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mossme89

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 2, 2009
596
131
I upgraded from a 2015 model to the 2018 model to a 2019 model. Let me just say first that if you’re someone who is holding onto a 2014 or 2015 model because of the butterfly keyboard, the 2019 model is the model you’ve been waiting for.

I had the 2018 MacBook Pro model for a few weeks, and I was trying to convince myself that the keyboard wasn’t that bad. Well after using this, I can say that it definitely was bad.

First off, there is a physical escape key. That is worthy of its own paragraph.

The first time I used the 2019’s keyboard, I thought of my 2015 MacBook Pro. The keyboards are not identical by any means, but they have a similar feel. There’s a cushion and a give when you press the keys, which I need because I am a two finger typer. The butterfly keyboard limited my typing speed and left me with sore fingertips.

I’ve only been using the keyboard for a few hours but already I forget that I’m not using my 2015 MBP. Of course there’s the touch bar, but I dont use those keys very much.

Comparison:
compared.png

sidebyside.jpg


Measurements:


The 2015 model has a keyboard area of 11inches by 4.5inches. The 2019 model is about 10.75 by 4.25. The keys on the new model are about 0.66x0.66in while the 2015 keys are 0.5x0.5.

So there’s less of a gap between keys with bigger keys. For some reason, I feel like this makes the keyboard feel more cramped. I prefer the smaller keys because I miss the keys less frequently.

My only complaint with this keyboard is the positioning of the up and down arrow keys. That quarter inch of space had to come from somewhere, and the gap between the up and down arrow keys is the unfortunate victim. I wish they made the right shift key smaller so they could have space between the up and down arrow keys.

Overall, this is the first late-model MBP I've used that feels comparable to my 2015. If you've been holding onto the old model because of the butterfly keyboard fiasco, it's time to upgrade. This is what you've been waiting for.
 

kensic

macrumors 6502
Jan 11, 2013
362
28
i personally feel the mouse pad area is too damn big!!!

i have owned 2012 model since 2012 (LOLZ). and i feel like my palm area will touch the mouse pad when i type on these bigger area laptops. though the 2012 model area is too small, could be bigger, but its just too big as it stands

is that a problem for anyone (probably worse if you have bigger hands)? and does it move the mouse cursor move when you touch with your palm?
 

leman

macrumors Core
Oct 14, 2008
19,497
19,632
This post worries me. I hate how 2015 keyboard feels in comparison to the butterfly. The keys are too small and wobbly. For comfortable typing, the butterfly keyboard is clearly preferable for me. I was hoping that the 2016 would feel similar. Anyway, my unit should arrive in a week or two, fingers crossed.
 

scrillantro

macrumors member
Mar 13, 2016
33
25
This post worries me. I hate how 2015 keyboard feels in comparison to the butterfly. The keys are too small and wobbly. For comfortable typing, the butterfly keyboard is clearly preferable for me. I was hoping that the 2016 would feel similar. Anyway, my unit should arrive in a week or two, fingers crossed.

Some of the people who have posted first impressions videos said that the keys feel similarly stable off-center to the butterfly keyboard.
 

mossme89

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 2, 2009
596
131
This post worries me. I hate how 2015 keyboard feels in comparison to the butterfly. The keys are too small and wobbly. For comfortable typing, the butterfly keyboard is clearly preferable for me. I was hoping that the 2016 would feel similar. Anyway, my unit should arrive in a week or two, fingers crossed.
The layout is the same as butterfly models but the keys are mechanically like the 2015 models.
 

Glockworkorange

Suspended
Feb 10, 2015
2,511
4,184
Chicago, Illinois
Looks like it was used as a food plate. Gross.
Yeah, he should have cleaned it up before showing it to the world.
[automerge]1573914235[/automerge]
The layout is the same as butterfly models but the keys are mechanically like the 2015 models.
I mean, if you really, really liked the butterfly, you should probably stick with any device released between 2016 and before this week.

To me, these feel like they have more travel than the "magic keyboard" circa 2015 and later.

I use Magic Keyboards, and those feel a little more shallow and are, to my ear, louder.

In fact, I think these new keyboards are more similar to the pre-2016 MBP's than to the Magic Keyboard.

I couldn't be happier with these keys--it got to the point where I felt the butterfly keyboards were sort of fighting me while I typed.
[automerge]1573914340[/automerge]
i personally feel the mouse pad area is too damn big!!!

i have owned 2012 model since 2012 (LOLZ). and i feel like my palm area will touch the mouse pad when i type on these bigger area laptops. though the 2012 model area is too small, could be bigger, but its just too big as it stands

is that a problem for anyone (probably worse if you have bigger hands)? and does it move the mouse cursor move when you touch with your palm?
I have very large hands.

