Happy (typing) Days May Be Here Again

[JamesGoodman]

I'm a writer and professor who has been making do -- i.e. suffering -- with the Butterfly keyboard since the release of the 12'' MacBook whatever year that was. It went back to Apple two or three times and then was replaced entirely (thank you Apple Care) in the late summer of 2017. I have a 12.9 inch iPad with a Smart Keyboard that I like better than the the Butterfly, but I can't do all my work on it without a better file system. I've mostly used it with external keyboards, Apple, Das, Logitech, going so far (for about a year now) as installing Karibiner Elements to disable the internal keyboard and sit my Logitech keyboard or Apple Bluetooth keyboard right on top of the butterfly. That's been about the best I could do.

About 100 times since 2015 I almost pulled the trigger at the Lenovo website for a Carbon X whatever, with its incomparable keyboard -- I used Thinkpads almost exclusively in the 1990s-- but I simply couldn't stomach the idea of going back to Windows, and leaving the ecosystem that allows me such smooth and effortless movement and synching between laptop, tablet, and phone.

I also almost ordered the 16inch -- even though I don't need a fraction of the power and certainly don't need to carry around the extra pound and a half.

At any rate, my new Air is arriving to tomorrow, and I'll be so happy to stash all the external keyboards and get back to sane laptop computing.

And I'm getting $390 for this virtually worthless to me by itself 2017 MacBook Air. I am typing this on it now, and it is horrible.

 

[snow755]

I have the. 2017 MacBook Air. and I love it. its. a grate. laptop and its all I need

 

[mj_]

I'm with you. I entered the realm of Butterfly torture back in early 2017 with the then still new 2016 MacBook Pro and have been suffering ever since. It was so bad in fact that I gave up on using a MacBook as main computer and purchased an iMac instead, plus a 12" MacBook for my travel needs. I went through a total of five (!) keyboard replacements since early 2017, three on my 2016 MacBook Pro that I sold immediately after the third replacement, and two on my 2017 MacBook. And while I do realize that the new scissor switch mechanism is basically an improved version of the 2015 mechanism I have completely lost faith in Apple's ability to create a keyboard that will be comfortable to use and last longer than the average toddler's attention span.

Fortunately, my 2017 MacBook is covered under Apple's extended keyboard repair program until January 2021, and given Apple's ridiculous storage upgrade prices and, more importantly, their utter inability to design a laptop that remains quiet when connected to an external 4K display I have no intention of going back to a laptop-only work environment. I can thus wait this out in the comfort of my repair program safety bubble and see if the 2020 scissor switch keyboard is as reliable as the previous generation scissor switch keyboard or if they managed to screw this one up as well.

 

[JamesGoodman]

I'm with you. I entered the realm of Butterfly torture back in early 2017 with the then still new 2016 MacBook Pro and have been suffering ever since. It was so bad in fact that I gave up on using a MacBook as main computer and purchased an iMac instead, plus a 12" MacBook for my travel needs. I went through a total of five (!) keyboard replacements since early 2017, three on my 2016 MacBook Pro that I sold immediately after the third replacement, and two on my 2017 MacBook. And while I do realize that the new scissor switch mechanism is basically an improved version of the 2015 mechanism I have completely lost faith in Apple's ability to create a keyboard that will be comfortable to use and last longer than the average toddler's attention span.

Fortunately, my 2017 MacBook is covered under Apple's extended keyboard repair program until January 2021, and given Apple's ridiculous storage upgrade prices and, more importantly, their utter inability to design a laptop that remains quiet when connected to an external 4K display I have no intention of going back to a laptop-only work environment. I can thus wait this out in the comfort of my repair program safety bubble and see if the 2020 scissor switch keyboard is as reliable as the previous generation scissor switch keyboard or if they managed to screw this one up as well.

Yes, misery may not always enjoy company, but it is nice to know that I am not crazy. And I thought my three keyboard replacements was a record, or even four that I would be able to count if I was not trading this one in, but you have topped it with five. I'll let you know how the new keyboard works a few weeks and then months in. Just so you know, even if you aren't going back.

I would most certainly have done what you have done with the iMac, but I need to carry my laptop with me to school and library and meetings in coffee shops almost every day. I am able to use the iPad Pro for some of my travel needs, but it is a stop-gap not a permanent solution. I love it, actually, the iPad, but I run up against the limitation of the file system (compared to MacOs) almost once a day.