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I love the KB on the 2018 MBP!

coolbreeze2

coolbreeze2

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Sep 24, 2009
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Some folks complain about the keyboard of the new MBP. I have a 2015 MBP and just purchased a 2018 MBP. I absolutely love the keyboard in the new one far more than the old one!

I am a fast typer who does not use the fingering taught in school for typing. I only use one finger on my left hand and 2 fingers in my right hand! You won't believe how fast and accurate I can type this way. I never took typing in school and learn to type this way 25 years ago. I have been typing this way and made it up the cooperate ladder!

I find with the new keyboard I can go faster and it's much smoother. I can't explain why but it's true. So, if you are an unconventional typist, you might find this true also.
 
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I learned how to type on a manual typewriter (so my typing is pretty heavy). I'm finding the keyboard to better than what's on my 2013 MBP.
 
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Not me. Give me a heavy mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches. I tolerate my 2018 MBPs keyboard, but it would not be my choice for lots of work. But looking down with your neck bent at any laptop screen is very bad egonometrically anyway
 
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I use an X1 Carbon at the moment and the keyboard is great, especially the key travel. But I tried the new mbp keyboard in a store a few weeks ago and it instantly felt good to me. I also kinda like the sound it makes.
 
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its not about the butterfly keyboard itself, people are divided on it but for the most part it’s workable.

What people complain about is the fact that if anything happens (or WHEN anything happens, considering the butterfly keyboard history), it means a dead laptop for a week in repairs and a $400 bill.
For comparison, you can repair a Dell laptop with a $20 keyboard from eBay and about ten minutes of work - and I’m not even a technical person and can easily do this.
 
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I don't understand people who complain about the keyboard, just don't press on it so hard duh? It's not rocket science that if it's hurting your fingers you just press with less force, which also makes you type faster and tire less because it takes less effort.
Instead people just refuse to change because all changes are bad.
[doublepost=1537255464][/doublepost]
jerryk said:
Not me. Give me a heavy mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches. I tolerate my 2018 MBPs keyboard, but it would not be my choice for lots of work. But looking down with your neck bent at any laptop screen is very bad egonometrically anyway
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humm... how does that have anything to do with the keyboard? Even if they put a mechanical keyboard in your laptop you still have to bed your neck.
 
yah the keyboard is amazing. the complaints have all been from people who don't own one
 
I don't understand people who don't understand other people. For a lot of people the keyboard is awful, nobody I know likes it, people at my local store tell me nobody likes it, I can't stand it, in fact, the keyboard is the major reason I have migrated all of my hardware and software away from Apple, because it simply does not work for me, although I really like everything else apart form keyboard. Typing on my 2015 MBP I really appreciate the extra hight of the screen, compared to X1 and pretty much everything else, it is an amazing piece of hardware, but the keyboard is unbearable for me, sorry.
 
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1096bimu said:
I don't understand people who complain about the keyboard, just don't press on it so hard duh? It's not rocket science that if it's hurting your fingers you just press with less force, which also makes you type faster and tire less because it takes less effort.
Click to expand...

I've been typing for over 50 years. I have to change now because Apple wanted to cut costs? I never had a device that demanded I change my typing approach. I use external keyboards now on Macs with butterfly keyboards. Otherwise, I get a lot of joint pain.
 
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At first, I did not like the feel of the keyboard. But after a week or so, I found I also actually like the keyboard better than 2011 MBP.
 
jackoatmon said:
yah the keyboard is amazing. the complaints have all been from people who don't own one
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No. That’s just plain wrong. The complaints have been from people who used the keyboard and had repeated failures that cost hundreds of dollars just because a dust particle got under a key. Please.....this problem is real and bad enough that there are several class action law suits and Apple has instituted a quality program to replace lower cases for up to 4 years after purchase. This is not an imagined problem.

