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Buying a new MBP

faust

faust

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 11, 2007
382
173
Los Angeles, CA
Hey all. I'm gonna be grabbing a refurbished MBP /w Touch Bar from the Apple online store soon, and I had some questions about it! I'm grabbing the 13" model, linked here. But, I'm hearing some really bad things about the butterfly switch keyboard. If it's bad enough I might buy an XPS 13 Developers Edition instead of a MBP. People have suggested the butterfly switch keyboard is like tapping on a piece of wood. Is this an accurate description? Will my using this laptop on the go cause me to go insane from the lack of feedback from the keyboard?

Am I better off summoning Cthulhu to rend Tim Cook's soul from his fleshy prison for subjecting us to the butterfly switch keyboard? Please help me out by sharing your experiences with the MBP's new keyboard.
 
Personally I think it is lovely to type on if you get a good one. However it can be temperamental. I have experienced several 2016 MacBook Pros and the keyboard quality varied considerably. On a model I received just this week, some keys are making a horrible high-pitched noise, as is well documented in other threads.

It's certainly not like typing on wood though!

Another way to look at it is how much you want a Mac - because if a butterfly keyboard is enough to make you not buy one, then you'll never buy a Mac again - low-profile keyboards are here to stay.
 
Some people like the 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard more than the older style, and some less. For me, it took a little while to adapt to, and impression I got from it in the Apple Store was very different than the impression after a week to adapt. So, the only way for you to get a true idea of whether you like it more or not, may be to buy it and use the 14-day return policy. You might hate it and return it for a 2015. You might love it and find it to be a huge advancement over the previous design. You might be apathetic to the differences.

The XPS 13 is also a great computer.
 
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In my experience, the keyboard is very good, but I always preferred flat keyboards (frankly, I don't understand whats great about keyboards with "travel" and the mechanical keyboards are the worst for me). There was also a recent poll here on the forums that suggests that the negative opinions about the keyboard are greatly exaggerated. You just have a bunch of fairly active users on these forums who really don't like the new MBP and don't miss any opportunity to write about it ;)
 
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You need to try it for yourself instead of relying on other people's opinions. I personally love it and find it allows me to type quicker and with more stability, and also feels more premium. Some people don't like it at all though, as you've noticed, so it's best just to try it for yourself at an Apple Store before you buy your refurb model.
 
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I was looking at pics of the difference between their scissor-style switch, and this butterfly switch, and they seem pretty similar. The butterfly style seems to provide a more tactile response? That doesn't sound terrible, but I think I'm exceedingly spoiled by the travel time on my mechanical keyboard. Which is obviously impossible to replicate on a notebook, without looking like a goddamn abomination.
 
The keyboard on my new MBP took me very little time at all to adjust. I honestly fell in love with it almost immediately. If I mess around with my wife's '14 MBP, I find myself wishing I was typing on mine lol. I really really liked the old style keyboard too. I was in amazement how awesome it felt to type on back when I purchased my very first MB, but now I just feel like this one takes the cake in terms of how the keys feel and react when pressed. It's all a matter of opinion though.
 
faust said:
I was looking at pics of the difference between their scissor-style switch, and this butterfly switch, and they seem pretty similar. The butterfly style seems to provide a more tactile response? That doesn't sound terrible, but I think I'm exceedingly spoiled by the travel time on my mechanical keyboard. Which is obviously impossible to replicate on a notebook, without looking like a goddamn abomination.
Click to expand...

If you use a mechanical keyboard, the new MBP keyboard mechanism might be equally blah as the old one. Compared to my K70, both MBP keyboard designs are simply laptop keyboards lol
 
ZapNZs said:
If you use a mechanical keyboard, the new MBP keyboard mechanism might be equally blah as the old one. Compared to my K70, both MBP keyboard designs are simply laptop keyboards lol
Click to expand...

A K70? You are like a baby. I bet you use red, or brown switches too! Gosh, I remember my K70. It was my first modern mechanical keyboard. It's time for you to grow up, and start using Topre switches.
 
faust said:
A K70? You are like a baby. I bet you use red, or brown switches too! Gosh, I remember my K70. It was my first modern mechanical keyboard. It's time for you to grow up, and start using Topre switches.
Click to expand...

I use it for general typing tasks so I'm at the MX Browns. I'm currently on the market for a Model M, but I've read the Topre switches are just delightful.
 
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My idea of a keyboard is good travel, I need that tactile feedback. I am not saying you can't type on it, you just won't enjoy typing on it for long periods. I love the spongy feel of the previous generation. Based on my experience at the store, it was like typing on a cheap calculator.
 
