pairing that with the touchbar that nobody wanted in the MacBook Pros was a bad idea.

No touch bar is a win IMHO. I'm not against it per se, but a soft `esc` was a mistake.

plufz 8y ago

Have you tried remapping esc to capslock? (Or ctrl to capslock and esc to ctrl). I would never go back to normal esc.

narimiran 8y ago
> Have you tried remapping esc to capslock? (Or ctrl to capslock and esc to ctrl) ¿Why not both? I have (on Linux, not on Mac, but it shouldn't matter): * "caps lock" + key = Ctrl+key * "caps lock" (release) = Esc It works like charm and I can definitely recommend it.
- xutopia 8y ago
  How do you map it to do that?
  - SkyPuncher 8y ago
    Karabiner - https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/ https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/ I have mine mapped to: * caps (no other key) => esc * caps + home row => corresponding symbol key Extremely nice for programming when '(' and ')' are on 'L' and ';' keys - directly under my fingers.
  - tingol 8y ago
    You can use https://github.com/alols/xcape https://github.com/alols/xcape on linux.
  - narimiran 8y ago
    I guess there are other ways and tools, I use this: 1. to put Ctrl on CapsLock: setxkbmap -option caps:ctrl_modifier 2. to have "dual" CL as described above: xcape -e 'Caps_Lock=Escape'
- slig 8y ago
  So simple, I wish I had thought about it before. Thanks.
eckza 8y ago
For my part: I've thought about it, but I have huge hands. Sometimes, when I'm reaching for Shift or Tab, I hit Caps Lock on accident. I would be frustrated if I hit Caps Lock on accident and it broke me out of insert mode. I can understand how it can be more ergonomic and usable for some people, though.
tsmarsh 8y ago
The irony is that I do have capslock mapped to escape, but my fingers frequently rest where the esc key should be, so I catch it when I wasn't expecting it. Sure, this is my problem, its just only my problem on MacBook Pros.

eckza 8y ago

vim lifer here, I'm dreading the day my 2015 rMBP dies.

lexicality 8y ago
You should probably stop using the tiny escape key long before that happens. Either swap out caps for esc (my pref), start using ^[ or do one of these tricks: https://vim.fandom.com/wiki/Avoid_the_escape_key https://vim.fandom.com/wiki/Avoid_the_escape_key
- dbalatero 8y ago
  I don't know if you've tried this, but consider using caps lock for ctrl (the other tiny harder to reach key) and jk for esc. The home row reachability of jk is actually really nice and having ctrl remapped seals the deal for me.
zachruss92 8y ago
Vim user as well. My 2014 rMBP died in 2017 and I've had the 13" MBP w/ touch bar ever since. I'm utterly disappointed with the machine. I don't like anything about the touch bar, it's literally completely useless to me, however, the escape key doesn't drive me insane. I work about half of my day using my laptop keyboard and the other half docked w/ a mechanical keyboard. I've tried mapping esc to the backtick (`) key and tried 60% keyboards - I can't get used to it. Depending on what you do you could look into the MacBook Air?
- tannhaeuser 8y ago
  I considered that a month ago for doing some graphic stuff which doesn't run on Linux (on my XPS 13 main machine). But the Air w/ 16 GB is a bad deal compared to the MB Pro, and the low-end MB Pro (the only one without the freaking Touch Bar) has a worse display and specs than the high-end so I didn't buy anything. I'm wondering why Apple can not just get over the idea of coupling "Pro" machines with the Touch Bar. As a touch typist and vi hard-core user, I'm never going to buy a Touch Bar device, period.
8y ago

jeffhuys 8y ago

I get that people don't like that. I do, however, have no problems with it, coming from a developer perspective. It's in the same position, but without the tactile feedback. You'll get only visual feedback in the app you're running. I love the touchbar, mainly because you can customise it any way you want. I have a lot of macros and shortcuts put on there for while I'm programming. Of course, I did that with the F1-F12 keys before, but now it's just more intuitive for me and aesthetically pleasing.

tsmarsh 8y ago
I would like to hear your thoughts on why a tactile device, the keyboard, is better when tactile feedback is replaced with visual clues. And why a device you touch and don't look at is more aesthetically pleasing when you remove the bits that the way you use it more pleasant. For my money the innovation we're missing is more tactile feedback. A device that allows you to modify the click of a key, the amount of force required, the position and shape of those keys.

seunosewa 8y ago

There should be a fingerprint sensor, though. Pairing that with the touchbar that nobody wanted in the MacBook Pros was a bad idea.