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2016 MacBook Pro keyboard - how bad is it?
- Thread starter kmac007
- Start date
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I love it. It is also one my favourite things about the new MBP. I'm a coder so I was worried about using it for my day to day work. I can type so much faster, I love how it feels. Yes it is noisy, but that doesn't bother me, I like the clicky sound, would be nicer if it was quieter but no big deal.
I don't like it, but it is a personal taste issue. Go to the store and try it out. I am used to long travel mechanical keyboard with more travel and less clicky-ness.
I mostly use a custom built mechanical keyboard both at home and work. I previously had a 2013 MBP and felt that was ok, but while the 2016 MBP I have now has more stable keys (less sideways wobble), the extremely short travel of the keys has made me mistype a lot more. They have a harder feel as you bottom out the keys so quickly and that can be tiring over extended periods of typing.
In short, it's not a good keyboard and its design seems more driven to get the laptop smaller than provide a better typing experience. It is not that far from touchscreen keyboards that have no haptic feedback.
In short, it's not a good keyboard and its design seems more driven to get the laptop smaller than provide a better typing experience. It is not that far from touchscreen keyboards that have no haptic feedback.
I actually quite like the keyboard. Then again, I'm one of the few people who loves the keyboard on the 12-inch MacBook so the MacBook Pro keyboard to me is pretty fantastic. I still think the previous gen keyboard is the best though.
not a total fan of it. it's been weeks since I have been using it. i've gotten used to the feeling but i still don't "like" the experience.
i do type faster on it than my old previous keyboards (Apple Laptops/keyboards alike) so yeah, can't really complain.
i do type faster on it than my old previous keyboards (Apple Laptops/keyboards alike) so yeah, can't really complain.
Just bring HHKB with you and place it over the stock keyboard.
This is what I did with my custom until MacOS Sierra came along and I could no longer disable the internal keyboard with Karabiner when an external one was connected. When I get the adapters to connect my keyboard I will see if it will work fine just placed on top of the MBP keyboard. With my previous 2013 MBP the keyboard would press the keys occasionally if the built-in keyboard was not disabled.
Currently bought a 2015 a week ago and I just ordered the base ntb 2016. The best way to find out is to compare. I'm excited for the 2016 but not happy to be carry dongles around. We'll see how the two compare and then I'll decide which one to keep.
Hoping typing on the keyboard won't be too loud or too much of a transition form the 2015 keyboard.
Hoping typing on the keyboard won't be too loud or too much of a transition form the 2015 keyboard.
"How bad is it?" LOL, sounds like a CNN headline... "Trump... how bad will it be?" ... so much bad journalism and reviewers out there that love to put sensational spins on everything these days.
Let's put it this way, typing on an old macbook pro now makes me feel like I'm typing on marshmallows, and feels like I put too much effort into typing. even on my desktop, which has the newest wireless keyboard, the travel is slightly more than the new MBP, and I still feel like I'm putting far more effort into key travel than is needed. The new MBP keyboard is perfect. It's almost like typing on a completely flat surface, with just a slight travel that acknowledges the key being pressed. If I had to guess, the next step will be the keys being an LED touch screen with haptic feedback... that would be the next evolution. Funny when the rumors surfaced of that several years ago people were stoked, and now complaining about the keys not traveling enough. Irony.
Technology is progress. The funny part is if a company doesn't progress, they're criticized, but if they progress too fast as pioneers, they're criticized .. Guess can't win with whiny entitled consumers these days. Thankfully CNN helps with things like "Antennagate" and "Donglepocalypse" as if most people care. Yellow journalism at its finest.
Let's put it this way, typing on an old macbook pro now makes me feel like I'm typing on marshmallows, and feels like I put too much effort into typing. even on my desktop, which has the newest wireless keyboard, the travel is slightly more than the new MBP, and I still feel like I'm putting far more effort into key travel than is needed. The new MBP keyboard is perfect. It's almost like typing on a completely flat surface, with just a slight travel that acknowledges the key being pressed. If I had to guess, the next step will be the keys being an LED touch screen with haptic feedback... that would be the next evolution. Funny when the rumors surfaced of that several years ago people were stoked, and now complaining about the keys not traveling enough. Irony.
Technology is progress. The funny part is if a company doesn't progress, they're criticized, but if they progress too fast as pioneers, they're criticized .. Guess can't win with whiny entitled consumers these days. Thankfully CNN helps with things like "Antennagate" and "Donglepocalypse" as if most people care. Yellow journalism at its finest.
