4 ms·

Nothing on this list compares to removing an ESC key. That was apple starting to leave reality. I had to buy used laptops for that time period.

mmmnnn 1y ago
super lolllz
AlexandrB 1y ago
Definitely the worst era of Mac laptop hardware that I lived through. I still have a work-provided 2019 MBP and the keyboard is shot (even though I never use it because it's docked to a monitor + keyboard 99.9% of the time), while the Touch Bar flickers with random white rectangles regularly while the machine is asleep. I personally kept using a 2015 MBP until last year for just this reason.
theshrike79 1y ago
If they just put the fancy bar ON TOP of the f-row, we'd still have it.
KaiserPro 1y ago
As a Vim user, I thought it would be a deal breaker, but it really wasn't that bad. The rest of the laptop was though.
- AlexandrB 1y ago
  In Vim, I've used ^[ instead of ESC since forever so the ESC thing didn't bother me either. Still, the Touch Bar is such a pain in the ass when I have to interact with it. It's also bad if I touch it by accident when carrying the laptop.
- nobleach 1y ago
  As a Vim user, and a 65% keyboard user with my ESC key mapped to `~`, I found out early on that using ESC in Vim is better relegated to CTRL+[ or `jk` (when in insert mode). Fortunately, that stupid touchbar didn't slow me down as much as others have mentioned. The volume control (that would get stuck) on the other hand...
- trollbridge 1y ago
  I just switched to ^C for Escape (which usually works) and ^[ for the rare time I needed actual escape mode. The Touch Bar was awful - except I was able to get a great deal on my former employer’s Touch Bar era laptops they were decommissioning, since nobody wanted them. One of them (2018, fully loaded) is still in active use, although it mostly runs T2Linux now.
ubercore 1y ago
You're right about the hubris, but Caps Lock -> Esc is The Way regardless!
- RayVR 1y ago
  I am a vim user. I map caps lock to super for a dead simple app shortcut system. I prefer being able to switch applications perfectly over a more convenient escape key. macOS app switching is broken by default.
  - ubercore 1y ago
    AeroSpace WM really made a lot of sense for me for better application switching.
- robinsonrc 1y ago
  Caps Lock as Esc (tap) and also Ctrl (hold) is the true way
  - ubercore 1y ago
    Interesting, haven't tried that, but I will.
nik736 1y ago
Wow I already forgot about the touch bar. And imagine being so stubborn to keep the touch bar but introduce a physical ESC key, they lost their minds during that time.
- codr7 1y ago
  They lost their mind when Jobs died, he was the only mind worth mentioning in that cult.
- mrheosuper 1y ago
  There was non-touch bar variant, right ? Personally i like how manufactures try out new thing, instead of staying inside their safe zone.
icedchai 1y ago
The early touch bar models were terrible. I still remember the day I traded that thing in for an M1.

mmmnnn 1y ago

super lolllz

AlexandrB 1y ago

Definitely the worst era of Mac laptop hardware that I lived through. I still have a work-provided 2019 MBP and the keyboard is shot (even though I never use it because it's docked to a monitor + keyboard 99.9% of the time), while the Touch Bar flickers with random white rectangles regularly while the machine is asleep. I personally kept using a 2015 MBP until last year for just this reason.

theshrike79 1y ago

If they just put the fancy bar ON TOP of the f-row, we'd still have it.

KaiserPro 1y ago

As a Vim user, I thought it would be a deal breaker, but it really wasn't that bad. The rest of the laptop was though.

AlexandrB 1y ago
In Vim, I've used ^[ instead of ESC since forever so the ESC thing didn't bother me either. Still, the Touch Bar is such a pain in the ass when I have to interact with it. It's also bad if I touch it by accident when carrying the laptop.
nobleach 1y ago
As a Vim user, and a 65% keyboard user with my ESC key mapped to `~`, I found out early on that using ESC in Vim is better relegated to CTRL+[ or `jk` (when in insert mode). Fortunately, that stupid touchbar didn't slow me down as much as others have mentioned. The volume control (that would get stuck) on the other hand...
trollbridge 1y ago
I just switched to ^C for Escape (which usually works) and ^[ for the rare time I needed actual escape mode. The Touch Bar was awful - except I was able to get a great deal on my former employer’s Touch Bar era laptops they were decommissioning, since nobody wanted them. One of them (2018, fully loaded) is still in active use, although it mostly runs T2Linux now.

ubercore 1y ago

You're right about the hubris, but Caps Lock -> Esc is The Way regardless!

RayVR 1y ago
I am a vim user. I map caps lock to super for a dead simple app shortcut system. I prefer being able to switch applications perfectly over a more convenient escape key. macOS app switching is broken by default.
- ubercore 1y ago
  AeroSpace WM really made a lot of sense for me for better application switching.
robinsonrc 1y ago
Caps Lock as Esc (tap) and also Ctrl (hold) is the true way
- ubercore 1y ago
  Interesting, haven't tried that, but I will.

nik736 1y ago

Wow I already forgot about the touch bar. And imagine being so stubborn to keep the touch bar but introduce a physical ESC key, they lost their minds during that time.

codr7 1y ago
They lost their mind when Jobs died, he was the only mind worth mentioning in that cult.
mrheosuper 1y ago
There was non-touch bar variant, right ? Personally i like how manufactures try out new thing, instead of staying inside their safe zone.

icedchai 1y ago

The early touch bar models were terrible. I still remember the day I traded that thing in for an M1.