I too do prefer full-sized keys if I have the choice, but then I have also been trained classical piano and organ as a young man. I absolutely understand and accept both ways though.
The debate whether or not a synthesizer should have a keyboard at all goes back until the days of the Moog modular system and the advent of the Minimoog. Back in the day, Moog had two choices, which have been problematized extensively: either the synthesizer is going to be something completely new and different, free from any preconceived notion and hence also any link to the western musical tradition, or one embeds it into that musical tradition by adding an aspect of familiarity to it, namely a keyboard, which might attract more buyers than just academically interested people. There are enough good reasons for doing it both ways. In terms of innovation and non-conformist rigidity, the first way - the keyboard-less way - is of course more convincing. There was indeed no need to attach a keyoard to a synth, which is also a rather primitive controller when it comes to how it operates in the realm of voltages. Nevertheless, the keyboard synthesizer became the most famous one and helped gaining the synthesizer's popularity. But the continued musical tradition it ended up being used in also prevented it from coming to its own on a larger scale. Most musicians were using it for mimetic purposes: sounds like brasses, flutes, strings were certainly more popular than the type of noises that were unique and only a synth could do. So in that sense, the unfolding of the synth's full potential was hindered by a certain conservatism, which I don't mean in a judgemental way.
Why am I doing this excourse? - Well, ever since the reoccurence of modular synths and the advent of new analog hardware, things have changed. Today's young generation rediscovers the future of the synth's past that was never really fullfilled, except amongst a couple of geeks in the academic context. I'm a member of an electronic music group that is meeting on a monthly basis at Nashville's SAE Institute. The age of the members range from late teens to early 60s. One thing I discovered is that almost everybody below 30 is heavily into modular synths (Eurorack or Synthesizers.com) and circuit bending and doesn't obtain a formal musical education. Keyboards are certainly no priority for them. And neither is the wish to get the highest possible quality items in terms of pricing. One gets what one can afford and makes the best of it. The latter, of course, also applies to the rest of that group. Given the average economical situation of everybody, only very few would consider to buy a synth above $1,000 - at least not if they're not in any way professionals that will gain revenue from using an instrument by simply doing their job.
Another aspect is important: portability. Ever since people rediscovered the advantages of hardware over software in terms of immediate control and making the interaction with an instrument a physical experience again, playing live has become increasingly popular. One thing you don't wanna bother about is logistical issues, when all you wanna do is playing in front of an audience. The smaller your gear, the more flexible you are. (Didn't we all envy the other musicians in a band at some point, except for the drummer?) This even affects the way some people prefer to record. Lots of young synth enthusiasts I talk to like to record in a live setup instead of a carefully arranged multitrack environment. If it makes the process more convenient, they also prefer not to touch the computer at all and rather record on tape. In that sense, MIDI for example is pretty much no issue for some of them, because it's not really relevant in their field anyway.
Where am I going with this? - In short: portability and affordability will always win, especially for those who are rather young (but I know of many cases beyond that). That's also why minikeys are welcome to most current performers. No one may have asked for them, but the majority also doesn't mind, since at least they help to save space. Furthermore - and this has always been the case - genuine electronic music doesn't necessarily require full-sized, if any keys. After all, the advent of keyboard synthesizers was a matter of contingency. History could have been very different as well.
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