"How bad is it?" implies that it is bad at all. From a perspective of efficiency, this is one of the best keyboards on a laptop that you can buy today. The key clicks are crisp, and minimal travel means you can type much faster on one of these than previous MacBooks. The large surface area also makes it easy to type accurately with minimal effort.
I don't understand your post from today. If you just ordered the 2016 today how would it arrive in time before your 2 week return period is up for the 2015? Unless your picking it up at an Apple Store in the next few days. If it's coming from China it takes at least a week to arrive and that's if there shipping it the minute you order.
I bought the first gen. 12" MacBook when it first came out, almost 2 years ago. I write professionally, and It took me all of 15 minutes to adjust to the new "butterfly" keyboard on that machine. Of course, at first, it was totally different from everything that I'd been used to before it, and so it took some adjustment. But very quickly I learned to appreciate the new design, with the wider keys and less "wobble". The depth-travel was a bit shallow, and the return-responsiveness a bit slow - but I got used to that and quickly preferred the new design to the old "scissor" type so much that I had trouble typing on any old keyboard or machine. I recently upgraded to the new 2016 MBPro (Touchbar, 13") - and in my opinion, they've only improved on the original idea in the 12" MacBook. The depth-travel feels deeper (even though it's probably the same) and the return-response is appreciably faster now. In my opinion, the 2016 MBPro keyboard is ideally engineered for writing and extensive typing. The keys and responsiveness are FAR superior to the old, traditional, "scissor" type keys. They are the perfect width, and the fact that they just don't wobble at all means that my fingers absolutely fly over the keyboard.
So - in short - I personally love this keyboard, and believe that it is a significant leap forward for writers. Everything else feels old and clunky.
I could say the same thing about the trackpad. Implementing force-touch instead of the mechanical "hinge" style of the old trackpads was totally revolutionary. Being equally responsive across the entire surface of the pad is a huge plus, as is the ability to adjust sensitivity, and the variable force feature. On the 2016 Pro models, it's improved significantly over that original 12" MacBook implementation, good as that was(is).
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So - in short - I personally love this keyboard, and believe that it is a significant leap forward for writers. Everything else feels old and clunky.
I could say the same thing about the trackpad. Implementing force-touch instead of the mechanical "hinge" style of the old trackpads was totally revolutionary. Being equally responsive across the entire surface of the pad is a huge plus, as is the ability to adjust sensitivity, and the variable force feature. On the 2016 Pro models, it's improved significantly over that original 12" MacBook implementation, good as that was(is).
[doublepost=1483838909][/doublepost]
Agree with this completely.
New keyboard is brilliant, do not listen to any reviewer who has pulled it out of the box and condemned it straight away. It takes some time to get used to, like an hour to a day depending on your use. But once you get used to it, it's brilliant as I said. Feels a lot faster to type on, and a lot more comfortable. No idea who these people complaining of noise are, I can only assume their writing particularly threatening letters on these devices and wanting to emphasise each and every character... It's about as quiet or loud as you want it to be.
My only downside, is that once you do get used to it, it's really hard to go back. My old 13" is still in the family, and it feels like typing on a painted sponge compared to the new style keyboard.
My only downside, is that once you do get used to it, it's really hard to go back. My old 13" is still in the family, and it feels like typing on a painted sponge compared to the new style keyboard.
I really didn't like it in the store. Got it home yesterday and was on it for most of the night and I'm actually quite fond of it. Felt odd going back to MSI. We'll see if that changes over time.
Same here, when I tried the 2016 model at the store I did not like the keyboard at all, but once I got mine in the mail and I spent a day with it I have gotten used to the keyboard.
I type on mx cherry blue and reds a lot and I think it's a fun keyboard to type on. It took a little getting used to, but it's very different from the others so that should be expected. They kind of feel like super shallow blues that don't click, if that makes sense? They're not light to actuate like my reds are, and the bottom out 'clack' is very satisfying. Once your fingers get used to the shallow depth you'll be fine.
This is a stupid issue to begin with -- keyboards on laptops have never been crazy impressive and no one's cared up until this. I've never thought "this laptop's keyboard is so bad I'm going to return it!" before.
This is a stupid issue to begin with -- keyboards on laptops have never been crazy impressive and no one's cared up until this. I've never thought "this laptop's keyboard is so bad I'm going to return it!" before.
I thoroughly enjoy the keyboard. Sure it's a bit clicky clacky, I could probably tone my finger strike down a bit, but it definitely feels light years better than the MacBook 12 keyboard. That one to me felt like typing on a touch screen, this MBP definitely has more give.
