I came to that conclusion after tying out the keyboard on the 16" MBP which is way smoother and less noisy when typing. It seems that Apple decided to skimp on the cheaper MBA which is a shame really. I'm curious though if there is a difference in the quality of the keyboard between my Intel MBA and the M1 version, anybody care to comment?
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2020 MBA keyboard is truly godawful !
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I dumped my 16" MBP for an M1 MBA. No complaints about the keyboard. Switches seem smooth and work well for me. Not as good as on my desktop keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches. But then neither was the 16" with key travel limited by the depth constraints of being a laptop.
You should go to an Apple store and see if the M1 Air keyboard feels better to you.
You should go to an Apple store and see if the M1 Air keyboard feels better to you.
Not perfect, a bit more travel would have helped, but not bat at all on my M1 MBA. It is not quite as good as 2010 13" unibody MBP, but just as good or little better than my 11" 2014 MBA.
I seem to make more mistakes on my 2017 MacBook, than my M1 MBA. I like typing on my 2015 MBA the best.
Well, there is a huge difference between the keyboard of the 16" MBP and my intel MBA from 2020. What I would be curious to know is if there is any discernible difference with the M1 MBA? Anyone had the opportunity to test both 2020 MBAs?
Oh yeah! 2017 MBA here, I love this keyboard for what it is. I loved the 2016 as well, despite the egregious travel (to some) but I abhorred the lack of reliability on that one and not the lack of travel. I was oaky with travel since I do not punch on the keys, the larger key design helped me slide my fingers better, smoother. It was a good design on the surface, that worked horribly underneath.
Keyboard failed a year and half in, that was what I did not like about it. Further to that, I do not like how the space bar on the 2016 MBP started showing signs of color fading in just a year. It was not a good sight and I felt a level of disgust at Apple for that. Surely they could do better in 2016 when the space bar on my 2011 MBP started showing same fade after 4 years of incessant typing. I had hoped that they would be aware of color fade and do this one better. But no.
In theory, it's the same keyboard. Certainly, I've never had a bad typing experience on any 16" MacBook Pro or any 2020 MacBook keyboard (be it Air, 13" Pro, Intel, or M1). Certainly nothing compared to the raging dumpster fire that was the butterfly switch keyboards.
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I bought 2 MBA 2020. Keyboards are slightly different one another. The 128gb version feel more tight and solid, compared to 256gb which feel more lousy.
How did you get a 128GB 2020 M1 MBA? The base configuration is 256GB.
I just looked in the HED Education Store and there’s no MBA with a 128GB option.
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I just looked in the HED Education Store and there’s no MBA with a 128GB option.
Buy MacBook Air
Trade in your eligible Mac for credit toward a new 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Air laptop. Select a model or customize your own. Buy now at apple.com.www.apple.com
$799 M1 MacBook Air With 128GB Storage for Education Institutions Spotted Online
A new configuration of the M1 MacBook Air with 128GB of storage and a lower $799 price has today been spotted on Apple's U.S. Education...
www.macrumors.com
Ah ok, it’s an institutional education price list config.$799 M1 MacBook Air With 128GB Storage for Education Institutions Spotted Online
A new configuration of the M1 MacBook Air with 128GB of storage and a lower $799 price has today been spotted on Apple's U.S. Education...
Maybe Apple has different suppliers for the keyboard. In this case it will be coincidence what keyboard you get. So there is not only a panel lottery but also a keyboard lottery.
The MacBook Air I purchased has a loose keyboard, but the one my friend purchased recently has a tight keyboard and feels way better to type on.
What's the issue with panels?Maybe Apple has different suppliers for the keyboard. In this case it will be coincidence what keyboard you get. So there is not only a panel lottery but also a keyboard lottery.
These stories of inconsistent quality make me concerned.
The panel lottery was an issue with the previous non-retinal generation. You could either get an LG or a Samsung panel. The Samsung was generally considered superior.
I have both a 2019 16" MBP and an M1 MBA, and the difference between the two keyboards is substantial. I'm not sure, however, that I'd call the MBA keyboard 'Godawful.' The keyboard seems appropriate for an ultralight compact laptop. My preference would be to use the 16" MBP, but the extra weight is substantial. I do notice that my typing speed drops about 20 wpm on the MBA, which probably attests to the general lack of feel on that particular keyboard.
Lump me in here with those that have had an inconsistent experience with the M1 MacBook Air keyboards. As some already know, I just had a top case replacement by Apple because one of my shift keys was extremely loose. The new keyboard does not have any keys that are as loose at the shift key was on the previous one, but there are still a few keys that have more wobble than the rest and that make more noise when used. In my brief experiment, I didn't notice this on any of the display models at my local Apple Store. I also did not notice that at all on the M1 MBP that I started off with before deciding to go with a higher spec MBA. In my experience, the M1 MBP has a slightly nicer keyboard feel with better feedback and better uniformity.
I am pretty sure that I am just going to accept it for what it is now. Apple told me before I sent it in that they probably could replace the device for me, if I ended up having the same issue. I just don't have much confidence that the next one will be much different/better. It just seems to be a lottery.
I am pretty sure that I am just going to accept it for what it is now. Apple told me before I sent it in that they probably could replace the device for me, if I ended up having the same issue. I just don't have much confidence that the next one will be much different/better. It just seems to be a lottery.