Keyboard covers are pretty popular in dry, dusty areas. Like cities like New Delhi, Cairo, etc. A good rule of thumb: if you go outside and can easily spot dust on tree leaves, you'll probably want a keyboard cover.
I really can't stand the typing-feel of covers. Any of them.
I would MUCH rather buy and use a cheap external keyboard that can be trivially disassembled to clean. Plus then you get to sit back further, and not look down at the screen as much. Win/win as far as I can tell.
Regular people use keyboard covers?? I don't think I've ever seen that. I have only seen them on machines that are ruggedized for harsh environments or keyboards that are in public areas for public use.
Using a keyboard cover when learning a new layout is a bad idea in my experience. Better to have a layout map printed out next to your monitor. The idea is to look at the keyboard as little as possible
It really is not. The people who need to look at keyboards are typing in QWERTY anyway. And the people who type in alternative layouts aren't looking at their keyboards. The few keys that you need to look at (function keys up at the top maybe), don't really change positions between layouts.
You are dramatically underestimating the cost of manufacturing, stocking, and distributing an entirely different SKU and probably also dramatically overestimating the number of users of alternative keyboard layouts in the world.
Put another way: I am absolutely certain that more users would get a Mac with a Dvorak layout by mistake and want to return it than would actually purchase and keep one.
Given how many other laptop vendors do this and don't charge extra for it, I think you might be over-estimating it somewhat.
Plus Apple already does this for 20(+?) languages, some of which have difference shapes, which for a macbook means different frame milling. One more letter arrangement isn't much.
Which other manufacturers offer this? I went looking for Dell, HP, and Lenovo laptops with Dvorak and couldn't find any. Even Framework or System76 doesn't have one in offer. The separate keyboard sold by System76 doesn't offer it in Dvorak or Colemak. It's difficult to even find MX profile keycaps for any alternative layouts in my experience.
Plus we're overestimating the number of users of alternative keyboard users in the world. There's maybe a few hundred thousands of us. Compared to the millions of speakers these 20+ languages have.
Plus most people that use Dvorak probably don't give a shit at this point because they've been touch typing on qwerty or blank keyboards for their whole life. I'm not sure it'd even be a selling point for me.
I always thought keyboard covers on macs were not realistic unless removed everytime as there is not enough of a gap between screen and keyboard. However, I found on macs the keys get damaged very easily from oils, far more so than other laptops. I see the need for one, but it does damage the typing experience somewhat.
I've found the screen cover to be almost essential. I had 2 MacBooks where the screen was ruined by somehow making contact with whatever on the keys. Not sure how it's possible but the first thing I do now after buying a MacBook is put a glass screen cover over it.
I would MUCH rather buy and use a cheap external keyboard that can be trivially disassembled to clean. Plus then you get to sit back further, and not look down at the screen as much. Win/win as far as I can tell.
FWIW, you can also see them used for switching to DVORAK and other alternative layouts.
And for adding a second writing script to a keyboard with Latin-only labels.
Put another way: I am absolutely certain that more users would get a Mac with a Dvorak layout by mistake and want to return it than would actually purchase and keep one.
Plus Apple already does this for 20(+?) languages, some of which have difference shapes, which for a macbook means different frame milling. One more letter arrangement isn't much.
Plus we're overestimating the number of users of alternative keyboard users in the world. There's maybe a few hundred thousands of us. Compared to the millions of speakers these 20+ languages have.