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Backlit Keyboard...Revisited
- Thread starter iRun26.2
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Thanks, you have to laugh sometimes. As noted earlier, I never used a backlit keyboard anyway so its absence from the new MBAs would have passed under my radar but for the outrage it generated from those of you who depend on backlighting. I completely understand your disappointment and agree that from here at least it looks like Apple let you down. I suppose some technical problem could have led Apple to leave it out but I doubt it. Like some of you other cynics here, I fully expect backlit keyboards to reappear in the next MBA upgrade.+1
Very funny! I love to read MacRumors simply because of very clever posts like this one that make me laugh. It's amazing how creative people can be sometimes!
From the angle of bezel to the keys... it certainly appears that the screen is set an acute angle. The problem is that I have never observed many people who actually use a laptop in that configuration. By contrast, the vast majority of people seem to use a laptop with the screen at an obtuse angle (tilted back).
I was studying the reflective keyboard characteristics of my new MBA last night and the "cosine effect" was clearly visible as the screen was opened towards the 90 degree point. At that point, as the screen was further angled rearward, there was a discontinuity and accelerated attenuation. The rearmost function keys are the ones that attenuate the most. Unfortunately, because of the lack of standardization of those keys, they are the ones that are most difficult to be used by touch typists... especially those who routinely use multiple keyboards.
In my primary nighttime usage, I am sitting back and bed with my knees raised and the machine on my lap. This means that the screen must be tilted fully rearward... which is the worst position for keyboard visibility.
I truly believe the omission of the backlit keyboard was a marketing decision to drive product refresh when the Rev E (or later) is introduced. I will certainly upgrade for this reason because the feature is that important for my usage model.
Having said that... there are many nice things about my new MBA, and the benefits outweigh this one glaring omission.
/Jim
fail
well considering the old air had it and the mbp's have it and this is a premium notebook at a premium price, id say its a fail. Not needing it to type is irrelevant..
the backlit keyboard WAS one of the many small things that separated apple from others.. and its gone...
ive been waiting for 2 yrs for an air update and we get a 4 year old CPU tech, 2gb base ram, and no backlit for a premium price??? =FAIL
if its bc of the thinness of the machine, then stop making compromises by trying to make it the thinness of paper... 3lb is 3lb regardless of the thickness. id rather have 3lb and current CPU power and nice features than sacrificing ALL of that to make it thinner...
the 13 MBP has more bang for the $ and therefore a wiser investment
well considering the old air had it and the mbp's have it and this is a premium notebook at a premium price, id say its a fail. Not needing it to type is irrelevant..
the backlit keyboard WAS one of the many small things that separated apple from others.. and its gone...
ive been waiting for 2 yrs for an air update and we get a 4 year old CPU tech, 2gb base ram, and no backlit for a premium price??? =FAIL
if its bc of the thinness of the machine, then stop making compromises by trying to make it the thinness of paper... 3lb is 3lb regardless of the thickness. id rather have 3lb and current CPU power and nice features than sacrificing ALL of that to make it thinner...
the 13 MBP has more bang for the $ and therefore a wiser investment
Totally agree but I still cant figure out a logical reason why apple dropped the backlit keyboard. How much space its gonna take anyways
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Because you don't lop 500 dollars off the MSRP of a laptop without making some sacrifices somewhere.
Because you don't lop 500 dollars off the MSRP of a laptop without making some sacrifices somewhere.
I keep seeing, "I bought this model, but I will definitely upgrade when they release a new one that has a backlight."
Wouldn't it be easier to just take some touch-typing class?
Wouldn't it be easier to just take some touch-typing class?
Of all of the people on these forums, I think that my thoughts align more with flynz4 ('Jim') than anybody else:
Removing the backlight with the intention of bringing it back at a later time is brilliant marketing. At first, I was very disappointed and I made the determination that the lack of a backlit keyboard was a 'dealbreaker' for me. I was going to simply 'vote with my wallet' and not buy one, waiting for the revision that brought back the backlight.
However, the more I thought about it (and read reviews), the more I yearned for the improvements that the new MBA computer provided. The real clincher was when I went into Best Buy and got to play with the 11.6" version. It was a very special machine and I fell in love with it just after using it for about 30 minutes. I ordered the 'ultimate' 11.6" version within a week from Apple.
In the end, I am very satisfied with my new 11.6" MBA. In every way (except the lack of a keyboard backlight) it is an improvement over my Rev. A MBA. It is simply an awesome piece of engineering (and it looks so cute)!
But...Darn you Apple! It is cruel to take away the keyboard backlight feature. They must have known that many of us who are unhappy about not having it would still get one anyway. Also, like Jim, I will buy the next version that brings the backlight feature back.