Now....if you want to debate the texture or feel of the shallow keys vs conventional keyboard, then I would agree that is a matter of opinion. But, you would have to be completely in denial to not acknowledge the significant reliability issues that Apple has had with their laptop keyboards and the butterfly mechanism. They have redesigned the thing three times, with a silicone membrane introduced in the last iteration. There is some chance they have final fixed it, which is great for 2018 MBP buyers. But, current rMB and nTB MBP still don’t have the membrane keyboard.......hopefully, this will all change in October with the release of new MacBooks.

Bottom-line: if we are only talking about the new 2018 MBP with revised keyboard, it might be ok. But, prior complaints regarding the reliability of the older model butterfly keyboards were legit.....and Apple finally had to own up to it.
 
Mainsail said:
No. That’s just plain wrong. The complaints have been from people who used the keyboard and had repeated failures that cost hundreds of dollars just because a dust particle got under a key. Please.....this problem is real and bad enough that there are several class action law suits and Apple has instituted a quality program to replace lower cases for up to 4 years after purchase. This is not an imagined problem.

Now....if you want to debate the texture or feel of the shallow keys vs conventional keyboard, then I would agree that is a matter of opinion. But, you would have to be completely in denial to not acknowledge the significant reliability issues that Apple has had with their laptop keyboards and the butterfly mechanism. They have redesigned the thing three times, with a silicone membrane introduced in the last iteration. There is some chance they have final fixed it, which is great for 2018 MBP buyers. But, current rMB and nTB MBP still don’t have the membrane keyboard.......hopefully, this will all change in October with the release of new MacBooks.

Bottom-line: if we are only talking about the new 2018 MBP with revised keyboard, it might be ok. But, prior complaints regarding the reliability of the older model butterfly keyboards were legit.....and Apple finally had to own up to it.
Click to expand...

do u own 1
 
jackoatmon said:
do u own 1
Click to expand...

I own a MBA.....never had a problem.....but it does not have the butterfly keyboard. I have tried the new keyboard and don’t mind the shallow keys.....it’s the reliability issues that have kept me from buying. I mean there is no way I was going to buy one of these with the well documented problems.

Apple does not institute quality programs and provide 4 year replacements if there isn’t a serious problem. I won’t buy a new MB until they have solved this issue.....it appears the 2018 MBP might have a fix, but it will need to be in use for a few more months to be sure.
 
Mainsail said:
No. That’s just plain wrong. The complaints have been from people who used the keyboard and had repeated failures that cost hundreds of dollars just because a dust particle got under a key. Please.....this problem is real and bad enough that there are several class action law suits and Apple has instituted a quality program to replace lower cases for up to 4 years after purchase. This is not an imagined problem.

Now....if you want to debate the texture or feel of the shallow keys vs conventional keyboard, then I would agree that is a matter of opinion. But, you would have to be completely in denial to not acknowledge the significant reliability issues that Apple has had with their laptop keyboards and the butterfly mechanism. They have redesigned the thing three times, with a silicone membrane introduced in the last iteration. There is some chance they have final fixed it, which is great for 2018 MBP buyers. But, current rMB and nTB MBP still don’t have the membrane keyboard.......hopefully, this will all change in October with the release of new MacBooks.

Bottom-line: if we are only talking about the new 2018 MBP with revised keyboard, it might be ok. But, prior complaints regarding the reliability of the older model butterfly keyboards were legit.....and Apple finally had to own up to it.
Click to expand...

I agree. So far my 2018 15" keyboard has been reliable. Not a huge fan of the short travel and feel, but so far the keys work fine. I am primed to detect any failure because of the 2016/17 issues, but have not experienced any keys that do not work or double type.
 
Mainsail said:
I own a MBA.....
Click to expand...


As always, homie who DOES NOT OWN ONE is angry that the people who own them aren't the people doing the whining.

I've had the '16 and the '17 keyboards. I'm a professional writer with carpal tunnel syndrome. I started on typewriters and mechanical keyboards. These are absolutely top notch keyboards, and it's important to ignore goons like this who come in and spread fake news about products they don't have.
 
