MacBook Pro i7 in a 'command' performance
By Thomas Ricker 
posted May 12th 2010 5:44AM
posted May 12th 2010 5:44AM
posted May 12th 2010 5:44AM
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The second command is a mini tazer in case the persons who buys it syncs-it with a jailbroken iphone found in a vietnamese bar
@aeonys
I think this is a fake or at least a Photoshop or something along those lines.
The reason I say that is because not only did they put two command keys on the right but they also cut the hole for the 2nd command key larger (the key that is usually there is 'Alt' and it is a smaller key than the command key) which means the aluminium was cut larger to make room for the key.
Not only that but the space bar is shorter than usual to make room for the extra key and the aluminum for that has also been cut short.
So just to go back over what has happened here, the Space bar (Plastic) has been reduced, the aluminum hole for the Space bar has also been cut absolutely perfect to match the plastic and the alt key hole has been made exactly large enough for the command key to fit.
That is a lot of things to go absolutely perfectly wrong for the system to even fit together in the first place.
@Quu
You mean like how it went "absolutely perfectly wrong" and put some weird key to the left of space bar and printed some funny characters next to alphabets?
Ignorant Americans... they will even think UK layout is defective let alone Asian layouts
@Quu
The only thing that went wrong is that the wrong key got plopped into the keyboard.
The cutouts are normal for a Japanese keyboard, which does indeed have a shorter space bar and two full-size keys to the right.
Still, this whole story deserves just one response: BFD. Some sorter dropped a stray command key into the wrong bin, the robot stuck it on, and it didn't get caught before it shipped out. It's an irregular layout, and the QC checks for function and fit/finish and probably just spaced on the key labels. It happens. I once got an IBM keyboard with two F6 keys. Five seconds to swap in the right key, or worst case, user takes the laptop back for an exchange.
@asfdsad If you receive a defective calculator with the keys messed up and you're rearranging them based on the picture of the box, don't do it on a soft plastic table, or someone will bang the table, causing all the keys to fly everywhere. I just know.
I dont care about this piece of "news", i just wanna congratulate engadget and in particular this writer for doing such an awesome job delivering it.
@aeonys Stev says, if you have less than 2 Command buttons, you blew it
@aeonys needs moar option
@aeonys I know it's difficult being normal. I face the same problem. Jobs has changed the world in a creative and admittedly eccentric way that allows us all to function in ways few of us could have ever hoped. He still sets the goals all others companies hope to attain and copy. And by the way, Japanese is a different language than English.
@aeonys Engadget bashing Apple again? Yawn...
@Quu "I can tell from some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few shops in my time."
@dzeikei
Actually I'm British and live in the UK with a UK keyboard on my MacBook Pro 17"
But can anyone really blame me for assuming the space bar would be the same across all these notebooks? I mean it's the space bar. It's sort like the most generic key on all keyboards.
@dzeikei
Good point except I don't think this has anything to do with Americans. Obviously since he's from the UK anyone could make that mistake. I'm American but I use a Japanese keyboard. Wouldn't that make you the ignorant one?
@dzeikei
>:( hey, no need to insult all americans just because one guy made a mistake...
@dzeikei
Hello to all the non-ignorant Americans.
My statement was not directed at you since "sgnorant Americans" are a subset of all Americans just as "female Americans" doesn't mean all Americans are female.
Have a nice day.
Wouldn't it be funny if Apple accidentally put a real Delete key on a laptop?
@Information Central
Backspace does everything a delete key does.
@macmann Only with the help of Fn key...
@macmann
Except for the deleting. Which would be the point.
@tcc3
and the Fn key trick doesn't work in every program
@tcc3
I see you've never actually used a mac before.
@macmann
If you keep denying the truth, and you close your eyes really really hard, it'll go away. And then you can feel OK about your purchase. If only these meanies and their facts would get lost!
@Information Central
I have no idea what point you could possibly be trying to make. By asking for a "real" delete key are you trying to say that Macs have a fake delete key?
@tcc3 Yes it does. Fn+Delete sends the "real delete" keycode to the running program. It's entirely possible that the Mac version of some software doesn't actually recognize that keycode while the Windows version does, but that's another issue.
@Information Central
"Funny, knowing Steve Jobs you'd think he'd opt for more ctrl."
HA! Very good Ricker.
@BourbonBoy
Again: Mac laptops have a Backspace key that's mislabeled "delete". There is no indicated way on their keyboards to delete the character to the right of the insertion point, something that even the smallest netbook keyboard offers.
@chaos215bar2
I don't care - it doesnt "just work." My pc delete key works every damn time, no matter what program I'm in.
So when a third party software issue causes a problem on a PC its because windows sucks. When it happens on a Mac, its a third party software problem.
The while colored sky in Mac fantasy land must be blinding.
Still miss the Apple on the Command key though
@Dee Kay
And of course, the option key is the one that was replaced by the command key. A sign of things to come.
@lexitu I know you're trying to be funny, but that's not the Option key on a Japanese keyboard, it's the key for switching to Japanese text input.
Until they give us the "ANY" key i'm not interested.
@d0mth0ma5 You'll have to ask General Error for that.
@AaronX "General Error" *Salute*
Hehe......ctrl.
@Mustangsamjr
The option key is next to go.
@Mustangsamjr
End sentence win!
I just want to know if all the command keys Fn as such?
Or whether they Fn as Alt ones?
That assembly line work must be a Control freak... I mean Command freak!
Their QC is utter garbage these days....
This is a revolutionary change for the laptop market. What will Apple think of next?
I predict command keys on mouses by holiday season 2010.
@Chroma
mouses...also known as mice!
@From My Cube Also known as mouses!
This is a fun game.
omg a defective product, make an entire article about it.
@account5
But macs just work and you're meant to pay a premium for it.
Seems like Steve can't get enough command in the Land of the Rising Sun.
"Funny, knowing Steve Jobs you'd think he'd opt for more ctrl. "
You may wanna check with Jason Chen once he gets his Mac back.
So why does everyone still think the Apple premium for "superior hardware" is still worth paying for?
@Proud Japanese
Ask the engadget guys. They're all using MacBooks.
@Proud Japanese
I like their notebook design, that's all. Nothing fancy, just flat where it's supposed to be flat, curved where I want it to be curved. No bulges due to batteries, ports, etc. Sure I'd love to have blu-ray and all, but I prefer watching movies in theatres. And no, I don't associate it with status. In certain colleges, you can see these MacBooks everywhere, hardly something you can show off.
"Funny, knowing Steve Jobs you'd think he'd opt for more ctrl. "
Awesome.
@Aggot Epic.