Call me a 'sucker' for 'giving in' and buying it anyway, but the improvements over the old MBA were just too big to ignore. I will have to hope I hit the correct function key in the dark and not wake up my wife. I will, naturally, learn by trial and error.
Still, the keyboard backlight on the old MBA made it extra special. Apple no longer has that selling point...but maybe the new MBA is doing quite well enough without it.
LOL, buddy, you just answered the questions as to why Apple removed the feature. If it can save them money knowing that their customers will buy regardless then why put it in? Also, as you said it, the improvements on the new model over the old one were too big to ignore and Apple knows this too so why should they put a BL keyboard in? Understand that I asking rhetorically because I like the BL keyboard too. TBH, if you don't vote with your wallet, Apple will remove another feature in future revisions as long as they've got lemmings that are going to open their wallet no matter what.
But what feature could they now take out in the next release? (The lighted Caps Lock key???)
I wonder if they plan to only bring it back to the 13.3" MBA. That would really make me frustrated!!! (Although it might convince some people that they need to have both the 11.6" and 13.3" models...but not me).
$500??
Previous 13" Air - $1499
Current 13" Air - $1299
It should have been a BTO option or part of the maxxed out versions.
Previous Air with 128 SSD was in fact $1799
New Air with 128 SSD is $1299 so, um, I'm not great at math but...
Its not a direct comparison because to get the old SSD model you also got the faster CPU. So then you have to choose the max 13 to get the faster processor but it comes with a larger drive. Considering the 1.86 256Gb model is $300 more expensive than the 1.86 128GB model you have to subtract $300 from your $500...which is $200.
No biggie, we agree on the most important thing: It should have BL keys.
I was just suggesting what I believe the main reason for the omission isto get the price-point down to where people actually buy it (unlike the previous version).
I was just suggesting what I believe the main reason for the omission isto get the price-point down to where people actually buy it (unlike the previous version).
But what feature could they now take out in the next release? (The lighted Caps Lock key???)
I wonder if they plan to only bring it back to the 13.3" MBA. That would really make me frustrated!!! (Although it might convince some people that they need to have both the 11.6" and 13.3" models...but not me).
Well I hate to say it but you may have hit the nail on the head. It's a good chance they will bring back the backlit keyboard on the 13" and leave it off of the 11". Reason being is that Apple is notorious for giving more on the larger screened or more expensive models.
Examples:
iMac. You can only get an i7 with the higher spec GPU on the 27"
Macbook Pro: You can only get an ExpressCard slot on the 17" and 1920X1200 resolution.
The older aluminum Macbook (before it was rebranded) only had a backlit keyboard on the $1499 model, the $1199 model had no option for BL KB.
This goes back many years with Apple. The 12" Powerbook was nothing more than a glorified iBook. The only thing it had in common with the 15" and the 17" was the aluminum shell. No backlit keyboard, washed out screen, limited ram slots, no PC card slot and you had to buy the wireless card separate on earlier models.
So, if they do bring back the BL keyboard, just expect it to only be on the 13". Chances are Apple will focus on power and portability (which I would prefer) rather than feature set.
Even if you can touch type using the qwerty keys, it may be a little hard to find keys such as the command, option, fn, control, F1 F2 etc, volume and all that in the pitch dark when you can't see your keys.
Even if you don't really "need" it, its still a nice touch and makes the computer look really cool
That would double the number of possible configurations. As it stands, there are 10 different configurations (4 base models, 4 with extra RAM, 2 with extra RAM and faster processor). Apple likes to minimize the number of configurations because it helps them manage their inventory better. They hold a lot smaller inventory than their competitors, which helps reduce costs and increase investment income.
Apple seems to handle the greater number of screen options just fine on their pros. They also have a myriad of keyboard choices available already so its not like they don't know how to handle it. There is also a difference between having distinctly boxed configurations, what's available for purchase in the store, and having assembly line options. Upon assembly all they would have to do is use a backlit topcase instead of a regular topcase and plug it into the logic board. Soldering in more RAM is a more complex procedure.
I fail to see how offering limited options would help to increase investment income. If the customer wants more features via BTO and is willing to pay for them then it's a win. On some level you're are correct but for the most part Apple's motto is simplicity for the customer. Honestly, it's maddening to look on Dell's site and see way too many BTO options for a notebook, it's highly confusing and frankly I would be turned off.
I really don't think that the backlit keyboard makes sense for a BTO option. It would be something that they would do to all or to none. I don't believe it would really cost them that much more to put it in all of the next generation MBAs.
Even if you don't really "need" it, its still a nice touch and makes the computer look really cool
That's why I am most amazed they left it out. My original MBA (my first Mac) had the backlit keyboard and it made me think 'Apple products stand out from PCs! What class!'. Without the backlight, they lose that edge ('cool factor').
A calculated risk on Apple's part?