> As long as majority of laptop buyers are content consumers, this is not going to change. However...
That would be understandable for the consumer focused lineups but most manufactures also produce business models which are bought to create something and still suffer from the same problem. As can be seen in the example of the Thinkpad keyboards were already better but somehow they decided to worsen them.
> the power users (remaining audience) is willing to pay for nice tools.
As said there already is this business/consumer split and it has been for many years. Business is where the money is made, not at the consumer front where it can't be cheap enough, yet the devices inside this category weirdly are more and more designed not to be the workhorses they are supposed to be.
Most people I know attach external display, mouse and keyboard to their laptops when they use it for programming, or writing large texts. The quality of the laptop keyboard itself it not really relevant. And you never be able to put a real good ergonomic split keyboard in a laptop anyway...
I believe that is only in passing. I honestly think the majority of laptop manufacturers are not visionaries when it comes to product specs. Only Apple and a couple of niche ones truly seem to know what they are doing. The rest will have a delay to see the change in trends (but they do eventually see it).
I think consumer masses moving away from the laptop market has a dire implications for this market (far less competition, expect premium prices). But on the plus side it should shift the market towards productivity, which is a big plus for some of us.
Can confirm; I vastly prefer my Latitude E5450 from work to my old Asus laptop.
I also have a cheapo lenovo thinkpad 2 in 1 that has a surprisingly good keyboard. I say this as someone who has ridiculously snobbish keyboard taste. They're out there!
That would be understandable for the consumer focused lineups but most manufactures also produce business models which are bought to create something and still suffer from the same problem. As can be seen in the example of the Thinkpad keyboards were already better but somehow they decided to worsen them.
> the power users (remaining audience) is willing to pay for nice tools.
As said there already is this business/consumer split and it has been for many years. Business is where the money is made, not at the consumer front where it can't be cheap enough, yet the devices inside this category weirdly are more and more designed not to be the workhorses they are supposed to be.