Black or white keyboard in a dark room?

[August West]

Best buy too. I picked one up on Friday.

Thanks. I canceled my Amazon order since it wouldn't be here until Friday and will be picking up my Best Buy order tomorrow.

 

[MacDaddyPanda]

Funny you

The Apple TouchID keyboard is beautiful in black. I'm tempted to choose this one over the white keyboard. However, the keyboard will be placed on a retractable tablet under the work table, where the light is a bit low. During a normal day, there's enough light to clearly see the keys on the black keyboard. But would it be too difficult to read the letters when light is low (during evening for example)? What's your opinion or experience about the black keyboard?

That's why I went with the white keyboard. I'd much prefer the dark keyboard, but I already had the white trackpad and I like to keep my room I use my Mac in dimmer so the dark keyboard not being illuminated would be problematic since I do need to look down at it occasionally when I type. I type well enough to not need to always look. But if I do need to I'd prefer to be able to see the keys, lol.

 

[Velin]

One standout is Wasd’s CODE mechanical keyboard. Get the 104 key with Cherry Brown switches (or other switches if you prefer). Works with OSX and Macs. Superbly built keyboard, simple, clean, white adjustable backlighting. I think it could last a decade or two of use, and I’m closing in on the first one without a single problem or error, ever. It’s a typist’s dream.

 

[thebart]

Well to be fair, they did. It was the butterfly mechanism keyboards. As a keyboard nerd who has rarely met a keyboard he didn't like, I actually came to like how tactile and low profile it was. I can totally understand why many people would find it revolting, but to me it was the first truly portable and tactile keyboard introduced.

The butterfly switch does have a tactile bump. I think what i don't like is the way it bottoms out and the travel is just a tad too short. JFeels wrong to me

I very much get the "if this is mechanical, give me membrane; if this is membrane, give me mechanical" sentiment typing on it

But it is certainly unique and has no real competition. I don't see Apple moving away from it and i don't see them making an alternative and competing product either. That's not the Apple way

 

[smirking]

The butterfly switch does have a tactile bump. I think what i don't like is the way it bottoms out and the travel is just a tad too short. Feels wrong to me

I very much get the "if this is mechanical, give me membrane; if this is membrane, give me mechanical" sentiment typing on it

It's funny you say that because it's something of a hybrid. Most people think the tactility is coming from the butterfly mechanism, but those are just scissor stabilizers by another name. The membrane is where most of the tactile feedback is coming from.

The mounting point on one of my keycaps on my 2016 MBP fractured and I had to tape the key to the membrane dome. This bypassed the butterfly mechanism, yet the tactility felt almost the same. The only difference was that it wobbled (for obvious reasons). Those were some seriously "clicky" domes.

I wouldn't be surprised if the current MBP keyboard in the M-series MBPs is more or less that same membrane plate with traditional scissors instead of butterflies as the stabilizers. I'm not about to tear up my M1 Pro to find out though.

 

[Cham2000]

A follow up: I just received today my new Apple black keyboard, with TouchID (the extended version). I can confirm that (under the exact same conditions) the black keys are a bit harder to see, compared to the all white keyboard. I wonder why Apple are printing thin letters on the black keys. I believe that this keyboard could be improved a lot with just a bit thicker white letters on the keys. Also, the keyboard tilt (inclination angle) is a bit lower than my older white keyboard. I prefer the old tilt over the new version, but this seems to be a minor point.

The space bar is smaller on the new keyboard. I prefer the old bigger version. The new space bar feels fragile under my fingers. The general mechanical feel is very different. I'm so used to the old keyboard, that I'm not sure I'll like the new keyboard after some time. The new keyboard feels "weak", or fragile under my finger.