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I still have a working 2007 16” MacBook Pro (fully loaded 4GB of RAM, yeah!). It’s not just the software that was better but the hardware too. That keyboard has

I still have a working 2007 16” MacBook Pro (fully loaded 4GB of RAM, yeah!). It’s not just the software that was better but the hardware too. That keyboard has so much travel compared to these newer ones, it’s crazy. It actually feels like a real keyboard.

jacobolus 5y ago
The newest generation of Apple keyboards has a bit more travel than the previous generation, but the laptops from 15 years ago are nicer. None of them come close to the glory of this keyboard though: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Portable https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Portable
- pram 5y ago
  Wow that thing looks bigger than the IIc I had. Portable indeed!
  - salamandersauce 5y ago
    It is. Also really heavy because it used a lead acid battery. It was also wired in such a way that if the battery died it wouldn't turn on anymore unlike modern laptops that can run off the AC adapter directly. My parents threw theirs out because of that.
jagger27 5y ago
15" or 17"? I have a PowerBook G4 from the same era, and I think the keyboard is the same as that. Indeed it has better travel, but I find the keys are slightly wobbly and a bit unrefined. Having torn one apart a while ago, I'd suspect it's due to looser tolerances than more modern designs. I think ThinkPads from the same era have significantly better keyboards. They're less mushy and have a better texture.
- jacobolus 5y ago
  The wobble in keyswitches is often intentional: it prevents keys from binding when pressed off-axis, and makes them a bit more forgiving when they get dust inside. I didn’t like the older thinkpad keyboards; noticeably too stiff for my taste. But this IBM "portable" keyboard is a dream: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_5100 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_5100
  - csdvrx 5y ago
    I just don't understand how many people prefer these keyboards. Key travel is only important to assist in your typing + provide feedback, but unless you type like a brute (I've a friend whom I would NEVER lend my laptop too, as I would be worried for my keyboard) or have sensory nerve issues like from diabetes, you don't need much travel. I was dubious of the newest Lenovo keyboards, but after using my X1 Nano for a few hours, I was convinced: while the keys themselves have less travel, it has a strong opposing force that gives a lot of feedback. It's still a bit too stiff for my taste (it seems to have been made for big burly guys) and I'd prefer something more like the current Macbook keyboards, a self-avowed heresy for any Thinkpad fan :)
    - jagger27 5y ago
      It's funny to think about Lenovo making the X1 Nano for big burly guys. It's too bad that laptop switches will likely never see the huge and varied aftermarket that we have with mechanical keyboards. There's a switch for everyone, and it'll work in almost any keyboard if you're handy with a soldering iron or have one with hotswappable switch sockets.
      - csdvrx 5y ago
        > It's too bad that laptop switches will likely never see the huge and varied aftermarket that we have with mechanical keyboards. There's a switch for everyone Is there one for me, who likes little key travel, softness, and silence? So far the best solution I've found : thinkpad USB keyboards everywhere :)
tomxor 5y ago
I've got a 2009 MBP, After continuous use enough of the keyboard domes finally cracked to become (almost) unusable after 10 years (made it Linux after 5 after Apple abandonment), now a lot of the keys are mush but still actually work. i duno... "they don't make em like they used to"? :P
pivo 5y ago
I still have one of those too. I do love the keyboard on that, it feels very luxurious to me, but I have to admit I can't type as fast as I can on my 2019 MBP work or 2021 M1 personal MacBook Pros. I'm definitely in the minority in that I actually prefer the 2019 keyboard over the others. It's the "fixed" version with the rubber gasket that prevents dirt getting in the works and I've never had an issue with a stuck key. Maybe it's because I'm a very light typist, but the 2019 butterfly keyboard never leaves my fingers feeling tired after a day of typing, where the 2007 keyboard did.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

jacobolus 5y ago

The newest generation of Apple keyboards has a bit more travel than the previous generation, but the laptops from 15 years ago are nicer. None of them come close to the glory of this keyboard though: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Portable https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Portable

pram 5y ago
Wow that thing looks bigger than the IIc I had. Portable indeed!
- salamandersauce 5y ago
  It is. Also really heavy because it used a lead acid battery. It was also wired in such a way that if the battery died it wouldn't turn on anymore unlike modern laptops that can run off the AC adapter directly. My parents threw theirs out because of that.

jagger27 5y ago

15" or 17"? I have a PowerBook G4 from the same era, and I think the keyboard is the same as that. Indeed it has better travel, but I find the keys are slightly wobbly and a bit unrefined. Having torn one apart a while ago, I'd suspect it's due to looser tolerances than more modern designs. I think ThinkPads from the same era have significantly better keyboards. They're less mushy and have a better texture.

jacobolus 5y ago
The wobble in keyswitches is often intentional: it prevents keys from binding when pressed off-axis, and makes them a bit more forgiving when they get dust inside. I didn’t like the older thinkpad keyboards; noticeably too stiff for my taste. But this IBM "portable" keyboard is a dream: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_5100 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_5100
- csdvrx 5y ago
  I just don't understand how many people prefer these keyboards. Key travel is only important to assist in your typing + provide feedback, but unless you type like a brute (I've a friend whom I would NEVER lend my laptop too, as I would be worried for my keyboard) or have sensory nerve issues like from diabetes, you don't need much travel. I was dubious of the newest Lenovo keyboards, but after using my X1 Nano for a few hours, I was convinced: while the keys themselves have less travel, it has a strong opposing force that gives a lot of feedback. It's still a bit too stiff for my taste (it seems to have been made for big burly guys) and I'd prefer something more like the current Macbook keyboards, a self-avowed heresy for any Thinkpad fan :)
  - jagger27 5y ago
    It's funny to think about Lenovo making the X1 Nano for big burly guys. It's too bad that laptop switches will likely never see the huge and varied aftermarket that we have with mechanical keyboards. There's a switch for everyone, and it'll work in almost any keyboard if you're handy with a soldering iron or have one with hotswappable switch sockets.
    - csdvrx 5y ago
      > It's too bad that laptop switches will likely never see the huge and varied aftermarket that we have with mechanical keyboards. There's a switch for everyone Is there one for me, who likes little key travel, softness, and silence? So far the best solution I've found : thinkpad USB keyboards everywhere :)

tomxor 5y ago

I've got a 2009 MBP, After continuous use enough of the keyboard domes finally cracked to become (almost) unusable after 10 years (made it Linux after 5 after Apple abandonment), now a lot of the keys are mush but still actually work. i duno... "they don't make em like they used to"? :P

pivo 5y ago

I still have one of those too. I do love the keyboard on that, it feels very luxurious to me, but I have to admit I can't type as fast as I can on my 2019 MBP work or 2021 M1 personal MacBook Pros. I'm definitely in the minority in that I actually prefer the 2019 keyboard over the others. It's the "fixed" version with the rubber gasket that prevents dirt getting in the works and I've never had an issue with a stuck key. Maybe it's because I'm a very light typist, but the 2019 butterfly keyboard never leaves my fingers feeling tired after a day of typing, where the 2007 keyboard did.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]