I've never had an issue with accidental touches, although I know other people have had that problem.
 
Last edited:

pshufd

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2013
10,136
14,565
New Hampshire
Actually no, just me with greasy fingers.

My rule on food is to always use an external keyboard if I'm eating.

Many years ago I was having a bowl of soup on my desk and I knocked it over. It got all over my external keyboard and it was ruined but, who cares about a $10 keyboard. It didn't reach my MacBook Pro.
 

ascender

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2005
5,021
2,897
This post worries me. I hate how 2015 keyboard feels in comparison to the butterfly. The keys are too small and wobbly. For comfortable typing, the butterfly keyboard is clearly preferable for me. I was hoping that the 2016 would feel similar. Anyway, my unit should arrive in a week or two, fingers crossed.

I'm exactly the same as you - my son has a 2015 MBP and I just can't type on it as the keys seem really mushy and wobbly. The 16" keys aren't the same - they're like a cross between the 2015 MBP and a Magic Keyboard. Hard to describe - get yourself in to a store and give it a go, hopefully you'll see what I mean.
 

tivoboy

macrumors 601
May 15, 2005
4,052
853
I went into a Best Buy Saturday to try out the new model... the KEYBOARD was blissful. I had tried repeatedly to migrate away from my 2012 rMPB and 2015 rMBP but haven’t been able to get used to the new keyboard for regular use. I take notes in meetings, very quickly, silently, while watching the speaker and I don’t see being able to move away from that or use a keyboard that clickety clacks like the models 2016-mid 2019.

I have my order in already and it will be here next week.
 

terraphantm

macrumors 68040
Jun 27, 2009
3,816
670
Pennsylvania
This post worries me. I hate how 2015 keyboard feels in comparison to the butterfly. The keys are too small and wobbly. For comfortable typing, the butterfly keyboard is clearly preferable for me. I was hoping that the 2016 would feel similar. Anyway, my unit should arrive in a week or two, fingers crossed.
The actuation of the 16" keys feel similar to the 2012-2015 rMBPs, but they do have less travel and are less wobbly. Personally I think it's a fantastic keyboard.
 

The Mercurian

macrumors 68020
Mar 17, 2012
2,159
2,442
<snip>

Measurements:


The 2015 model has a keyboard area of 11inches by 4.5inches. The 2019 model is about 10.75 by 4.25. The keys on the new model are about 0.66x0.66in while the 2015 keys are 0.5x0.5.

So there’s less of a gap between keys with bigger keys. For some reason, I feel like this makes the keyboard feel more cramped. I prefer the smaller keys because I miss the keys less frequently.

<snip>

Thank you for confirming this!! My probelm with the butterfly keyboard has always been that the keys are too big. I prefer the smaller older keys - I make more mistakes on large keys. Can you confirm the 2018 and new 2019 have same dimension keys ?
 
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The Mercurian

macrumors 68020
Mar 17, 2012
2,159
2,442
Ok according to this interview with Phil Schiller: https://www.cnet.com/news/apples-phil-schiller-on-reinventing-the-new-macbook-pro-keyboard/

Throughout the process, the team reexamined the ideal size key cap -- you can make it too big, and there's not much space between them -- and people felt that that we wanted to provide a little more space between the keys than the butterfly mechanism has for optimal feel for professional typists.

There's a bunch of learning that happened. Some because of moving the desktop keyboard to the notebook and some because we just learned more along the way and wanted to further advance the technology.

This implies to me that the keycaps are a smidge smaller. It would be really great however if one of you dear readers coudl actually measure this and let us know 😊
 

nealh

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2010
535
70
I am pretty sure the keys are larger than pre-2015 kb. I am stunned they just did not revert to the pre-2015 kb.
I do not feel the 16" Macbook pro kb is like my 2013 15in MacBook pro kb. The keys have less travel and do not feel as snappy after I tested it. In my humble opinion there was not a lot of difference to the 13in MacBook pro kb that I type on, right next to it.

I was underwhelmed based on how everyone says it like the old scissor kb on the 2012-2015 15in MacBook pro.

Before buying if you can go try it and see how it feels to you.

Sometimes I don't understand why you would want to change what works perfectly, ie the old scissors kb vs butterfly and the new new "scissors" kb.
 
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