6 ms·
They kept the touch bar but it seems that they added (back) a physical Esc key, isn't that the most criticized missing key? Which other key do you miss now tha
by vmarsy 6y ago
They kept the touch bar but it seems that they added (back) a physical Esc key, isn't that the most criticized missing key?
Which other key do you miss now that Esc is back?
- rusk 6y agoThat’s great!
- usaphp 6y agoI actually miss "Esc" key being in the touchbar, it felt quicker to tap it on previous gen macbook pro instead of pressing it on my new macbook pro.
- michaelcampbell 6y agoHaving used an MBP keyboard, I'd say "all of them".
- plorkyeran 6y agoAll of them? I use the function keys regularly and it's much harder to hit the correct one without looking at the keyboard with the touch bar.
- jedberg 6y agoWhat do you use function keys for? I was thinking about this, and I don't think I've used a function key in years.
- ataylor32 6y agoI'm not the person you replied to, but I frequently use the play/pause key and also the volume keys. I occasionally use the function keys in my text editor too.
- jedberg 6y agoOk yeah I guess I use volume sometimes.
- plorkyeran 6y agoStep Over/Into/Out shortcuts in Xcode (F6/F7/F8) are the really obvious ones which I hit many times per day. Play/pause/etc. with the Fn key are easier to hit without looking than the touchbar.
- 314 6y agoI prefer that they change labels in a context-sensitive way. For keys that I don't use that often the icon is a better trade-off than a tactile response. Sliders are useful as well.
- skrtskrt 6y agoJetbrains IDEs and VSCcode have a ton of default shortcuts using the fn keys. I'm happily tapping away with them on a 2020 MBA
- oblio 6y agoDo you use IDEs for debugging?
- Shorel 6y agoThat's a good question. I can imagine some people never using them because of their particular workflow and software of choice. In my particular case, I use them all the time. Edit some SQL, press F9. Select some files, press F5. And so on. I can't work without the function keys.
- buu700 6y agoThis is such a bizarre unforced error. Why would they just arbitrarily remove a row of the keyboard? Taking it away and asking why I need it is like asking why I need right-click, pinch-to-zoom, or my left pinky finger. It makes no sense that we have to choose between fully featured input and active cooling. Either way, based on this announcement I'll probably hold off on upgrading for another generation. That'll leave some time to see how the transition goes, and with any luck the next ones will include 32 GB RAM, Mini-LED, and 5G (along with a full keyboard).
- asdff 6y agoDon't know why they didn't just add a screen to the blank function key width gap of bare aluminum between the keyboard and the hinge if they were looking to add some decoration to the keyboard. That would have been praised, instead it's been a pariah.
- pavelrub 6y agoThe physical Esc key was already added in the previous generation
- dbbk 6y agoFunnily enough the MacBook Pro product page actually shows both the physical and virtual escape keys on the touch bar. Hopefully that's a mistake...
- alquemist 6y agolight level down, light level up, mute, volume down, volume up.
- Macha 6y agoThe lock button is super sensitive and prone to being pressed when hitting backspace.
- dkarl 6y agoHaving bought a Macbook Pro with an Esc key earlier this year, lack of an Esc key was 90% of my issue with the touch bar. My biggest issue now is when I accidentally activate it. I didn't have an issue accidentally hitting the function keys on my 2013, so why not bring those back? Or invent something new. Forward or back, I don't care, just admit the touch bar was a dud and get it off my keyboard. EDIT: My mother also says she gets distracting autocomplete suggestions on the touch bar while she's typing. I vaguely remember doing something to turn that off on mine, but she is terrified of Covid so I haven't had a chance to get at her laptop and fix it for her. I don't know what human factors genius at Apple decided it would be helpful for people to see words hopping around at the edge of their vision while they're trying to type.
- djrogers 6y agoSettings | Keyboard | Touch Bar Shows You can choose a few different options there - try "Expanded Control Strip".
- cpsempek 6y agoI remapped escape to caps lock to overcome this, it might work for others who don't use caps lock.
- interestica 6y agoIt's absurd that you had to resort to this. I wonder if someone also released a standalone bluetooth escape key that attaches to the side of a keyboard (equally absurd).
- mekster 6y agoTime for Facetime?
- Toutouxc 6y ago> I vaguely remember doing something to turn that off on mine, but she is terrified of Covid so I haven't had a chance to get at her laptop and fix it for her. You can use Messages to easily initiate screen-sharing (with you controlling her Mac) to do that. No 3rd party software, no action on her side needed.
- reaperducer 6y agoI'm with you. My work computer has the TouchBar, and my personal computer has the physical keys. While I prefer the physical keys, once you get the TouchBar configured properly (I use MTMR), it's really quite nice. Combined with a physical escape key, it would be ideal. Considering how the people on HN boast so much about being L337 Haxxorz, I'm surprised they don't see the value in a secondary interactive screen that they can make do anything they want.
- ProZsolt 6y agoI don't look when I type. The touchbar makes me look down from my screen if I want to interact with it.
- reaperducer 6y agoI don't look when I type, either, except for the function keys, because I don't use them that often. So since I'm already looking down at the function keys, looking at the TouchBar makes zero difference. One minor annoyance, however, is that the TouchBar isn't visible in direct sunlight, which is to be expected of any screen. Function keys don't have that problem.
- DaiPlusPlus 6y ago> Which other key do you miss now that Esc is back? I really need a Forward-Delete key - pressing Cmd+Backspace just doesn't work for me.
- addandsubtract 6y agoFn+Backspace would work for you, though :P
- DaiPlusPlus 6y agoIt is Cmd+Backspace for me because I remapped my MacBook's keyboard so it matches my ThinkPad's[1] - I really don't want to have to play Twister with my fingers. [1] Yes, I've remapped/swapped the Ctrl+Fn keys on my ThinkPad too.
- pimlottc 6y agoAdding back the escape key is not new, they had the same physical keyboard layout in the previous MacBook Air which was announced Nov 2019.