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I have not used a Windows laptop outside of Razer and maybe Surface in many years. How do those Thinkpad keyboards compare to new Macbook Pro keyboards? I've

I have not used a Windows laptop outside of Razer and maybe Surface in many years. How do those Thinkpad keyboards compare to new Macbook Pro keyboards? I've always found the Macbook Pro keyboards to be "fine," but I'm curious if I am actually missing out on a better experience.

rollcat 3y ago
> I've always found the Macbook Pro keyboards to be "fine," [...] Have you tried the previous, "butterfly" generation? It should've been criminal to ship that.
- patrec 3y ago
  Personally, I think the butterfly keyboard is great. Assuming, of course, that you got one that does not suffer mechanical reliability issues. This opinion is hardly universal but seems to be shared by quite a few good typists. I'm typing this on a fancy mechanical keyboard, because I care quite a bit about keyboard quality (and consequently hate most laptop keyboards). So it's not that I just don't know better.
- Cu3PO42 3y ago
  I have and I think it's fine. The newer ones are better, but I never understood the enormous dislike for it. IMO the pre-butterfly keyboard is still better than even the current iteration.
RomanPushkin 3y ago
> Macbook Pro keyboards to be "fine," but I'm curious if I am actually missing out on a better experience Yes, you are missing a better experience. You might try out Bluetooth X201-like keyboards built by enthusiasts from China, if you can buy them. I tried to contact with no luck though. But it can be a good DYI project, if you have one for sale, let me know. Here is the link https://www.taobao.com/list/item/615448425938.htm https://www.taobao.com/list/item/615448425938.htm They 3D-print the body, and use keyboards from Thinkpad laptops.
voytec 3y ago
> I've always found the Macbook Pro keyboards to be "fine," I haven't bought a (non-phone) computer made by Apple since, and due to, the MBP 2017 keyboard fiasco. It was the single most shitty and unusable keyboard I have had a displeasure working on, and I've owned some super cheap entry laptops in the past. To say that it was crap, trash, garbage, joke, spit in consumer's face feels like a laughably low effort on expressing how useless it was. I bought this laptop as a pre-order before general availability and reported issues to Apple before all the media shitstorm began. Support reps have expressed their concerns and assured me over the phone that it has to be an isolated problem with an individual unit. I've sent the laptop for servicing within a 2 weeks since purchase. They replaced the keyboard and, for some reason, also the mainboard and screen and sent it back. Exact same issues but before I got the mostly-replaced device, issues with the butterfly keyboard already caught media attention and it was a hot topic. I was traveling with a laptop and a mechanical Keychron keyboard, ffs. I used external keyboard during flights, at Starbucks and in other public places. Any attempt to use built-in butterfly joke of a keyboard was so frustrating that carrying an external keyboard was a reasonable trade-off. Apple later parted ways with $50 million to settle the class-action. US-based buyers got up to $395 (I got nothing in EU) but still ended up with non-resellable devices. Jony Ive probably got a great bonus for this stunt. I'm happy for you that you have experienced only "fine" keyboards on MBPs. Would I have enemies, I wouldn't wish the misfortune of having to use MBP 2017 on any of them.

rollcat 3y ago

> I've always found the Macbook Pro keyboards to be "fine," [...] Have you tried the previous, "butterfly" generation? It should've been criminal to ship that.

patrec 3y ago
Personally, I think the butterfly keyboard is great. Assuming, of course, that you got one that does not suffer mechanical reliability issues. This opinion is hardly universal but seems to be shared by quite a few good typists. I'm typing this on a fancy mechanical keyboard, because I care quite a bit about keyboard quality (and consequently hate most laptop keyboards). So it's not that I just don't know better.
Cu3PO42 3y ago
I have and I think it's fine. The newer ones are better, but I never understood the enormous dislike for it. IMO the pre-butterfly keyboard is still better than even the current iteration.

RomanPushkin 3y ago

> Macbook Pro keyboards to be "fine," but I'm curious if I am actually missing out on a better experience Yes, you are missing a better experience. You might try out Bluetooth X201-like keyboards built by enthusiasts from China, if you can buy them. I tried to contact with no luck though. But it can be a good DYI project, if you have one for sale, let me know. Here is the link https://www.taobao.com/list/item/615448425938.htm https://www.taobao.com/list/item/615448425938.htm They 3D-print the body, and use keyboards from Thinkpad laptops.

voytec 3y ago

> I've always found the Macbook Pro keyboards to be "fine," I haven't bought a (non-phone) computer made by Apple since, and due to, the MBP 2017 keyboard fiasco. It was the single most shitty and unusable keyboard I have had a displeasure working on, and I've owned some super cheap entry laptops in the past. To say that it was crap, trash, garbage, joke, spit in consumer's face feels like a laughably low effort on expressing how useless it was. I bought this laptop as a pre-order before general availability and reported issues to Apple before all the media shitstorm began. Support reps have expressed their concerns and assured me over the phone that it has to be an isolated problem with an individual unit. I've sent the laptop for servicing within a 2 weeks since purchase. They replaced the keyboard and, for some reason, also the mainboard and screen and sent it back. Exact same issues but before I got the mostly-replaced device, issues with the butterfly keyboard already caught media attention and it was a hot topic. I was traveling with a laptop and a mechanical Keychron keyboard, ffs. I used external keyboard during flights, at Starbucks and in other public places. Any attempt to use built-in butterfly joke of a keyboard was so frustrating that carrying an external keyboard was a reasonable trade-off. Apple later parted ways with $50 million to settle the class-action. US-based buyers got up to $395 (I got nothing in EU) but still ended up with non-resellable devices. Jony Ive probably got a great bonus for this stunt. I'm happy for you that you have experienced only "fine" keyboards on MBPs. Would I have enemies, I wouldn't wish the misfortune of having to use MBP 2017 on any of them.