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I wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on the 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard. It's... ok, I don't hate it, but even after years of using it, I still sometimes get this odd fe

I wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on the 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard. It's... ok, I don't hate it, but even after years of using it, I still sometimes get this odd feeling that something is slightly off. I've never had this feeling before, with any keyboard except possibly with some of the more aggressive ergonomic keyboards like the Kinesis (and that was more of a layout issue). There are the maintenance issues, but that's not what I'm talking about here. I did have a sticky key (after about a year), and did get it fixed with Apple's free maintenance (edit: so I'm now on the 2018 keyboard), but this feeling I've had from the beginning and still do occasionally. This contrasts in my mind very starkly with my experience with my very first MacBook keyboard circa 2009. I'd never had a Mac before or any kind of laptop, but when I first used the keyboard I never had to think twice about it. This stuck in my memory because of how much people raved about that keyboard at the time; but I guess it's a property of a good thing that you only notice it when it's gone.

glhaynes 8y ago
When Apple replaces keyboards, they replace them with the 2018 keyboard (the one with the extra rubber barriers)?
- eslaught 8y ago
  I understand that they replace them with whatever is newest at the time, so since I did my replacement in fall 2018, yes.
  - zootam 8y ago
    no, this is not correct. 2016-2017s get the 2016-2017 keyboard- without the silicone sheet.
- gergles 8y ago
  No, they do not. Unfortunately, they are replacing them with the keyboard that your machine came with. Not the 2018 ones that have sort-of fixed the biggest issues.
  - bluedino 8y ago
    My question is, after 3 keyboard replacements will the Apple Store simply hand you a new/refurb MBP of similar specs?
- miles 8y ago
  Apparently not: Apple Says Third-Generation Keyboards Exclusive to 2018 MacBook Pro https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/15/third-gen-keyboard-exclusive-to-2018-macbook-pro/ https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/15/third-gen-keyboard-excl...
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
hinkley 8y ago
I thought you were saying you wrote a PhD thesis about the Macbook Pro keyboard. Yeah I can't quite put my finger on it but it bugs me too. I still have the old one at home, new one at work. It feels wrong, and it's so loud you can't type in a meeting without everybody knowing you're typing. I've put off buying a new one for myself because of this, hoping Jony Ive read everyone involved with this project the riot act. We've seen butterfly v1 and v1.5. I'm waiting to see what butterfly v2 looks like before I buy another one. ... I also hope that whichever people in the universe he accepts advice from have intimated to him in the strongest of possible terms that he should be paying attention to Apple's industrial design, and leave building design to architects (ex: walls you can't see really?)
dkonofalski 8y ago
That's even more interesting because I recently had to use a 2010 MacBook Pro keyboard for a week and felt like those keys were a lot "spongier" than the keys on the new MacBook Pro that I have. I much prefer the newer one.

glhaynes 8y ago

When Apple replaces keyboards, they replace them with the 2018 keyboard (the one with the extra rubber barriers)?

eslaught 8y ago
I understand that they replace them with whatever is newest at the time, so since I did my replacement in fall 2018, yes.
- zootam 8y ago
  no, this is not correct. 2016-2017s get the 2016-2017 keyboard- without the silicone sheet.
gergles 8y ago
No, they do not. Unfortunately, they are replacing them with the keyboard that your machine came with. Not the 2018 ones that have sort-of fixed the biggest issues.
- bluedino 8y ago
  My question is, after 3 keyboard replacements will the Apple Store simply hand you a new/refurb MBP of similar specs?
miles 8y ago
Apparently not: Apple Says Third-Generation Keyboards Exclusive to 2018 MacBook Pro https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/15/third-gen-keyboard-exclusive-to-2018-macbook-pro/ https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/15/third-gen-keyboard-excl...
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

hinkley 8y ago

I thought you were saying you wrote a PhD thesis about the Macbook Pro keyboard. Yeah I can't quite put my finger on it but it bugs me too. I still have the old one at home, new one at work. It feels wrong, and it's so loud you can't type in a meeting without everybody knowing you're typing. I've put off buying a new one for myself because of this, hoping Jony Ive read everyone involved with this project the riot act. We've seen butterfly v1 and v1.5. I'm waiting to see what butterfly v2 looks like before I buy another one. ... I also hope that whichever people in the universe he accepts advice from have intimated to him in the strongest of possible terms that he should be paying attention to Apple's industrial design, and leave building design to architects (ex: walls you can't see really?)

dkonofalski 8y ago

That's even more interesting because I recently had to use a 2010 MacBook Pro keyboard for a week and felt like those keys were a lot "spongier" than the keys on the new MacBook Pro that I have. I much prefer the newer one.