No Backlit Keyboard? GLOSSY screen????!!!!!

@pcmike - you dont even have a apple laptop... save up $ "quick" and get this mba.

I agree. I went ahead and grabbed the new MBA 13".

I actually never needed to use a backlit keyboard b4, there is always light when I use a computer, including on a plane or elsewhere. If it really bothers me not having a backlit keyboard on this, I will just grab those USB LED lights and use it, or one of those keyboard covers that glow at night (although not sure how well these work).

Seriously, you people care about that gimmick? Us adults that learned to touch type turn that crap off anyway.

Spend an hour a day for the next month learning to touch type (and learning to locate f and j keys on your keyboard. Hint: they have little notches on them to help you distinguish them even if you are blind). Once you learn to touch type you don't need to look at the keyboard ever, and you will type almost as fast as you can think.

Here is a good, fee online place to learn to touch type. Spend some time there and enjoy the benefits of an essential skill for the rest of your life:

http://www.typing-lessons.org/

Seriously, you people care about that gimmick? Us adults that learned to touch type turn that thing off anyway.

Spend an hour a day for the next month learning to touch type (and learning to locate f and j keys on your keyboard. Hint: they have little notches on them to help you distinguish them even if you are blind). Once you learn to touch type you don't need to look at the keyboard ever, and you will type almost as fast as you can think.

Here is a good, fee online place to learn to touch type. Spend some time there and enjoy the benefits of an essential skill for the rest of your life:

http://www.typing-lessons.org/

Message was edited by: MarioGrgic

@zzz99,

What are you talking about? I have two Apple laptops. Are you trying to be funny? #fail

There are some very real situations when a BLK comes in very handy, e.g., DJ-ing.

To each his own, but Apple hardly threw a BLK onto the MBP as a "gimmick." Give ME a break. 😉

Seriously, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think DJ's are Apple's target market for the Macbook Air. Neither are video editors, sound designers, lighting designers, etc...For those purposes, the Macbook Pro is the way to go.

Having initially decided to cancel due to this issue I tried an LED light in USB and whilst not as good as backlighting is plenty bright enough to read keys and not intrusive. Whilst am still disappointed there is no backlighting - now my new air has arrived am very pleased with it - love the sharper definition, increased speed and longer battery life - its great. I ran out of patience having waited 9 months for this one. Have got the 13" 2.13 with 2 GB of RAM and is noticeably faster than my previous 2.13 model.

Actually got 4GB RAM but am not sure I actually needed that now I've got it

New macbook air is lovely but the absence of backlight keyboard is very bad point to it! i was waiting the new model till the begining of the year and i bought it finally 3 days ago, i thought that backlight is an obvious feature but probably steve jobs do not think so! no backlight keyboard is the first big defect of this machine, even i can write without looking the keyboard.

I as about to replace my 15" MacBook Pro (Core 2 Duo) with a 13" MBA, but when reading the review on Engadget, learned they removed the backlit Keyboard.

I'm sticking with my MacBook Pro. I type close to 100 WPM, and I am objective enough to concede to others' remarks that there is indeed a gimmicky component to the backlit keyboard.

Personally, it just makes the laptop look cool, and adds to my enjoyment of using it, and you have to admit it isn't entirely useless; even if it's just saving you from briefly hunching closer to make out the F3/F4 keys to adjust your volume.

Well believe what you want. It's only an internet forum. My post was clear about office environment.
Carry on

i have new macbook pro at work and a 4 year old one at home, i wanted to replace the personal one with macbook air, however quite often i use at night with no additional lighting, i can type blindly and usually i don't look at the keyboard, so i did an experiment i brought my work laptop home and tried to use it without backlit doing my usual bit, the outcome was AWEFUL, the moment i switched back backlit it was a totally different experience.

I have decided not to buy and wait/hope for it in the future as an option or whatever, this story reminds me of Firewire port removal....

I suggest everyone to provide feedback asking to add backlit keyboard http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookair.html

The other solution which apple could have implemented it is making illuminated keyboard not by light but by the paint (like on watches) which glow in dark, the problem of course no option to control its brightness and ability to switch it off.

I posted this on another thread, but in case some dont go there:

1. I got that iSkin ProTouch FX, it does not even glow in the dark. Its hard to type with it, and the LCD lid does not really close well either. So in my book its a fail.

2. Anyone knows of MAC keyboard stickers that are WHITE, and that would glow in the dark? Am saying white coz the letters on the macbook air are not really white, they are more like greyish. So without the backlit, it makes things harder to read.

Forget the illuminated keyboard crap, come on, the wife needs to sleep, if you don't have one then full dim your brightness, grow up, its fine! No infra, seriously, don't you have an iphone or a mouse for the one time you need a remote in 10 years?
BUY IT!