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jackoatmon said:
As always, homie who DOES NOT OWN ONE is angry that the people who own them aren't the people doing the whining.

I've had the '16 and the '17 keyboards. I'm a professional writer with carpal tunnel syndrome. I started on typewriters and mechanical keyboards. These are absolutely top notch keyboards, and it's important to ignore goons like this who come in and spread fake news about products they don't have.
Click to expand...

This is ridiculous! Why would I buy a Laptop with well documented keyboard problems? This is upside-down logic. I can't recognize an established issue with a faulty product that Apple has even conceded by establishing a quality program unless I buy the stupid thing.....that makes no sense.

BTW - don't forget the class action suits. Check the MR posts and boards. There are plenty of people that owned the older models and complained loudly.
 
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Apple always searches for new approaches which lead to new technologies. That's the kind of company they are. They are often the first to develop something and then others follow. Usually there is a crowd who does not like their new invention but eventually Apple succeeds in the end. I love that Apple searches for new approaches. Maybe sometimes it doesn't work out but imagine if no companies tried to be different.

How is that Apple can be sued for trying something new? They didn't force anyone to buy their products. So how can they be sued?
 
A keyboard with a known defect for which a 4-year repair program is in place is now “top notch”? Wow...

Now, about the typing feel, that’s completely subjective so everyone is entitled to his own opinion. I personally grew to like it over time, and I find the 2018 model’s feel to be much better than that of the 2016.
 
coolbreeze2 said:
Apple always searches for new approaches which lead to new technologies. That's the kind of company they are. They are often the first to develop something and then others follow. Usually there is a crowd who does not like their new invention but eventually Apple succeeds in the end. I love that Apple searches for new approaches. Maybe sometimes it doesn't work out but imagine if no companies tried to be different.

How is that Apple can be sued for trying something new? They didn't force anyone to buy their products. So how can they be sued?
Click to expand...

Well it works like this, if I sell you something that doesn’t work as it reasonable should and I don’t correct this for you (be it via repair or refund), you’ll be able to sue me. This happened to Apple several times and it usually ends with Apple launching a repair programme. It also happens to other companies too.
 
Mainsail said:
Ok. You must be trolling for laughs. You can’t possibly be making that many typos while arguing that your keyboard is flawless. I get it...irony.
Click to expand...
you've already been vanquished steop back so i can vaquich more liars
 
I have had 2016 (now my wife's) and have had a few 2018 models. While I did feel the addition of the silicone barrier made the 2018 keyboard feel less clicky, less sloppy and was an improvement over 2016, I am still not a fan of either. I feel they are more of a compromise to achieve a thinner design rather than a functional improvement.

I would assume that we would all be entitled to feel however we want about the butterfly keyboard, but I am guessing with the poor turn this thread has taken, that won't be the case.

Furthermore, I never had any issues with the 2016 and my wife still has not. Other than general dislike by me and she uses an external keyboard and monitor most of the time and simply doesn't care. To me, it feels flat and cheap.

I have had 3 2018's. Apple collected the first due to constant crashes and kernel panics and was sent a replacement. Unit 2 had physical damage, sharp knicks along the left-hand edge near the speaker grill and Apple once again sent a replacement unit. #3 exhibited 2 out of 3 issues in Apples Keyboard Service Plan, letters or characters not appearing and the 8 key occasionally sticking.

Of concern to me was that I was having issues with the keyboard within the first 2 weeks and did not feel confident that the issues were resolved. I also returned unit #3. @naivara and some others have had similar issues with the 2018's. There are posts in various threads on MR and another user posted links to several Reddit discussions about issues with the 2018 keyboards.

I am not going to try to find them for anyone, they are here on MR if anyone is interested and wants to find them. I am not trying to convince anyone to feel as I do about the keyboards. If you love them, wonderful. I hope and they remain problem free and you continue to enjoy them.
 
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