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Apple MacBook Refresh Could Bring E-Ink Enabled Keyboard (hothardware.com)
MojoKid writes from a report via HotHardware: Apparently Apple has been working on some unique upgrades to its MacBook line, and not just underneath the hood. One of the bigger feature upgrades could actually be in the keyboard. As previously rumored, the new MacBook Pro is likely to sport a secondary touchscreen display at the top of the keyboard. It will sit in place of where the Function keys used to reside and display different graphics and icons, depending on the program that's up and running. However, according to an anonymous reddit user named "Foxconninsider," Apple's also planning to launch a new version of its Magic Keyboard -- one that takes advantage of E-Ink technology. Similar technology was developed by a start-up company named Sonder, the same company Apple is in the process of acquiring. What the tipster describes is each key having its own E Ink display. That means individual keys and/or entire rows can change based on whatever app is loaded. In any event, we should know more soon -- Apple's expected to announce new MacBook products later this month.
Have you ever been in a editing suite? They often have keyboards with custom keycaps that have functions printed on them along with the standard letter, usually color-grouped as well for like functions. It allows they keyboard to be easily used as a control plane without the usual CTRL/OPTION modifier to access functions.
I would imagine addressable display keycaps would be useful for heavy Photoshop users or any other function-heavy application where actual typing would be a minority of the activity. Auto switching to a typographic keyboard would happen when you switched apps or to a text field in a function-enabled application.
I have to admit, I've often wondered if it would be possible to have keycaps have little displays in them for remapping the keyboard or showing custom keybindings. Plus it allows you to automate keybindings programmatically depending on tool or more selected.
But I always figured such a keyboard would be both expensive/complicated and be most useful if it had a standard programming interface that applications could address directly vs. some kind of manual setup or macro functionality.
No-one uses the "J" key anyway. If someone wanted to use the "J" key they could just attach a special "J" key button via the lightening port.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
The only part of a laptop that has to be changed for each country is the keyboard, hampering logistics.
That's not the only difference, no.
WiFi regulations differ too, in what channels and signal strengths are available. Some won't allow a chip that can do channel 14 on the 2.4 GHz band, even if turned off by software or drivers.
Other certification requirements can lead to different models too. My US Sony laptop has UL and FCC stamps, but lacks CE and TÃoeV approvals. The European counterpart was more expensive, even in countries outside both the US and EU.
Then there are other regulations. One country may allow plastic with milled carbon fibers to be called carbon fiber, while another may not. Or may outright prohibit some chemicals used in a paint. Or may require different backlight tubes.
Nope. Most power users - the ones that don't need to use the drop down menus - use keyboard shortcuts. The professional programs allow you to create your own bindings so you can improve your workflow since a given user tends to use a certain subset of the program's functionality on a regular basis. So having the keyboard 'show' you the new binding really doesn't help. If you can't remember it, you aren't working fast enough to worry about it anyway. The keybindings need to be on the main rows in order to use quickly, so this sort of device / feature, while not entirely useless, typically won't be seen as a plus by a power user.
Unfortunately, that is becoming increasingly true of Apple computers in general, but i digress a tad.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!