Right, my keyboard was defective, and I've read a few more posts complaining the same. But the problem for some of us is that the keyboard design itself is bad.
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Macbook 2016 - disappointing experience.
- Thread starter joelank
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Right, my keyboard was defective, and I've read a few more posts complaining the same. But the problem for some of us is that the keyboard design itself is bad.
People are not "typing wrong", people just have different typing styles. I'm a very experienced typist, I know "proper" typing technique very well, however my work requires me to type quickly and it is simply not possible to type very quickly without "bashing the keys" with force, or you won't register some keys. So the keyboard on the MacBook forces fast typists to bottom out the keys harshly and it really does hurt my fingers over long periods of typing. I'm now waiting for the Pro redesign.
The problem isn't that it's a bad design, it's that the design doesn't work for your typing style. It's a great keyboard for my typing style.
True, "typing wrong" is an incorrect statement on my part. But I would say typing shouldn't be exhausting or cause someone to bang away. That makes no sense to me. Typing should be smooth and efficient. At least in my opinion, I can't imagine banging away exhaustingly. I type at a very good clip, and this MB keyboard I type the fastest I ever have, and I enjoy it more than my old MBA. "Bashing the keys" just sounds like a horrible experience. I can type very quickly without doing this.
That's ridiculous. The keyboard design isn't bad. It just doesn't work for you.
This is like blaming Porsche because the 911 only has 2 seats and you're a family of 6. Apple made it clear that this was a new keyboard design, that it put a premium on thinness, and that it had a larger surface area and lesser keystroke travel.
If you don't like the keyboard, why did you buy it? It's not Apple that is "bad". It's consumers who think magic fairy dust will make every product they buy perfect for their use case without doing the research first.
BJ
The keyboard on the rMB is great, I really don't get all the hate it receives. I adjusted to it in a few days, and if I could buy the same keyboard for my nMP, I would be ecstatic.
P.S. Almost all variants of the 911 are 2+2s, which has 4 seats...
Say when you want, but I can't think of any reviews of the MBA or PBP that ever did anything but praise the keyboard and touchpad. Here we have a device where a significant number of purchasers are not only unhappy with the keyboard, but unhappy enough to not purchase or return the machine.
Just how many are there?
A few that don't care for it........I highly doubt it's a significant number.
No matter what is designed there are going to be a few not happy with any product.
I think the keyboard is great.....no issues but a couple of days to get used to it.
I guess some people are very sensitive to keyboard types. I tried one out in the store and was able to type as fast as I usually am about three sentences in. That said, I was also expected the iPad Pro keyboard (9.7) to suck, but after trying for a few minutes I scooped one up.
To each their own...
To each their own...
If I am not comfortable in a pair of shoes, I don't buy them. Only takes about 30 seconds of walking in a store to figure that out. The RMB is not some locked-up jewel, in the typical large city there must be 100 of them on display in Apple stores, Best Buy's, and scores of other locations all powered up and ready for a test drive.
People who spend $1500 on a notebook to discover a day later that the physical interface isn't a good fit? That's on them, not Apple.
BJ
I didn't like the keyboard when I tested it in the store. But I liked everything else so I ordered it anyhow.
Arrived last June. Started using it at home. Still didn't like it much initially.
A few weeks into it I stopped noticing the keyboard. It just works, and works very well.
So, I'm not in either the "this keyboard sucks" camp, nor the "This keyboard is magical! It's like typing on jello! Everything comes out perfect and unicorns prance around my desk farting glitter!" camp. If I actually think about it, yeah it doesn't have quite the tactile bounce that other keyboards have, but again I don't really notice anymore. It is coming up on a year now that I've used it for extensive journaling, note taking, writing, lots of texting through messaging, and light coding. I'm a very fast typist and it keeps up with me. My misstep rate is neither better nor worse on this, hence my right pinkie remains muscular and ripped from frequently hitting the delete key.
Arrived last June. Started using it at home. Still didn't like it much initially.
A few weeks into it I stopped noticing the keyboard. It just works, and works very well.
