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New Macbook Airs don't have Backlit keyboards?

T

tmoenter

macrumors newbie
Jul 12, 2008
21
4
No backlight for the keyboard! Lame!!!

Apple blew it bigtime for me. I'll never upgrade to the new Air. I have a current Air with SSD and the backlit KB is a must-have.

Why in the world did they pull that? Sorry Steve. you aren't perfect. What are you thinking? Lame....lame...lame.
 
spinedoc77

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Jun 11, 2009
11,488
5,413
tmoenter said:
Apple blew it bigtime for me. I'll never upgrade to the new Air. I have a current Air with SSD and the backlit KB is a must-have.

Why in the world did they pull that? Sorry Steve. you aren't perfect. What are you thinking? Lame....lame...lame.
Click to expand...

Is this verified? Damn, and I was about to order a 13" with 4gb but this would be a deal breaker for me.
 
N

NewSc2

macrumors 65816
Jun 4, 2005
1,044
2
New York, NY
Do you guys seriously not know where the keys are? There's a bright, LED-backlit monitor illuminating the keys RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR KEYBOARD. My wireless aluminum keyboard doesn't have a backlight either, and I'm never finding my fingers off.

The only time I ever turned the backlight on was the first time I bought my Powerbook. Oooh... pretty. But the glare and the reflection and contrast got annoying, and I turned it off 5 minutes later.
 
D

dav

macrumors 6502
Jun 29, 2004
495
10
for me it's not about being able to type. it's about the overall aesthetic of the computer. i like the glow under my keys, even if i never look at the keyboard.

i'll use my MPB 13" until the new MBA. these do look amazing though.
 
Yr Blues

Yr Blues

macrumors 68030
Jan 14, 2008
2,687
889
C64 said:
If you can type by touch there really is no point in having backlit keys. I find it distracting even, and always turn it off.
Click to expand...

I can touch-type, but sometimes I forget where certain function keys are. And with fn, control, alt, option, command, & ⌘ next to each other, it gets confusing sometimes. Those keys are the most ambiguously named chicklets ever…
 
gri

gri

macrumors 6502a
Jul 17, 2004
845
183
New York City, aka Big Apple
frunkis54 said:
there is sure alot of complainers about no backlit keyboard, seriously? do you complainers now how to type? any decent typist SHOULDN'T need to look at a keyboard to type.



this should do the trick also

http://store.apple.com/us/product/H3240LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Mg&mco=MTk0MTgyNTg
Click to expand...

Don't be so arrogant. I can type fast but I never learnt "official" typing. I have to look at the keys. Not possible without backlight in a low light condition as the keys are difficult to read if they are similar to the current one with BL off (and it looks like it on the pictures). And - why is Apple going backwards? This is not an up- but a downgrade imo.
 
S

southnc

macrumors member
Mar 12, 2010
56
1
I agree that omitting the backlit kb was not a good idea. Why not simply have an overhead light above the screen to shine down on the keyboard like the Lenovo laptops do?

I'm sure there is probably some gadget out there that can attach to the display top and light-up the keyboard.
 
K

kenypowa

macrumors 6502a
Oct 16, 2008
711
79
somewhere
This is a classics Apple move. Nobody should be surprised anymore. Every time they roll out a major upgrade, they will also remove certain features, only to put them back on future upgrades.
 
J

jagger27

macrumors member
Feb 16, 2010
53
0
southnc said:
I agree that omitting the backlit kb was not a good idea. Why not simply have an overhead light above the screen to shine down on the keyboard like the Lenovo laptops do?

I'm sure there is probably some gadget out there that can attach to the display top and light-up the keyboard.
Click to expand...

I was just about to mention that. I love it on mine. Again, a clip-on gizmo would do the trick for me.
 
SnowLeopard2008

SnowLeopard2008

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2008
6,772
18
Silicon Valley
You get a small, thinner form factor, longer battery life, better graphics processor, cheaper price, 4GB memory BTO option, and much more. Yet the backlit keyboard is the sole deal breaker? I agree its useful and such, but the trade off isn't bad at all. I'd take the graphics processor and longer battery life over backlit keys any day. Maybe it's because I actually use my computer instead of hunting for keys every second.
 
Veinticinco

Veinticinco

macrumors 65816
Feb 25, 2009
1,483
1,560
Europe
I am writing this post on a 2004 PowerBook G4.....with backlit keyboard.

Not a deal breaker by any means, but it's a kick in the nuts all the same.
 
T

The Final Cut

macrumors 6502
Sep 5, 2009
378
0
i never understand why people obsess over this feature, even if you cant touch type, i can fully see my keyboard in half brightness with my macbook pro screen. why do people worry about this? besides you can get a usb light off amazon for $10 if you really need it...
 
Nautilus007

Nautilus007

macrumors 68030
Jul 13, 2007
2,667
1,416
U.S
Yes

Yes but all their other unubidy macs have bl keyboard why should "the future of macs " not have them
 
M

Madgenius

macrumors newbie
Oct 14, 2010
11
0
The keyboard issue has nothing to do with whether you can touch type or not. I can touch type, but I use it laying on the couch watching TV, I have no idea how I'm suppose to touch type in the dark laying sideways, or why I need to to type in one or two words into a search. The reason people want it is irrelevant. It's arrogant to tell people what they should like or how to use there computer. It would be like me saying to somebody who uses iChat all the time. 'who cares they left out the camera? I never use it'

The Macbook Air previously had a backlit keyboard. This feature was removed.

Not a good look Apple.
 
blairh

blairh

macrumors 603
Dec 11, 2007
5,972
4,472
dav said:
for me it's not about being able to type. it's about the overall aesthetic of the computer. i like the glow under my keys, even if i never look at the keyboard.

i'll use my MPB 13" until the new MBA. these do look amazing though.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the laugh.
 
Yr Blues

Yr Blues

macrumors 68030
Jan 14, 2008
2,687
889
Madgenius said:
The keyboard issue has nothing to do with whether you can touch type or not. I can touch type, but I use it laying on the couch watching TV, I have no idea how I'm suppose to touch type in the dark laying sideways, or why I need to to type in one or two words into a search. The reason people want it is irrelevant. It's arrogant to tell people what they should like or how to use there computer. It would be like me saying to somebody who uses iChat all the time. 'who cares they left out the camera? I never use it'

The Macbook Air previously had a backlit keyboard. This feature was removed.

Not a good look Apple.
Click to expand...

applause.gif
 
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