I'd pay more for a MacBook Pro with traditional Function keys.
Unfortunately for you in this case, Apple isn't in the market of making a limited production run of products appealing to a small minority of users who dislike the TouchBar. It's in the business of making innovative products that break the mould and introduce new ideas to a large amount of people, and for the third year running that's been with the TouchBar.
Contrary to MR users and the poor state of the tech journalism industry, who are very vocal about personal preferences and blowing things out of proportion, they are acting on internal data that supports the popularity of the TouchBar - hence making it standard across all models when they could have removed it from all models. They do what upsets the least amount of people whilst still attempting to innovate.
Sure, you don't see it as an innovation. Well, product designers, market analysts inside Apple do. As do millions of users. But I suppose if it's just your opinions vs there's then... maybe you're right..
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No, Apple could just engineer around what Intel or AMD have, just like every other OEM. Instead, Apple has to "think different," even if it isn't what customers actually want.
Correction:
even if it isn't what I want ... You're one user. Speak for
yourself. You're part of a very vocal, all things considered
minority of users who don't like the Touch Bar. That's fine. But don't force it down peoples throats.
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I have to disagree, and while I may be in the minority, I use the function keys on a daily basis. I've long said the touchbar is a solution in search of a problem.
What is surprising, is that apple many Mac models since 2016 but only the MBP has TB and even with that, they've not improved or updated it. They're not helping themselves by leaving it there unchanged.
It's that minority part that's the biggest factor here. It'd be different if say for example you had to use the F keys daily, and Apple didn't offer you a way to do it or any alternative, I'd not be surprised if there was a backlash like this. But there is a setting even on the Touch Bar for your use case, so what's wrong with that? You can still get your work done right? But more importantly, benefit from all of the other features of say a high end current MBP - 6 cores, immense speed and power, that beautiful display. And overlook the TB, and not having to buy into it overly. Just have those keys back the way you want them.
Ditto on the 'Apple not updating it' point, I wish they would. To make it more useful (for the people who do use it) and perhaps some changes that could change the mind of those who dislike it.
But Apple has to focus on the majority of its users. Whilst you or I can use hardcore and can't live without keyboard shortcuts (and they are of critical importance to me), I must admit, around me, most owners of 'MacBook Pro's' are far from Pros and power users in the slightest. They'd legitimately be served with a £300 PC laptop. But have the money and the resources for a 'nice' computer so went for a Mac. And because it's easy to use and plays well with their iPhones they get on well with it. Unlike their previous HP laptops, they're not ridden with viruses and slowed down to the point of uselessness (though they're Finder and desktop is a mess).
These people who don't know the keyboard shortcuts, but dabble in say, iMovie or a bit of photo editing, this is where the TouchBar in its current form can help them be more productive in a way that's largely redundant to actual Pro users of a longstanding history.
I think it's like this:
Low level: point and click, using menu bar options
Mid level: use TouchBar shortcuts fluently
High level: use keyboard shortcuts heavily and minimal clicking
Hope this makes sense. But I do think it has its place, and commercially speaking, it's certainly not harming Apple or its sales as much as the MR forums users who hate it would have you believe
