It's an aside, but all the Apple pictures I've seen have had 'esc' or 'cancel' or something in exactly the same place in the top left anyway.
Have I missed a detail, and there's genuine times where an escape key or equivalent is not available in that same space when you might want it, or are people just concerned about the lack of tactile feedback?
It sounds like the app running dictates what keys are shown, so as long as your terminal or MacVim or whatever provides an escape key, you should be fine. Although what happens to apps that don't yet actively support the touch bar is an interesting question.
Have I missed a detail, and there's genuine times where an escape key or equivalent is not available in that same space when you might want it, or are people just concerned about the lack of tactile feedback?