[MrForgetable]

I'm looking to get a new 1.33GHz 15 inch Powerbook, but I'm wondering if the backlit keyboard is worth it. Is is almost 70 bucks extra plus it is BTO. I think I may just get it for the heck of it ("coolness factor").

How long is the BTO wait?

Thanks

[AndrewP]

Originally posted by MrForgetable:
I'm looking to get a new 1.33GHz 15 inch Powerbook, but I'm wondering if the backlit keyboard is worth it. Is is almost 70 bucks extra plus it is BTO. I think I may just get it for the heck of it ("coolness factor").

How long is the BTO wait?

Thanks

It's very cool and is useful in a dark room. Unfortunately I often find myself using the Pbook in a dimly lit room where the keyboard is still visible. When the keyboard lights up the letters end up being the same color as the keyboard... at that point I can't see anything so I may as well not have it

In other words, it's a very cool feature that I wouldn't lament having on a new machine, but I might hesitate to do a special order for it.

[azdude]

Originally posted by AndrewP:
It's very cool and is useful in a dark room. Unfortunately I often find myself using the Pbook in a dimly lit room where the keyboard is still visible. When the keyboard lights up the letters end up being the same color as the keyboard... at that point I can't see anything so I may as well not have it

In other words, it's a very cool feature that I wouldn't lament having on a new machine, but I might hesitate to do a special order for it.

Agreed verbatim.

I love the fact that I have it on my stock machine, but if I saw it on the store shelf for $69, I'd almost certainly pass.

[nate_02]

I think it's worth it. As already mentioned, if it turns on half way sometimes, it can make it so you can't see which key is which. In that case, just turn it off.

[iREZ]

What about passing on it and just getting more familiar with your keyboard. I have a 12" but use my cuz' 17" and 15" all the time and don't really see a use for that backlit keyboard unless your in pitch black darkness, in which case the key's still show up via the backlight from your lcd. I find it very cool on a stock machine, and very pointless as a BTO.

[mdc]

personally, i would buy it on a bto. i was going to but then got the upper 15" model instead. maybe i suffer from minor insomnia or something but often i am awake during the wee hours of the night sitting in bed in pitch black and i reach over and grab my powerbook and the glowing keys are so useful.

and plus, like you said the coolness factor!

[perbl]

Originally posted by mdc:
personally, i would buy it on a bto. i was going to but then got the upper 15" model instead. maybe i suffer from minor insomnia or something but often i am awake during the wee hours of the night sitting in bed in pitch black and i reach over and grab my powerbook and the glowing keys are so useful.

and plus, like you said the coolness factor!

This kinda illustrates my opinion about the backlit keyboard. Owning the 12", I do not have it, and I must say that I still have yet to miss a backlit keyboard, since I never use my computer in the dark, but prefers to keep a light in the room where I am working, and it is no problem using lights in trains or planes either. I think a very large part of the people recommending this option really doesn't need it, it is just a coolness factor. During the night you should sleep

[tkmd]

Quite simply put not really. The keyboard is too dim for it to be useful. In fact my turned off and I have not used it.

[StevenWRX]

how do you turn the keyboard backlight off? mine always annoys me cause it turns on halfway and i cant see my keys in dim lighting.

thx

[Mike656]

I find that it works best in a pitch black room with the screen set to 1/2 brightness or less, in any other situation I don't use it. Overall im glad I have it, it makes for my late night computing sessions in bed much easier.

[MrForgetable]

i could just pass on it and save the money for a wireless mouse or something. i don't do much late night stuff anyways. it'd just be something to impress the friends and family with ya know
but the deciding factor may be the BTO wait. I think if it can ship within a week and I can get it pretty quickly (say less than 2 weeks) I may just get it. maybe this will help the family to switch to Apple !

[olePigeon]

You can "mute" the keyboard with one of the F keys. I leave it off unless it's dark, then I turn it on. I find extremely usefull during class when the lights are turned off for the projector.

[MrForgetable]

Originally posted by olePigeon:
You can "mute" the keyboard with one of the F keys. I leave it off unless it's dark, then I turn it on. I find extremely usefull during class when the lights are turned off for the projector.

so it's useful for somethings, but for other things, just turn it off?

if you had to pay 65 dollars for it, would you?

[Maayan]

No.

[jeffdunning]

or you could just buy my powerbook 15" BTO and have it there in 2 days

[bookofjames]

i have a 12" pb. is it possible to get a backlit keyboard off the shelf?

[bergen]

I some circumstances it is useful, i.e. if you're in total darkness, with your monitor brightness turned low for battery saving, and you don't know the layout of your keyboard.

I have a 17" and I only use it in those circumstances when using shortcut-heavy programs, i.e. Photoshop or Illustrator. When typing I don't need to look at the keys, my fingers just go wild.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by bookofjames:
i have a 12" pb. is it possible to get a backlit keyboard off the shelf?

It is not possible for the 12" at all. (No room for the ambient light sensors, which are mounted under the speaker grilles of the larger models.)

[MrForgetable]

Originally posted by jeffdunning:
or you could just buy my powerbook 15" BTO and have it there in 2 days

you have email

[Ruahrc]

I went for the backlit keyboard as BTO on a 1.33PB. The way I see it it is nice to have it if it is there. And I do believe it is useful in the dark when compared to just feeling around the keyboard because if you need to press just one or a few keys occasionally then the light is nice because you can just look at and press the key you want whereas if you didn't have the light you would need to feel around for it or put your hands on the home row and feel from there.

Even if I don't end up using it much, I am glad I got it. Oh and also I heard that even if the backlight was not very useful the auto-dimming of the display that accompanies the backlight was very useful on it's own. 15" PB's without the backlight won't do this.

IMO if you are willing to pay the $62 for it then go for it, and don't skimp out just because you don't want to wait for shipping on a BTO. If not then don't get it and have no regrets, because most people here said they did not find it very useful, even though YMMV. You will hopefully be using your new computer for a few years so what is 1 week's wait? Just pay the small $15 2-3 day shipping option and it should arrive quickly. Better to get the powerbook you REALLY want in 1 week instead of settling for something less now.

Ruahrc