7 ms·

No more butterfly keyboards please

ramijames 8y ago
I will never buy a macbook again if they keep these stupid butterfly keyboards.
thruhiker 8y ago
Starting with the 2018 models they added a membrane around all the keys that 1) significantly reduces ingress of random crap 2) makes the keyboard quieter. Before I got my 2018 I had a 2015 MacBook Pro and don't find the keyboard to be inferior or superior to the old gen.
- ksec 8y ago
  And we already have a few cases where the membrane didn't help and keys got stuck or repeating same keys again. i.e The membrane only reduce the risk, it didn't fix a design flaw.
- izacus 8y ago
  That doesn't sound like it addresses the horrible typing feel and amount of typos due to poor feedback though.
- stoolpigeon 8y ago
  I just finished 3 days of meetings with peers and the note taker was on a brand new MBP. The noise from her keyboard was extremely distracting. I couldn't believe how loud it was. We switched her to a 2015 so we could think as we were discussing things.
  - SyneRyder 8y ago
    I was in a Starbucks 3 seats away from someone on a 2016-2018 MBP last week. I hope it was one of the 2016/2017 non-membrane models, because it really was ridiculously loud and echoing through the store. I thought the complaints about noise from those keyboards was exaggerated until I had that experience.
    - lrem 8y ago
      Have you ever tried sitting in an office full of keyboard snobs?
      - SyneRyder 8y ago
        Thankfully I don't have to, since I'm usually working from my home office or a favorite cafe. I do have a Model M keyboard here that I use sometimes, but not very often. (However, I do sometimes work on flights after they've dimmed the cabin lights, and a laptop keyboard as loud as the MBP I heard in that Starbucks is a dealbreaker for that use case.)
- AHTERIX5000 8y ago
  While the current model has better keyboard than 2015 it's still unreliable design prone to gather dust between keys and the new protector. In contrast with the previous gen it was harder to actually make keys jam and even then you could just snap keys off and use compressed air if needed to clean it up in like five minutes.
- masklinn 8y ago
  > Starting with the 2018 models they added a membrane around all the keys that 1) significantly reduces ingress of random crap 2) makes the keyboard quieter. It still has all the issues it had previously, just that some (not the key travel or separation issues) are mitigated. The keyboard remains extremely unreliable compared to the chicklet keys, or the magic keyboard's.
vvillena 8y ago
Going from an old MBP to one of the new models is shocking. The display is a bit better, but the keyboard feel is not comfortable. It doesn't feel like a keyboard to spend hours in.
- saagarjha 8y ago
  It takes a while to get used to, regardless of whether you end up liking it or not. I found it kinda odd to type on for at least a week–those who really can’t stand it just never get used to it.
  - bwb 8y ago
    Same here, it took a while but it grew on me :)
  - jbverschoor 8y ago
    Although I can't type on my brother's mbp, because the keys either don't work or are stuck, I also had to adjust when going from mb->mba->mbp
    - saagarjha 8y ago
      Eventually, that too becomes normal. I spent a couple of months going between the new MacBook Pro and the old one daily, and you get the feel for it eventually.
skunkworker 8y ago
My dream but it'll never happen. Is bring back the 2015 keyboard and add the touchbar above the fn/media keys, instead of replacing them. Also add some sort of haptic feedback to the touchbar.
chvid 8y ago
The keyboard grows on you (luckilly). I love USB-C and the killing of the ports though.
rhinoceraptor 8y ago
They have a butterfly keyboard that's actually good, the one in the magic keyboard. All they need to do is use that one in the laptops and it would be great.

I will never buy a macbook again if they keep these stupid butterfly keyboards.

Starting with the 2018 models they added a membrane around all the keys that 1) significantly reduces ingress of random crap 2) makes the keyboard quieter. Before I got my 2018 I had a 2015 MacBook Pro and don't find the keyboard to be inferior or superior to the old gen.

ksec 8y ago
And we already have a few cases where the membrane didn't help and keys got stuck or repeating same keys again. i.e The membrane only reduce the risk, it didn't fix a design flaw.
izacus 8y ago
That doesn't sound like it addresses the horrible typing feel and amount of typos due to poor feedback though.
stoolpigeon 8y ago
I just finished 3 days of meetings with peers and the note taker was on a brand new MBP. The noise from her keyboard was extremely distracting. I couldn't believe how loud it was. We switched her to a 2015 so we could think as we were discussing things.
- SyneRyder 8y ago
  I was in a Starbucks 3 seats away from someone on a 2016-2018 MBP last week. I hope it was one of the 2016/2017 non-membrane models, because it really was ridiculously loud and echoing through the store. I thought the complaints about noise from those keyboards was exaggerated until I had that experience.
  - lrem 8y ago
    Have you ever tried sitting in an office full of keyboard snobs?
    - SyneRyder 8y ago
      Thankfully I don't have to, since I'm usually working from my home office or a favorite cafe. I do have a Model M keyboard here that I use sometimes, but not very often. (However, I do sometimes work on flights after they've dimmed the cabin lights, and a laptop keyboard as loud as the MBP I heard in that Starbucks is a dealbreaker for that use case.)
AHTERIX5000 8y ago
While the current model has better keyboard than 2015 it's still unreliable design prone to gather dust between keys and the new protector. In contrast with the previous gen it was harder to actually make keys jam and even then you could just snap keys off and use compressed air if needed to clean it up in like five minutes.
masklinn 8y ago
> Starting with the 2018 models they added a membrane around all the keys that 1) significantly reduces ingress of random crap 2) makes the keyboard quieter. It still has all the issues it had previously, just that some (not the key travel or separation issues) are mitigated. The keyboard remains extremely unreliable compared to the chicklet keys, or the magic keyboard's.

vvillena 8y ago

Going from an old MBP to one of the new models is shocking. The display is a bit better, but the keyboard feel is not comfortable. It doesn't feel like a keyboard to spend hours in.

saagarjha 8y ago
It takes a while to get used to, regardless of whether you end up liking it or not. I found it kinda odd to type on for at least a week–those who really can’t stand it just never get used to it.
- bwb 8y ago
  Same here, it took a while but it grew on me :)
- jbverschoor 8y ago
  Although I can't type on my brother's mbp, because the keys either don't work or are stuck, I also had to adjust when going from mb->mba->mbp
  - saagarjha 8y ago
    Eventually, that too becomes normal. I spent a couple of months going between the new MacBook Pro and the old one daily, and you get the feel for it eventually.

skunkworker 8y ago

My dream but it'll never happen. Is bring back the 2015 keyboard and add the touchbar above the fn/media keys, instead of replacing them. Also add some sort of haptic feedback to the touchbar.

chvid 8y ago

The keyboard grows on you (luckilly). I love USB-C and the killing of the ports though.

rhinoceraptor 8y ago

They have a butterfly keyboard that's actually good, the one in the magic keyboard. All they need to do is use that one in the laptops and it would be great.