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

No back-lit keyboard?
No new MBA.

I guess I don't use my computer in the dark enough to warrant a backlit keyboard - I see it as just another device to suck power from the battery faster.

Okay, I just don't get it! Who uses a MBA without the light of the screen being strong enough to light up the keyboard? My MBA keys are in their very same place every day, and as such I have no trouble finding them (even in the dark). Wsit a ninit eho turmed oyt the lifhts?

Message was edited by: WiseJD

MB Air doesn't have a matte screen. It was always glossy, back to the first model. Glossy started with the original polycarbonate case MacBooks. Matte was a BTO option, free I think, on the (roughly) concurrent generation of MB Pros. It may have eventually been made a BTO option on the polycarb MacBooks -- I don't know because I wasn't in the market and I had a MacBook bought at retail w/ a stock glossy screen.

At any rate, the Airs were all always glossy screened, and I don't think there was even a BTO matte option; not for the first generation, perhaps the second. Glossy screen troubles me not a bit. But I wanted to upgraded -- side-grade? -- my 13-inch Air to an 11-inch Air, but having discovered about a week ago what they left out, I won't do it either until the backlit keyboard is at least a BTO option.

Maybe the new MB Pros will be more Air-like in size/weight, w/ a backlit keyboard. Otherwise I'll go back to something similar to the current 13-inch MB Pro before I'll give up the backlit keyboard. I can barely even type on an unlit keyboard anymore. Although at this point I could probably just slap an iMac on my desk and use my iPad w/ my keyboard dock and/or Apple wireless keyboard as a portable. I'm a writer, not a film editor.

But it's weird because a bunch of Windows PC laptop manufacturers jumped on the backlit keyboard bandwagon after Apple started using them. Now Apple drops it in a fairly premium model. Go figure.

Hawley, all depends on how you work. I get up and work at 3 or 4 in the morning a lot. I don't HAVE to keep it mostly dark at my desk, but it's my habit and I prefer it. And cranking up the brightness on the Air display, besides being a battery suck, too, would sort of blow me out of the room.

OMG - I have been saving for a new MacBookAir and was coming out to the US from the UK to buy one next month.... but NO BACKLIT KEYBOARD!!!! Will have to rethink my purchase - this feature was the deal clencher! ****.

Please can any one advise what I should go with instead that's light and comparible. I need to run Adobe Creative Suite CS5 on it.

Just get a refurbished Rev C MacBook Air. It's just as light and thin as the new ones, and it HAS a backlit keyboard.

Hungedu wrote:
Just get a refurbished Rev C MacBook Air. It's just as light and thin as the new ones, and it HAS a backlit keyboard.

I have to correct you on this point: whatever you may feel about the omission of certain features in the new Macbook Air, the FACT is that it's 3% lighter and 14% thinner.

Ok. I'll rephrase that...

Just get a refurbished Rev C MacBook Air. It's just as light and thin as the new ones *(if you aren't using a micrometer to measure the difference)*, and it HAS a backlit keyboard.

Totally lame no backlit keyboard and no USB 3 they are standards now. Yes I will not buy the new MacBook air very disappointed, which I was looking forward to.

I just went to an Apple store today and placed my older MBA next to the brand new one with 13 inch screen. There was no difference in thickness that I could detect with the naked eye. The non-backlit keys of the new MBA looked brighter and reflective compared to the opaque keys on the older MBA. This, of course, was in a very brightly lit store. In a real-world, darker environment, I highly doubt that the screen backlight will be enough to adequately illuminate the keys. When I mentioned this to the Apple store salesperson, he was actually surprised to learn that the new Air does not have a backlit keyboard. He invited me to come back to the store near closing time to test the new Air with most of the overhead store lights off. I'll post my findings later.

Other than the lack of keyboard backlighting, the new Air is absolutely beautiful - especially the 11.6 model! I will resist the temptation and wait for the results of my dark environment testing and/or backlit keyboard revision.

I turned off nearly all the lights in the room with the exception of a table lamp with shade that was about 13ft away and forward of my position. I can very easily see all of the keys clearly with regard to all number, symbol and letter keys via the screen light. The exceptions are the extreme left and right keys (example: Tab, Shift, fn) which can also be understood by someone with familiarity with an Apple keyboard. I continue to wonder why this backlit keyboard thing is an issue at all. I am so very pleased with my 11" MBA. The iMac downstairs must be getting a little lonely.

Message was edited by: WiseJD

Too bad. I love this feature on the MBP and MBA (Second GEN). I will not be upgrading until its added in a future version...

WiseJD wrote:
I continue to wonder why this backlit keyboard thing is an issue at all.

Have you not seen how cool a backlit keyboard looks?.... It's incredibly poor judgment from Apple to squeeze out the maximum battery life.

Presently, when if it's critical on a MB PRo then you turn it off (or just down a bit), but the other 90% of the time you get to enjoy the feature.

Hungedu,

how did the test go in the Apple Store…………enlighten us--> no pun intended!


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