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

The first MacBook Air was the reason why I made the switch to Apple. Now I carry a 13" MBP. I was sooo ready to get that new MBA - but WHY would you scratch the IR receiver??
Apple got the best presentation application and the best remote out there and I can't use that with there newest model?
While we're on it: why no backlid keyboard? To make it a little thinner? Bad trade off. I agree with the removal of optical drives but while we got rid of optical media there are still dark places out there.
Oh and why leave the power led out? Because of instant on? What about the battery indicator?

@ JAShapiro, Didn't realise it had no IR, do you have a Wii? At home i use a Wii remote to control my mac instead of an apple remote when its connected to a TV, just download "Darwiin remote" you can use bluetooth instead of IR for remote controls, works great. Hope the next revision has a backlight, i cant believe they removed it, but then apple do things that are impossible to understand sometimes, ie no camera on iPad. I will wait for next model.

"Apple needs to place a clear warning on their website alerting potential buyers that there is no keyboard backlight."

Why? An INTELLIGENT consumer would actually read the technical specifications.

Why? Because all previous versions of the MBA had backlit keyboards. All the consumer (intelligent or not) can glean from reading the published specs is that the MBA has a keyboard -- there's no comment about whether or not it is lighted.

Given that all earlier models had it, not being completely upfront about the deletion is a bit deceptive.

Note, too, that the "new" MBAs no longer have any infrared interface; another dropped feature that you have to really dig to discover.

For anyone who has a Rev. B or later MBA with SSD, these "new" models are a complete disappointment.

Are you bringing your MP or iMac on the road and use it e.g. on an overnight flight or in a lecture hall with dimmed lights? Thought so...

I also was excited to finally get 4G RAM and 250 SSD/Flash - and than that? Why is Apple always going forward on one end and than making things worse (well we know why). So - no 2k from me for Apple, I have to waitJust a stupid move, at least for me these black keys are much more difficult to read in the dark without light than the white or aluminum ones...

I have been waiting for this update since... the beginning of this year...

Everything look great other than no backlit keyboard? Are you kidding with me? I would not buy any Apple laptop (1k+) with no backlit kb, I can live with glossy screen, and the never-die Core 2 Duo CPU...

Make it an optional upgrade if you want more $ Apple, same thing to the matte screen, you just want more $, as for a business line laptop(1k+), we don't mind to pay $20-50 more for a backlit kb!

Next time, pull the multi trackpad so it can save more room.


Know what... I will just stick with my 09 MBP 13" with SSD, because the new MBA is not a portable business line laptop PERIOD.

Message was edited by: zzz99

Whenen the first MacBook air came along I knew I had found my perfect match... No Optical drive, thin, light, normal size screen, and BACKLIT keyboard. Not so perfect any more. ... Have had my Revision A since launch. I needed this update to be perfect, and it pretty much was. Except it has a keyboard I won't be able to use...

Guess i'm sticking to my Revision A for even a longer while. Talk about falling just in front of the finishing line apple. Hope you correct this bug/error for Rev.B

The keyboard backlight is about showing off without saying a word.

The new MBA is like buying a Mercedes-Benz without the MB star.

I want my backlit keyboard.

The Macbook Air has transitioned from being an exclusive luxury product (Rev.A) to a consumer device (newest models and low price points).

All Apple products have trickled down. Apple, where is my exclusive luxury Mac laptop? A Macbook Elite.

Very well said Vicente Gomez just about sums it up very well - still an top notch product though

Well this definitely sounds like a deal killer for most. Keep in mind before Apple created the MacBook Air the smallest notebook was the 12" PowerBook G4 and it did not have a backlit keyboard unlike the 15" PowerBook G4 and 17" PowerBook G4. Glossy Screen well I like the colors to pop, photos and movies looks great. Thing is most people that are new to Apple are coming from notebooks from other companies that doesn't have it. These MacBook Air have a lot of high end tech at good price so yeah there will be a tradeoff. If you want backlit then there's the 13-inch MacBook Pro. MacBook Air is cool but considering Apple just speed bump the MacBook Pro to a Core i7 2.8GHz I rather have processing power if I want something light then I say get the 64GB iPad Wi-Fi + 3G. Something I'm trying to do myself currently I'm on a 17-inch PowerBook G4 1.67GHz and yes I got a backlit keyboard! LOL!

I am in SHOCK, about how disappointed people are by no backlit keyboard.... I never have mine lit on my MBP, the light from the screen and me knowing the keyboard is all i need. The only people i can imagine needing the backlit keys are people typing with 1 or two fingers searching for each key, and that's not who is going out and buying macbook air's... I know when im typing my hands are covering about 80% of the keyboard anyway.... Anyway that's my rant about that.... I have pictures to back up my statement about the screen lighting up the entire keyboard for you people searching for your letters... This picture was taken in a pitch dark room, only light is coming from the screen and the screen is at a 110 degree angle

[img] http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/6189/mba.png[/img]

That picture of your macbook pro lighting up the keyboard is not a realistic representation of why a backlit keyboard is needed. Your keyboard is only lit by your screen when most of the background on the screen is white. What's funny is that I can't see my keyboard when looking at the picture you posted (because most the screen is dark). I turned off my backlit keyboard while looking at the picture and there was no way to see what was written on the keys.

I'm a touch typer and I still love the backlit keyboard feature. I don't think I would buy a laptop without it now. You are not always touch typing - for instance if your using a command key or some other keyboard shortcut.

I was interested in buying one of the new macbook airs, but not now. It was a huge mistake for apple to remove that. First off it is a useful feature, but besides it's usefulness it also adds a coolness factor a well.

Bestbuy did some research before undertaking a new laptop that they wanted to build. One of the features at the top of the list that people wanted was a backlit keyboard. Apple got this right a long time ago. Their laptops had backlit keyboard way before most other companies incorporated the feature. Even now most window pc laptops do not have the feature.

Apple what were you thinking? The macbook air was already super thin and if the reason for removing it was related to making it even thinner - that's not a good trade off. If it was because of battery life, you can always turn the backlight off. It was an extremely poor decision on Apple's part to remove the backlight.

When they release the next macbook air it will again have the backlit feature. I just don't understand how apple could have missed this. If Apple had asked 100 Macbook air users if it would be alright to remove the backlight feature in the next generation, they would quickly heard NO it's not alright from almost everyone of those users. It's baffling that Apple did this. They lost my sale.

Excuse me, but what software does have a dark interface and needs the keyboard to be used intensively?

Generally, software you use to type, like word processors, or even internet websites are very clear and so no problem.

I'm one of those who have had a backlit keyboard on my MacBook, and I NEVER needed it. I always turned it off for battery life purpose, and because it's really not an essential feature.

It's a pity that this feature is missing on the new MacBook Air, but clearly some people here are overreacting. The miss of a backlit keyboard is clearly not a deal breaker, otherwise there would be very few notebooks/netbook sold in this planet, the very vast majority of them don't have this feature.

Many softwares will sometime (major time) have a dark background. Try openning a full screen picture on your laptop ( in a dark environment) then you will see clearly the differences.

Beside, the backlit keyboard does not exist in everynotebook, but once you have it, it's very annoy to switch to a new notebook without one. I find yourself an exceptional case, who want to disable that useful feature.

And believe me, backlit keyboard is not mean for word processing software, where you can type without looking into the keyboard.