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Coincidentally I also just upgraded my personal laptop from a 2012 retina MacBook Pro to the 2019 i9 MacBook Pro! Long story short I think the touchbar is tota

by pram 7y ago

Coincidentally I also just upgraded my personal laptop from a 2012 retina MacBook Pro to the 2019 i9 MacBook Pro! Long story short I think the touchbar is totally useless. I have it set to emulate regular function keys right now (expose, launchpad etc) However everything else is top notch and well worth it. The touchid is fantastic, and you will immediately enjoy the difference. Screen is amazing, 8 cores is super nice. Also I might be in the minority but I actually prefer the feel of the keyboard vs the previous unibody keys. Touchbar is a dud but the 2019 version is well worth it otherwise imho.

bodegajed 7y ago
I'm also on the fence about upgrading. I am thinking of just buying a mac keyboard so I have an escape key. That key is very essential to my workflow. Do you think it's a good idea?
- stdclass 7y ago
  I use karabiner [1] to remap the capslock key to esc. [1] https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/ https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/
  - bodegajed 7y ago
    Interesting.. so this is how the esc key is now? I guess it's compromise. Maybe I'll get used to it eventually. Sigh I'm just sad apple wont budge on a high end non-touchbar model
    - 8draco8 7y ago
      Touchbar can be useful especially with apps like Pock to save some screen real estate. The only thing that they should do is to bring back ESC key and maybe allow for switching numbers row to F-keys with Fn. That would allow for rich media control and whatever you want on touchbar and still have proper, tactile functionality of keys.
  - atomwaffel 7y ago
    No need for Karabiner if that’s all you’re using it for, you can do it natively in System Preferences → Keyboard → Modifier Keys.
    - raja 7y ago
      Karabiner Elements is user for a more complex modifier [1]. I use Karabiner to remap Caps Lock to hyper (cmd+ctrl+option) or just esc when pressed alone. [1] https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/complex_modifications/#modifier-keys https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/complex_modifications/#modifi...
- gutnor 7y ago
  Mac OS support by default to map the Caps Lock key as an Escape key. Back in the "old" days, nobody would have voluntarily admitted they used the regular Escape key implying their hand movement is anything less than optimal. Hell, Mac OS was praised for almost not making any use of the carpal tunnel inducing function keys. Then the touch bar was released ;-)
  - rz2k 7y ago
    For anyone else reading this, the option is found in System Preferences > Keyboard > Modifier Keys... For more complex modifications there is Karabiner-Elements, which is especially useful if you use Hammerspoon.
tobyhinloopen 7y ago
> Also I might be in the minority but I actually prefer the feel of the keyboard vs the previous unibody keys. It is not the feel of the keyboard that is "hated" - it's the reliability (the feel of the keyboard AFTER it stops being new and starts being... the 2016+ rMBP butterfly keyboard). I wonder if the 2019 keyboard is fixed, but I'm VERY sceptical.
- 19870213 7y ago
  Apple extended their keyboard service program to the new 2019 models on launch day: https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-mac-notebooks/ https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-m...
  - tillinghast 7y ago
    Which is to say that Apple, too, is VERY skeptical. :-)
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
- wlesieutre 7y ago
  There are people who hate the key feel too. I think it's people who type more forcefully; the new keyboards have a nice clicky feel with a low travel distance, but they require a light touch or you're basically slamming your fingers into a solid object. I don't know why people type like that, but they do. I wonder if there's any correlation with people who stomp their feet when they walk. It's like they never picked up on the fact that you can dial back your own movement's impact instead of just smashing into stuff and letting it stop you.
  - iainmerrick 7y ago
    I think your analogy is a major reach, but just to run with it: That reminds me of catlike movement (very graceful, very limited impact and noise) versus doglike (lots of movement and noise, bouncing up and down). And as it turns out, dogs use much less energy walking than cats do. Loud “doglike” typing isn’t necessarily a sign of inexperience, it’s actually energy-efficient and comfortable. I’ve never had RSI but I seriously fear it suddenly striking whenever I have to use one of those super-flat Apple keyboards. Or along similar lines: most if not all piano/keyboard players (I’m fairly sure, anyway) prefer weighted keys. Why do you think that is? It’s not just so you can play loudly or softly; a digital piano can be pressure-sensitive without having a weighted response.
vtkacenko 7y ago
Fresh - yes. But the keyboard degrades over time :(

by pram 7y ago

bodegajed 7y ago

I'm also on the fence about upgrading. I am thinking of just buying a mac keyboard so I have an escape key. That key is very essential to my workflow. Do you think it's a good idea?

