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Comment by atarian | Hacker News Reader

I have both a 2015 MBP (same model as the 2013) and the latest 2019 MBP. The 2019 is almost better in every way (except for the dongles). FWIW, I did a Thunderbolt transfer from my 2015 to 2019 and it was pretty much a carbon copy of all my settings.

I recommend you actually try it out yourself before making a judgment.

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Honest question asked in good faith: Are you a developer? What's it like not having an escape key or function keys?

I'm the NOT the original parent, but I am a developer, and use a 2018 MacBook Pro (15-inch). I'm a heavy vi user (vim actually.) I did not particularly care for advice to remap the escape key in vi to caps lock. So I just use the virtual escape key on the touch bar. It was odd initially not have haptic feedback on the escape key, but I got used to it and my typing speed in vi is almost as fast as it is on a normal keyboard (But definitely not as fast as it would be on a real keyboard). I have no real use for the touchbar. Occasionally, I use it to switch between browser tabs, and adjust video volume and scrub backwards and forwards in Premier Pro. But I don't really need it. I don't hate with a passion either. It's just there.

Edit fixed a typo: I am NOT the original parent.

Thanks. As a vim user I’ve been assuming the new macbook pros are a non-starter.

VIM is all about efficiency and comfort, I'm wondering why any vim user would use ESC key in default position, to exit insert mode you can write:

- ESC

- Ctrl-c

- Ctrl-[

- Configure Caps as Ctrl when held, ESC when tapped

- Use key chord, for example 'jk'

Yup, I'm actually a pretty heavy Vim user. I did the whole "remap caps to escape" thing long ago, so not having a physical escape button wasn't an issue for me.

Function keys have been replaced by touchscreen equivalents, but that's not all they are. Some of the buttons act like sliders, so you can actually press-and-slide them (like volume), which is faster than repeatedly tapping physical buttons to do the same thing.

Being able to customize what buttons appear is also great because I can now have a lock screen button that I tap to lock my laptop.

Oh, wow. I had completely forgotten that "repeated button pressing to change volume" was a thing. Thank you. Apparently I like the Touch Bar more than I realized.

I am a developer (20 years professional experience) and I have both the 2015 Pro and 2018 Pro.

You do get used to the tactile-less-ness of the touchbar for the escape key. And I've yet to find a use for the function keys. Can't remember a single case of needing a function key in the last 5 years at least.

I'm using a MBP 2015 myself, so I do have an escape key. Regardless I bound it to my Caps Lock key because that's the position I use on my personal custom keyboards. You can do this natively in "System Preferences > Keyboard > Modifier Keys". You can change all your modifier keys there to whatever modifier key you like.

I very much prefer typing on a separate keyboard though, I don't really understand the people who just work straight on their laptop all day. Get yourself a screen (or more than 1) and work with a keyboard and mouse, far better ergonomically.

I actually love my MBP 2015's keyboard, and the trackpad is for me the ergonomically-superior choice. I don't have any wrist pain no matter how long I work on it, and the gestures are brilliant and useful. The screen size is the only problem, but the built-in display is gorgeous and sharp, so it mostly makes up for it for me.

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