2016 MBP finger fatigue?

[ilikewhey]

does anyone have this problem. does it go away after awhile your hands get used to it?

i been doing coding and writing essays i noticed my fingers are quite fatigue after couple of paragraphs, coding not so bad since i'm only writing lines but essay was another issue.

my opinion so far on the new keys is after awhile i feel like my fingers are typing on wood cause it bottoms out so much faster than what i'm used to on my 2013 air. it is somewhat of a new experience that i welcome when i'm just responding to short messages and what not on forums and emails. however when it comes to absolute speed i'm afraid this might hinder me.

right now i have the option of returning the laptop and maybe get a 2015 model same spec.

i take notes alot in class and writing is my top priority. after a week i think i can say my wpm is almost up to par with what i'm used to on my macbook air which has the old menbrane keyboard.

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

You should only ever type with enough force to trigger the keystroke. I think there's a lot of people coming from deep travel desktop keyboards, and then using that style on the low travel laptop keys. Which means you're hammering your fingers, causing fatigue.

Try to soften your typing, you really don't need to apply that much force on these. Just gently type, slowly, and build up your speed after that.

Basically, the more your fingers bend, and the more distance they travel, the more fatigue they'll garner. A lot of people have bad typing habits that I think are being exaggerated by low travel keyboards, when compared to more forgiving deep travel keyboards. Just try lighten it up a bit, if you're complaining about the keyboard being too loud then you're typing too hard.

 

[ilikewhey]

thanks for the reply, yeah i get that this is something you just have to get used to. like i said before when writing short burst messages i have no problem, but its the long essay that left me frustrated after awhile. if my hands are not fatiqued than i can't really tell the difference that much between the two keyboard, but i feel once i'm dealing with long essays, than my finger much prefer the old dome membrane keyboards. i'm still trying to give myself more time to get aquinted with this new switch.

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

thanks for the reply, yeah i get that this is something you just have to get used to. like i said before when writing short burst messages i have no problem, but its the long essay that left me frustrated after awhile. if my hands are not fatiqued than i can't really tell the difference that much between the two keyboard, but i feel once i'm dealing with long essays, than my finger much prefer the old dome membrane keyboards. i'm still trying to give myself more time to get aquinted with this new switch.

Just practice or start typing slowly and softly, build up speed after that. If you go straight in hammering the keys then no wonder you're fingers are hurting! Older style keyboards are more squishy and so more forgiving with this technique.

 

[macintoshmac]

The keyboard is really good. I came at this keyboard from my 2011 MBP years, and it has taken me little time to adapt to the sensation. Muscle memory is another matter altogether, that is still reminiscent of the old keyboard and I sometimes falter. But, I have had plenty occasions for side by side use, and I find that coming to the new keyboard after using the springy old one actually feels nice(r).

The old one is very good and I can type on it with 0 errors, but that is not because of the keyboard, that is because of the muscle memory. I remember, I had a full size mechanical keyboard and adapting to the MBP keyboard felt like adapting to "this f***ing keyboard" that was cramping my typing. My fingers were searching for keys and hitting the farther keys on the MBP or hitting gaps between the keys. Same is happening with this new keyboard, muscle memory issue. It will take a little time, and an open mind to adapt and learn. after a while, the difference will be appreciable than condemnable.

Gen 1 on rMB 2015 I tested was a delight to use as well, but yes, I did NOT like how tick-ticky it sounded.
Gen 2 on rMB Pro 2016 is an absolute pleasure and delight to use, far less tick-ticky and definitely more travel or the feel of travel, but just enough to register on the mind satisfyingly. These keyboards are really, really good.

Nothing, nothing still matches the wonderful mechanical keyboards though, I am an ardent fan of Cherry MX blue with its soft actuation and light beautiful-sounding click as it actuates. Sensual!

 

[leman]

I get less fatigue with the new keyboard compared to the old one. And yes, it gets some time to get used to. You certainly need to adjust your key presses, as less force is needed with this keyboard.

 

[ilikewhey]

some update guys, i returned my 2016 touchbar and went on craiglist and got a loaded 2015 mbp that has warranty til 2019.

i thought long and hard about the keyboard cause frankly thats whats most important to me. the trackpad, touchbar, wide gamut, etc are just all gimmicks to me.

i also spend hours on type speed test and compared my typing accuracy between the two, gave myself more time on the 2016 just to make sure my muscle memory isn't biased so much so.

as much as i'm intrigued by the bigger keys, i just don't feel like they have enough travel distance to be cushy to your fingers when fatigue kicks in. and for me the shallow travel distance is simply too much if you are typing or taking notes for long extended period of time.

for me the keyboard would be perfect if the keys simply have just a tad bit more travel distance. i see why this model of laptop has the most polarizing opinion on the keyboards.

