BTW, that pneumatics panel has some new switches on it. Did they switch to electric packs?(a la 787?)
The more electric architecture - a consequence of the new engines- should be the cause. From what I heard, the 748 will also have a RAT as a novelty.
We are nearly a quarter century past the 400 introduction, and the industry is given the same stuff again?
Yup, developing a fully new 787 style cockpit for what will be a very small fleet will not be cost effective. And operators (mainly cargo airlines operating 744 in great numbers) want cockpit commonality. So Boeing offers them just that.
Must be a Freighter. Also what are those knobs at the bottom of the FMCs', dimmers?
Yup, it's a freighter. This one will go to Cargolux somewhere in 2010.
The knobs are (I believe) selectors you use to scroll through FMS items, turn it to scroll, puch the top to select. 777 pilots should be able to tell for sure?