ESC key experience with new MacBook Pro?

[Skip Montanaro <skip.montanaro@gmail.com>]

This is only peripherally related to Emacs, but as I've been using
Emacs since the dawn of time and for some reason never really learned
to press the Alt key, my Emacs Alt key usage has always been dominated
by use of the ESC key. I thought some of my fellow Emacs tribe members
would have some input.

My ancient MacBook Pro is on its last legs, and I've been waiting
patiently for Apple to release the new one. Now that they have, in the
configuration I care about (15-inch screen) it doesn't have a real ESC
key, which has been offered up by the tech pundit class in their click
bait as anything from the coming of the apocalypse to no big deal. I
will, at some point, head over the the Apple Store and see how well it
works (or not) for me. Still, a brief session at the Apple Store can't
possible compare with peoples' longer term experiences. I figure it's
been out long enough now that some folks have actually used the new
MBP with Emacs for an extended period of time. If there are any folks
out in Emacs-land with both a new MacBook Pro with the touch bar and a
preference for the ESC key, how have things worked for you?

* Was it no big deal?
* Did it force you to learn to use the Alt key?
* Did you return your MBP in favor of a Dell/Acer/Lenovo/HP/Asus?
* Did you give up completely and switch to vi?

Thx,

Skip Montanaro