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

some update guys, i returned my 2016 touchbar and went on craiglist and got a loaded 2015 mbp that has warranty til 2019.

i thought long and hard about the keyboard cause frankly thats whats most important to me. the trackpad, touchbar, wide gamut, etc are just all gimmicks to me.

i also spend hours on type speed test and compared my typing accuracy between the two, gave myself more time on the 2016 just to make sure my muscle memory isn't biased so much so.

as much as i'm intrigued by the bigger keys, i just don't feel like they have enough travel distance to be cushy to your fingers when fatigue kicks in. and for me the shallow travel distance is simply too much if you are typing or taking notes for long extended period of time.

for me the keyboard would be perfect if the keys simply have just a tad bit more travel distance. i see why this model of laptop has the most polarizing opinion on the keyboards.

That's fair and that's why they still sell the 2015. Just bear in mind that the MBP is unlikely to go backwards in design, so that keyboard will probably be around for some time in the future. You'll have to adapt one day!

Good luck with the 2015

 

[Queen6]

I've used a 2015 rMB extensively for over two years. I agree one can adjust to the extremely short throw of the key's, however I've never grown to like or enjoy the typing experience.

For me if there was a little more travel the keyboard would be a lot better. I also think a notebook of this class doesn't really need to have a keyboard that is more suitable for the likes of the rMB, Huawei's MateBook X, Asus's ZenBook etc.

MBP should come with a more comfortable keyboard for lack of better words, and when I'm paying $3K + for a notebook, I kind of want it to meet my expectations.

Q-6

 

[macintoshmac]

I do not know, so asking. How was the keyboard travel with the pre 2011 notebooks? The ones before chiclet keys? People adapt.. this was just a little too much dramatic adaptation required, that's all.

 

[lambertjohn]

"You'll have to adapt one day!"

No he won't. There's tons of other alternatives out there, and always will be.

 

[macintoshmac]

"You'll have to adapt one day!"

No he won't. There's tons of other alternatives out there, and always will be.

He meant if he wants to stay on the Apple platform, and till Apple brings out a better keyboard, which it eventually will.

 

[ilikewhey]

I do not know, so asking. How was the keyboard travel with the pre 2011 notebooks? The ones before chiclet keys? People adapt.. this was just a little too much dramatic adaptation required, that's all.

i think you meant the pre 2009 keyboards, the ones with silver coloring? these had the same travel distance but they were not spaced out and had uneven 4corner firmness to it.

That's fair and that's why they still sell the 2015. Just bear in mind that the MBP is unlikely to go backwards in design, so that keyboard will probably be around for some time in the future. You'll have to adapt one day!

Good luck with the 2015

yeah i understand apple never really go back on its decision especially on designs. at least not so far with tim cook at the helm. i have no problem with the butterfly switch, i actually think they were very enjoyable to type on if you're doing short sms or email or writing brackets with javascript. but to have type long replies like the one i'm writing right now and not have your finger tip take a pounding i really do need the keys to bottom out just a bit longer, if apple can do that i'll go buy the 2018 mbp with 3rd generation butterfly keys.

 

[macintoshmac]

i think you meant the pre 2009 keyboards, the ones with silver coloring? these had the same travel distance but they were not spaced out and had uneven 4corner firmness to it.


yeah i understand apple never really go back on its decision especially on designs. at least not so far with tim cook at the helm. i have no problem with the butterfly switch, i actually think they were very enjoyable to type on if you're doing short sms or email or writing brackets with javascript. but to have type long replies like the one i'm writing right now and not have your finger tip take a pounding i really do need the keys to bottom out just a bit longer, if apple can do that i'll go buy the 2018 mbp with 3rd generation butterfly keys.

Yes, I meant the ones before the chiclet keys. For reference I said pre 2011. OK, so they had the same travel? Well, that is the dope, then.. today the travel was suddenly changed and sharply so.. it was almost like asking people coming from BlackBerry keyboard to type on the iPhone glass.

 

[ilikewhey]

like previous said, the butterfly keys is livable but not sure if i wanna go through the frustration of learning curve.. there is a learning curve as many suggested, you have to learn to type in a new manner frankly i don't think i have time for. the keys are very nice but they just need to put more travel.