Keyboard stickers/decals?

[Halfakorean]

Hi all,

Haven't found much in the way of methods to protect your keyboard from fading, as I've heard from other threads, other than the silicone covers that (in my experience) ruin the typing "experience"

The only other means to protect your keyboard that I've found is on this site:

https://keyshorts.com/collections/macbook-keyboard-decals

They seem to be the only ones who make decals for the 12"

Has anyone had any experience with this company, know of any alternatives, or even have an opinion as to why or why you shouldn't use decals on the keys?

Thanks!

 

[fisherking]

Hi all,

Haven't found much in the way of methods to protect your keyboard from fading, as I've heard from other threads, other than the silicone covers that (in my experience) ruin the typing "experience"

The only other means to protect your keyboard that I've found is on this site:

https://keyshorts.com/collections/macbook-keyboard-decals

They seem to be the only ones who make decals for the 12"

Has anyone had any experience with this company, know of any alternatives, or even have an opinion as to why or why you shouldn't use decals on the keys?

Thanks!

seriously. if you don't mind covering the backlit keys... it's a bad idea, and unnecessary...

 

[Zazoh]

Years of research and testing go into Apple Product design. If one wants to spend $15 on a decal to make it better ... go for it.

 

[Halfakorean]

Years of research and testing go into Apple Product design. If one wants to spend $15 on a decal to make it better ... go for it.

You could say the same about the front end of a car, but that won't protect it from rock chips. Or really anything that suffers from wear and tear, whether through direct user interface or not.

In the same sense of putting a clear bra on a car, I'm interested in putting black key vinyls over the black keys. Apparently they let light through, though, not as much. My only concern is removing them later, and if anyone has had experience doing so. I'm worried that it may do more damage than good, depending on the type of adhesive.

 

[fisherking]

i've owned mac laptops since the 2400c (look it up, it was dope), and never had an issue with keys fading; plus, aren't the letters etched into the keys (so light comes thru)? so... what is it you'd be protecting?

 

[Halfakorean]

My last mac was a early 2013 mbpr15, and I never had issues with the keys either. However, threads like this:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7282049?start=0&tstart=0

...Makes me think otherwise regarding the new butterfly key design. I don't know if apple would even warranty something like this, as it's considered a wear/tear item. The new keys haven't had the chance to stand the test of time, and referring to older designs (while awesome, I agree) is more..hindsight being 20/20.

Pics from the above thread:

A user on this forum posted this set up and it sounds like a solid solution, as long as the adhesive doesn't negative impact the key finish either. I was hoping to find others who have copied this solution, or know more about keyshorts as a company.

All in all, I may just be too paranoid, but it's all in a preventative effort.

*edit: before you say white looks off on a space gray macbook - I agree.

 

[Acronyc]

My last mac was a early 2013 mbpr15, and I never had issues with the keys either. However, threads like this:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7282049?start=0&tstart=0

...Makes me think otherwise regarding the new butterfly key design. I don't know if apple would even warranty something like this, as it's considered a wear/tear item. The new keys haven't had the chance to stand the test of time, and referring to older designs (while awesome, I agree) is more..hindsight being 20/20.

Pics from the above thread:

A user on this forum posted this set up and it sounds like a solid solution, as long as the adhesive doesn't negative impact the key finish either. I was hoping to find others who have copied this solution, or know more about keyshorts as a company.




All in all, I may just be too paranoid, but it's all in a preventative effort.

*edit: before you say white looks off on a space gray macbook - I agree.

That was my MacBook above, and just for clarification it was silver not space gray. Maybe the lighting made it look space gray. Personally I've always liked white keyboards, but of course everyone has their own preference.

I've since sold the MacBook and replaced it with a 13" MacBook Pro (no touch bar, 16GB RAM/512GB SSD).

As to the stickers coming off, I took them off before selling and the stickers came off without a problem after being on for six months. You have to take your time and be careful though to quickly clean up any residue on the keys, otherwise it will stick to the keys and never come off once it is exposed to the air for too long.

The company advises removing then after a year if you want to take them off, otherwise it might be too difficult to get off any remaining residue. That's annoying but not a huge yearly cost if you want to protect your keys. I don't have any regrets using them. The keys still looked brand new after six months of use thanks to the stickers.
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seriously. if you don't mind covering the backlit keys... it's a bad idea, and unnecessary...

I use the stickers referenced and they let the backlight through, albeit less. It's still enough for me.

Years of research and testing go into Apple Product design. If one wants to spend $15 on a decal to make it better ... go for it.

It's just like using a case on your phone or sleeve or case for your computer. Some people prefer to protect these items from potential damage. It's also a way for people to personalize their machines, just like many do with stickers/decals on the outer case.

Nothing wrong with it.

By the way, I had a 2012 15" retina MacBook Pro for over four years and after a few months of initial use the keys started to get a little shiny. I've seen a lot of Macs with very shiny keys which I personally find unappealing. I wish Apple would make the keys with a laminate or something so they don't get shiny and wear so fast. I used a keyboard cover the rest of the time on my 2012 rMBP and after four years the keys looked almost brand new. This helped a bit with the resale value.

 

[Halfakorean]

Thanks for popping in and clarifying thoroughly, despite my unnecessary brashness towards your key color choice. I definitely feel more confident ordering these now.

How would you compare the 13" '16 MBP to the 12", in terms of every day casual/leisure use? I was tempted to get one for myself, but the only thing I'd appreciate out of it is the extra screen real estate (my desktop is the work horse, currently experimenting with steam in home streaming / mesh networks).

 

[Acronyc]

Thanks for popping in and clarifying thoroughly, despite my unnecessary brashness towards your key color choice. I definitely feel more confident ordering these now.

How would you compare the 13" '16 MBP to the 12", in terms of every day casual/leisure use? I was tempted to get one for myself, but the only thing I'd appreciate out of it is the extra screen real estate (my desktop is the work horse, currently experimenting with steam in home streaming / mesh networks).

No worries at all. We all have different preferences, and it's great we have so many choices out there! I became more confident about the stickers as well when I took them off. I initially ordered three sets so I can change them every year for three years.

About the differences between the 12" MB and 13" MBP, I upgraded because the 12" felt just a little underpowered to be my main machine. Before I was using my 2012 15" as a desktop and the 12" MB as my on the go machine. I also have a 2014 mini with an eGPU that I use for gaming. I was tired of managing two Macs (the mini boots straight into Windows and I only turn it on for gaming) and when the new 13" MBP came out I researched it for my use and found I could use it to replace my 2012 15" and 12" MB (with upgrades to 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD). I love it because I have something both portable and powerful enough to be my main home and on the go machine.

If I were to buy a Mac as a secondary, portable only Mac, however, I'd get the 12" MB. This is actually what I did back in June 2015 and it worked very well and I upgraded to the 2016 model in April. The MB is an awesome portable machine and very capable. It can even be enough as a main machine for a lot of people. My wife has a 2016 12" MB as her only computer and loves it. Even more than her old Windows NEC laptop that only weighed 780 grams. For me, though, I needed something just a bit more powerful to consolidate machines and the new MBP was perfect.

By the way, I use Steam in home streaming and it works very well. Actually it's how I game and my mini with eGPU is running without a monitor. I stream to my MBP in the bedroom and Steam Link in the living room. Works well enough for me with a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB mini. Though I recommend a wired connection for everything as I found some fragmenting on wireless.