Apple's removal of the Escape key is courageously guiding its users into the superior Caps-lock-as-escape configuration.

I prefer caps lock as control. Although for a while I ran in a hybrid mode where if I hit caps lock and released quickly it was escape. If I held it down and tapped another key it was control.

CapsLock -> Ctrl

Ctrl -> ESC

Force Quit key combination now has better physical locality.

Profit!

My config:

Caps -> Control

Control -> Command

Perfect config for TMUX + VIM.

I’ve always set up my Caps Lock to be both an Esc and Ctrl key, so the touchbar change didn’t cause me any issues. Karabiner Elements is worth looking into if the virtual Esc key bothers you.

I have one of these in front of me now (been working on it for a little over a week, should have waited, d'oh!) and the virtual escape doesn't seem that big a deal. Even if my finger isn't quite on virtual key pretty much at all, but is in the middle of where the real escape key would be, it triggers "ESC".

Go ahead and return it. Apple's pretty good about returns/exchanges after new product releases. I think you have 14 days from purchase to make an exchange, so hop on it if you really like the new systems.

Sadly, don't think I can. It's the company's laptop, we put the order in after WWDC assuming it'd be a few months longer before updates, and for various reasons I didn't get to setting this particular one up until recently. We're sadly past the flip date, but honestly I'm pretty happy with it so far.

and yet the complainers are still buying them

Not me :(

I want a new one so bad, but I will not buy a TouchBar ever.

Also, the reason for thumbprint readers on phones is that passcodes are difficult to quickly type on phones. On a notebook keyboard it’s easy. I don’t want a thumbprint reader on my notebook.

> I don’t want a thumbprint reader on my notebook.

Have you used a thumbprint reader on a notebook. It so convenient that its hard going back to a notebook without one.

If you use a password manager and have to type in your master password every time you open it I could imagine it to be convenient.