This has been true for function keys over several generations of Mac laptops/keyboards. Rarely they were kept in the same exact position for more than 2 years or so. So nothing new about the strip in this regard (if anything, it might give people the ability to have them where they are used to).
>and requires that the functionality of the keys be completely configurable - something I personally find unlikely given the current trend of Apple products.
That's kind of the whole point of having soft keys though. And I don't see this trend of Apple removing Mac OS configurability really, except if we talk about things like adding security sandboxes and checks (which is done for a reason: security).
>And they frequently have very specific form factors to match their controls. Very few are flat slates with graphics on them
Some though are basically just that. The lemur was just a touch screen for example and there are other strip like models of the same thing. Others are just sets of unmarked keys, for you to decide what each does, etc, but all identical otherwise (for which an OLED strip would be an improvement). Those things are popular in the electronic music production world (which I participate in). As are mere overlay stickers for the keyboard.
>I'm not asking for an alienware gaming laptop, just a laptop fit for a developer.
Developers usually have meagre CPU needs -- especially the majority which are people like web developers (and most C developers I know too). Heck, Linus Torvalds made do with the old MB Air (with Linux) and now a Chromebook, again hardly the most capable box.
The only exception would be for running multiple VMs, but while there might be legitimate reasons for running > 1 VM or needing more CPU power in general than what a quad i7 (as in in the MBPr 15") offers -- but I doubt those reasons are there for a large market.
>all I want to do is develop software while using collaboration tools and not have to worry about my battery when I'm off power
While larger battery life is always good, is there a large enough market of people who develop all day unplugged and need more than 5-6 hours of battery (which MBPs can do)? Enough to justify making a bulkier case for a bigger battery?
>I'm not asking for the removal of a touchpad, just the addition of a touch screen.
My argument wasn't addressing the removal of the touchpad, but the utility of having a touch-screen in the first place. If it's of marginal utility (without, as I wrote, a detachable screen), why have it?
This has been true for function keys over several generations of Mac laptops/keyboards. Rarely they were kept in the same exact position for more than 2 years or so. So nothing new about the strip in this regard (if anything, it might give people the ability to have them where they are used to).
>and requires that the functionality of the keys be completely configurable - something I personally find unlikely given the current trend of Apple products.
That's kind of the whole point of having soft keys though. And I don't see this trend of Apple removing Mac OS configurability really, except if we talk about things like adding security sandboxes and checks (which is done for a reason: security).
>And they frequently have very specific form factors to match their controls. Very few are flat slates with graphics on them
Some though are basically just that. The lemur was just a touch screen for example and there are other strip like models of the same thing. Others are just sets of unmarked keys, for you to decide what each does, etc, but all identical otherwise (for which an OLED strip would be an improvement). Those things are popular in the electronic music production world (which I participate in). As are mere overlay stickers for the keyboard.
>I'm not asking for an alienware gaming laptop, just a laptop fit for a developer.
Developers usually have meagre CPU needs -- especially the majority which are people like web developers (and most C developers I know too). Heck, Linus Torvalds made do with the old MB Air (with Linux) and now a Chromebook, again hardly the most capable box.
The only exception would be for running multiple VMs, but while there might be legitimate reasons for running > 1 VM or needing more CPU power in general than what a quad i7 (as in in the MBPr 15") offers -- but I doubt those reasons are there for a large market.
>all I want to do is develop software while using collaboration tools and not have to worry about my battery when I'm off power
While larger battery life is always good, is there a large enough market of people who develop all day unplugged and need more than 5-6 hours of battery (which MBPs can do)? Enough to justify making a bulkier case for a bigger battery?
>I'm not asking for the removal of a touchpad, just the addition of a touch screen.
My argument wasn't addressing the removal of the touchpad, but the utility of having a touch-screen in the first place. If it's of marginal utility (without, as I wrote, a detachable screen), why have it?