stdclass 7y ago
I use karabiner [1] to remap the capslock key to esc. [1] https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/ https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/
- bodegajed 7y ago
  Interesting.. so this is how the esc key is now? I guess it's compromise. Maybe I'll get used to it eventually. Sigh I'm just sad apple wont budge on a high end non-touchbar model
  - 8draco8 7y ago
    Touchbar can be useful especially with apps like Pock to save some screen real estate. The only thing that they should do is to bring back ESC key and maybe allow for switching numbers row to F-keys with Fn. That would allow for rich media control and whatever you want on touchbar and still have proper, tactile functionality of keys.
- atomwaffel 7y ago
  No need for Karabiner if that’s all you’re using it for, you can do it natively in System Preferences → Keyboard → Modifier Keys.
  - raja 7y ago
    Karabiner Elements is user for a more complex modifier [1]. I use Karabiner to remap Caps Lock to hyper (cmd+ctrl+option) or just esc when pressed alone. [1] https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/complex_modifications/#modifier-keys https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/complex_modifications/#modifi...
gutnor 7y ago
Mac OS support by default to map the Caps Lock key as an Escape key. Back in the "old" days, nobody would have voluntarily admitted they used the regular Escape key implying their hand movement is anything less than optimal. Hell, Mac OS was praised for almost not making any use of the carpal tunnel inducing function keys. Then the touch bar was released ;-)
- rz2k 7y ago
  For anyone else reading this, the option is found in System Preferences > Keyboard > Modifier Keys... For more complex modifications there is Karabiner-Elements, which is especially useful if you use Hammerspoon.

tobyhinloopen 7y ago

> Also I might be in the minority but I actually prefer the feel of the keyboard vs the previous unibody keys. It is not the feel of the keyboard that is "hated" - it's the reliability (the feel of the keyboard AFTER it stops being new and starts being... the 2016+ rMBP butterfly keyboard). I wonder if the 2019 keyboard is fixed, but I'm VERY sceptical.

19870213 7y ago
Apple extended their keyboard service program to the new 2019 models on launch day: https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-mac-notebooks/ https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-m...
- tillinghast 7y ago
  Which is to say that Apple, too, is VERY skeptical. :-)
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
wlesieutre 7y ago
There are people who hate the key feel too. I think it's people who type more forcefully; the new keyboards have a nice clicky feel with a low travel distance, but they require a light touch or you're basically slamming your fingers into a solid object. I don't know why people type like that, but they do. I wonder if there's any correlation with people who stomp their feet when they walk. It's like they never picked up on the fact that you can dial back your own movement's impact instead of just smashing into stuff and letting it stop you.
- iainmerrick 7y ago
  I think your analogy is a major reach, but just to run with it: That reminds me of catlike movement (very graceful, very limited impact and noise) versus doglike (lots of movement and noise, bouncing up and down). And as it turns out, dogs use much less energy walking than cats do. Loud “doglike” typing isn’t necessarily a sign of inexperience, it’s actually energy-efficient and comfortable. I’ve never had RSI but I seriously fear it suddenly striking whenever I have to use one of those super-flat Apple keyboards. Or along similar lines: most if not all piano/keyboard players (I’m fairly sure, anyway) prefer weighted keys. Why do you think that is? It’s not just so you can play loudly or softly; a digital piano can be pressure-sensitive without having a weighted response.

vtkacenko 7y ago

Fresh - yes. But the keyboard degrades over time :(