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Mr. Dee said:
My idea of a keyboard is good travel, I need that tactile feedback. I am not saying you can't type on it, you just won't enjoy typing on it for long periods. I love the spongy feel of the previous generation. Based on my experienced at the store, it was like typing a cheap calculator.
Click to expand...

Have you used the 2015 model by any chance? Can you give a comparison? I don't like the idea of spending $2000 on something that feels like a cheap calculator.
 
faust said:
Hey all. I'm gonna be grabbing a refurbished MBP /w Touch Bar from the Apple online store soon, and I had some questions about it! I'm grabbing the 13" model, linked here. But, I'm hearing some really bad things about the butterfly switch keyboard. If it's bad enough I might buy an XPS 13 Developers Edition instead of a MBP. People have suggested the butterfly switch keyboard is like tapping on a piece of wood. Is this an accurate description? Will my using this laptop on the go cause me to go insane from the lack of feedback from the keyboard?

Am I better off summoning Cthulhu to rend Tim Cook's soul from his fleshy prison for subjecting us to the butterfly switch keyboard? Please help me out by sharing your experiences with the MBP's new keyboard.
Click to expand...



I put up a poll recently and it was overwhelmingly positive for the new keyboard. Unless someone OWNS the machine and has had time to ADAPT, it's rather silly to comment.

The new keyboard feels better to me, but users I know could care less either way. The internet is a magnet for negative comments. This is the best laptop yet from Apple. And the keyboard is excellent as most owners will affirm.


R.
 
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Just my opinion, but I actually like the new keyboard more than the old. I still have my 2013 laptop and any time I need to use it for something I always come away thinking the keys feel overly mushy.

Like anything else in the world, you get used to it over time. The new keyboard, to me, helps cut down on how hard you type. When I first got it the sound it made when I was typing sounded like I was hitting each key with a sledgehammer. Over time my brain adjusted and realized that I don't have to press the keys quite so hard in order to have the input go through on the new laptop, and now it's doesn't really sound much different than anything else. If anything, I could see how this could help people with RSI issues over time.
 
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faust said:
Have you used the 2015 model by any chance? Can you give a comparison? I don't like the idea of spending $2000 on something that feels like a cheap calculator.
Click to expand...
I own a Early 2015 13 MBP. Its just like most laptop keyboards, has all the benefits such as being backlit, your physical function keys are there, doesn't have a high pitch clicking sound.
 
In their hunt for ever increasing thinness, it's obvious Apple has opted to sacrifice a robust typing experience. I'm sure I could get used to it. The tactile response on their second iteration of the butterfly switch was a step up from the first version.

I hope they opt to go a bit thicker on their future models of the MBP, because this feels like a step down. I'll either go with the 2015 edition, or sacrifice mobility for an iMac.
 
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I have a 12" MacBook and got accustomized to the keyboard on the first day.

When I sometimes use my 17", I realize how much better the old one is. But I never use it long enough to dislike the new keyboard.
 
Erdbeertorte said:
I have a 12" MacBook and got accustomized to the keyboard on the first day.

When I sometimes use my 17", I realize how much better the old one is. But I never use it long enough to dislike the new keyboard.
Click to expand...

My customers use Mac products, so I wanted a laptop to become acquainted with the product better, so I could be more helpful to them. And I'd be using it for coding too, and quite a lot of typing on the go. God, this is so frustrating. What the heck! It's in my best interest to get a 2015 model, or look for a diff company as far as notebooks are concerned.
 
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faust said:
Hey all. I'm gonna be grabbing a refurbished MBP /w Touch Bar from the Apple online store soon, and I had some questions about it! I'm grabbing the 13" model, linked here. But, I'm hearing some really bad things about the butterfly switch keyboard. If it's bad enough I might buy an XPS 13 Developers Edition instead of a MBP. People have suggested the butterfly switch keyboard is like tapping on a piece of wood. Is this an accurate description? Will my using this laptop on the go cause me to go insane from the lack of feedback from the keyboard?

Am I better off summoning Cthulhu to rend Tim Cook's soul from his fleshy prison for subjecting us to the butterfly switch keyboard? Please help me out by sharing your experiences with the MBP's new keyboard.
Click to expand...

I am a (semi)professional writer; I write 5-10k words a week. I find it exhausting for my fingers to type on for long periods.
 
faust said:
In their hunt for ever increasing thinness, it's obvious Apple has opted to sacrifice a robust typing experience. I'm sure I could get used to it. The tactile response on their second iteration of the butterfly switch was a step up from the first version.

I hope they opt to go a bit thicker on their future models of the MBP, because this feels like a step down. I'll either go with the 2015 edition, or sacrifice mobility for an iMac.
Click to expand...

They won't go thicker, it won't happen, end of discussion. Hoping won't make any difference. most people would rather have thin and light.
 
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