So, I'm not in either the "this keyboard sucks" camp, nor the "This keyboard is magical! It's like typing on jello! Everything comes out perfect and unicorns prance around my desk farting glitter!" camp. If I actually think about it, yeah it doesn't have quite the tactile bounce that other keyboards have, but again I don't really notice anymore. It is coming up on a year now that I've used it for extensive journaling, note taking, writing, lots of texting through messaging, and light coding. I'm a very fast typist and it keeps up with me. My misstep rate is neither better nor worse on this, hence my right pinkie remains muscular and ripped from frequently hitting the delete key.
I received my mb today and to my surprise I was typing faster than my mechanical keyboard after an hour of use. And frankly I didn't even like the shallowness when I tried in Apple store last year, though I somehow convinced myself I could get used to it, and I did. In an hour.
I find that I can type better when using a desk then from my lap. I'm more likely to miss a letter while typing in my lap. I attribute this to the short key travel plus more laptop movement on my lap versus a solid desk.
But everyone's "lap" is different so I don't think other's experiences will be indicative of yours.
As far as the keyboard goes, I suggest users try the new Magic Keyboard if they haven't already. The new Magic Keyboards have the same butterfly key design however these keys have more of a rigidity to them. I'm not positive but I'd argue they have slightly more travel, as well.
I think we can expect something more similar to the Magic Keyboard than the rMB as far as what to expect from the new MBPs. After all, there were some compromises that had to be made to accommodate the thinness and compromised keyboard real estate of the rMB since it is so small. The new MBPs won't have to make the same compromises since they won't have to worry about size concerns nearly as much.
I think we can expect something more similar to the Magic Keyboard than the rMB as far as what to expect from the new MBPs. After all, there were some compromises that had to be made to accommodate the thinness and compromised keyboard real estate of the rMB since it is so small. The new MBPs won't have to make the same compromises since they won't have to worry about size concerns nearly as much.
Its a non-standard keyboard. Everyone used to a standard keyboard will have trouble. Some get used to it...but most of us do not as we use standard keyboards daily.
IMO, anyone who says they love this keyboard out of the box barely uses a computer and thus does not have to unlearn finger positions and muscle memory.
IMO, anyone who says they love this keyboard out of the box barely uses a computer and thus does not have to unlearn finger positions and muscle memory.
No I think the new ones will absolutely be slimmer, in my opinion we can expect to see something remiscient of the MBA design in the new 13 or 14 inch MBP. Though they'll be slimmer, it won't be something comparable to the new rMB as far as thinness and footprint.
I think the battery design with likely resemble the tiered approach they used in the new rMBs. Apple tends to reuse certain innovations across their product line and the tiered battery designs make a lot of sense. So probably expect both larger capacity and smaller (overall footprint) batteries in the new MBPs.
The design is not standard. Thus it is a bad design. If you can get used to it great. For serious typing, its can be a PIA.
That is an ignorant statement.
If (Design != StandardDesign){
Design = BadDesign;
System.out.print("All Hail StandardDesign, for only the idiot typists use " + Design);
}
Terrible logic.
"The Porsche 911 is not standard. Thus it is a bad design. If you can get used to it great. For serious hauling of lumber and building supplies, it can be a PIA."
Sounds ludicrous, right?
BJ
Go read again genius," the problem for some of us is that the keyboard design itself is bad." - I have seen so many people here and elsewhere who say that they're in love with the keyboard, and that's great, but for some of us, yes, the keyboard is very poorly designed. OTOT, there have been complains that a few keys are not as responsive as the rest of the keys.
The RMB is a gigantic functional compromise for the sake of form factor. Get it?
1080p camera? Nope. Current-era fast processor? Nope. Fan for cooling and performance? Nope. USB port? Nope. VGA port? Nope. HDMI port? Nope. Large 14" display? Nope. Thick chassis to accommodate super responsive keyboard? Nope.
The DESIGN is not bad. The expectations of certain USERS is. I must be a genius. I read reviews, saw videos, spent time in Apple stores, took advantage of the gracious return period, and I'm perfectly happy with all aspects of the keyboard. Not everyone is so smart it seems.
BJ