International users: Experiences with selling MBPs with "foreign" keyboard layouts?

[fb3]

Hi all.

I'm getting close to finally ordering the new shiny 13" MBP.

The last thing I'm not really sure about before completing the order is this.

I plan to use it for a min. of 3 years, but would like to order it with the US keyboard since I will mainly use it for coding. All my work-sponsered Macs (iMac, rMB) are/ have been with the US layout - so much better!

This wasn't really an issue for me previously since I always had iMacs as personal machines where I simply connected a US full-size keyboard...

Anyways, has someone experiences with selling (eBay or otherwise) a MBP with a US layout in Germany or another European country with it's own keyboard layout (Sweden, France, Italy etc.)?
I have a gut feeling that it will be hard to sell the machine for a good price when it's due to move onto the next one... Did you have a problem selling it? How much of a hit did you take compared to the "regular" machines going on eBay. I have a hard time finding completed auctions with that combo to compare.

One way out would be to order the "native" (german) machine and use the US external keyboard when connected to my external monitor... Not my preferred setup but maybe less hassle later on...

Any experiences?

fb

 

[SimeoneSergio]

I have the same "problem". I do guess that only people from a certain country are going to be interested in a specific keyboard layout.

I do think this restricts the target of potentially interested buyers, yes.

 

[MadDane]

I recently sold a 2014 13" MacBook Pro with US keyboard in Denmark. It took about a month before I had a buyer and the price was about €2-300 lower than a similarly specced machine with a Danish keyboard. But it is doable.

 

[Hadron]

If you will be using US layouts at work then surely it will drive you mad to have a different layout on your own machine? How much is that hassle worth to you compared with possible differences in resale price?

I've no experience of selling a laptop with a non-local keyboard layout, but knowing how likely it is I'd buy a QWERTZ or AZERTY laptop at all I suspect you are right that it will depress the price.

(Personally I remap my keys anyway because Apple won't provide an actual UK layout, just their idea of what a UK layout should be. But I don't know whether I'd be so happy to do that if it was the actual letter keys being remapped rather than just some of the symbols).

 

[johannnn]

Can’t answer your question, but here comes some thoughts.

Most European countries have unique keyboards, check https://keyshorts.com/blogs/blog/37615873-how-to-identify-macbook-keyboard-localization for details. Can be everything from a symbol on a key, different size of the return key, or unique keys with letters found in that language.

Some European countries have similar keyboards. For example, being a Swede, I could definitely buy a Norwegian laptop if it had an ok discount. But looking at the US keyboard, I would never buy that keyboard. Even at a large discount. It would drive me crazy.

 

[fb3]

@Hadron Actually it's OK... I currently have the german soft keyboard on my iPad Pro and since I mainly use that for web, email text and iOS things it's OK.
The biggest incentive for the US layout on the Macs really is easy access to {}[]|\~ etc as one needs it all the time coding but most can only be reached via mod keys on the DE layout. And to be honest, I hardly write anything in German on he work machines...

But given the responses I think I actually might go for our stupid german layout on the MBP then. Some else suggested to just remap to the US layout and type blindly when programming. Might just work after getting used to it? Also, when "docked" I still have mu US external keyboard...

Or I might look for stickers if there is something like that?

Hm
[doublepost=1531771281][/doublepost]

@Hadron Actually it's OK... I currently have the german soft keyboard on my iPad Pro and since I mainly use that for web, email text and iOS things it's OK.
The biggest incentive for the US layout on the Macs really is easy access to {}[]|\~ etc as one needs it all the time coding but most can only be reached via mod keys on the DE layout. And to be honest, I hardly write anything in German on he work machines...

But given the responses I think I actually might go for our stupid german layout on the MBP then. Some else suggested to just remap to the US layout and type blindly when programming. Might just work after getting used to it? Also, when "docked" I still have mu US external keyboard...

Or I might look for stickers if there is something like that?

Hm

Oh wow. Problem solved:

 

[SteveJUAE]

Personally never had an issue selling International US or UK KB.

Far easier to sell on specific native English expat forums found in most countries as they are always in demand due to avoiding special order or importing that has additional tax

 

[haruhiko]

I'm curious that what will the shortcut keys become?

 

[wchigo]

Eh, I've sold MacBooks with US layout keyboards to co-workers here in China without any issue. All the keyboards provided to our work desktops are in English anyways, and they all use pinyin to type out the Chinese characters so I imagine it's not an issue for them.

 

[johannnn]

Eh, I've sold MacBooks with US layout keyboards to co-workers here in China without any issue. All the keyboards provided to our work desktops are in English anyways, and they all use pinyin to type out the Chinese characters so I imagine it's not an issue for them.

Yea, easier to sell in China since they just type in pinyin. In contrast, most European countries have some weird letter that is unique to their language, and needs a key for that letter.

 

[wchigo]

Yea, easier to sell in China since they just type in pinyin. In contrast, most European countries have some weird letter that is unique to their language, and needs a key for that letter.

Yikes. Well, I can see how that can cause some headaches...

 

[fb3]

So I just ordered the German version and 2 sets of keyboard decals (one bi-lingual, one US international). Let's see how that works out ;-).

 

[KUKitch]

My 15" that got replaced through the 2012 battery program is top-tier, but unfortunately for me since it was in store it has a UK keyboard and I'm a US expat... only a small complaint though since I have a UK keyboard for work and am relatively used to it as such - guess if I sold it here, that would probably help but I definitely would generally prefer a US keyboard layout in the future (when I have to pay for the laptop of course!)

 

[Schranke]

No experience selling an international keyboard layout in another country, but I expect it to be harder and I might have to take a price cut when the time comes, or I could be lucky and find someone who need the keyboard layout I have, time will tell.

I think it would be harder to sell a localised keyboard machine outside of that country compares to selling an international in it

I recently sold a 2014 13" MacBook Pro with US keyboard in Denmark. It took about a month before I had a buyer and the price was about €2-300 lower than a similarly specced machine with a Danish keyboard. But it is doable.

Thanks this is great info as I myself are a dane using the International keyboard (Australia) and prefer it to the danish.