I'm a developer and plan to get the new MacBook Pro. I just don't use function or escape keys that much. So, it seems like it's a subset of developers that are bothered by this.
I used Windows when I was young, then switched to Linux for 10 years professionally, and finally I switched to the Mac about 5 years ago. I find it much easier to use day-to-day than Linux. Especially using multiple displays in different offices.