MACBOOK KEYBOARD IS VERY NOISY

[lite426]

Don't buy this if you need a silent machine. Over all the clackety clack of the low travel keyboard, a MacBook Pro retina is actually more silent. It's so thin, that there's no sound dampening.

Yes I can try to type gently and quietly, but that greatly slows down my speed and makes me prone to missing strokes.

 

[zhenya]

Yes, if you bang on the keys and bottom out hard it will be somewhat noisy. Taking the time to learn to type lighter is actually good for your typing form, good for your speed, and good for your finger/wrist health. I'm a much better and quieter typist on my HHKB since owning the Macbook which has taught me how to only press the keys hard enough to activate them.

 

[lite426]

Yes, if you bang on the keys and bottom out hard it will be somewhat noisy. Taking the time to learn to type lighter is actually good for your typing form, good for your speed, and good for your finger/wrist health. I'm a much better and quieter typist on my HHKB since owning the Macbook which has taught me how to only press the keys hard enough to activate them.

Attempting to tight lighter always results in greater pain for me. But it's just not possible at very high speeds, believe me I've spent a lot of time practicing. I either get missed keystrokes or lose speed. I type up to 170 WPM. Even typing lightly this keyboard is quite clicky, it's my biggest dislike of the MacBook. The older style keyboard is whisper quiet in comparison.

 

[RUGGLES99]

I LOVE the keyboard sound. It reminds me of a typewriter, and the keyboard has great tactile feel. I'm an extremely fast two finger typist, and the keyboard is VERY fast. It's better to slow down a bit to avoid typos.

 

[lite426]

I don't find this keyboard to be more tactile than the old style. The problem is that this is marketed as a silent machine. The keyboard defeats that purpose.

 

[ixxx69]

I don't find this keyboard to be more tactile than the old style. The problem is that this is marketed as a silent machine. The keyboard defeats that purpose.

Okay, let's not get carried away.

You've made a good point about the MB keyboard not being super quiet, and I agree it has a different sound than other mac keyboards. I would describe the MB's as a "harder" click-clack of the keys compared to the slightly gentler sound of other current Mac keyboards, and I think I'd rather hear a regular Mac keyboard than the MB keyboard.

That being said, I've got a MB, MBA and an Apple Wireless Keyboard next to each here on my desk, and they all are similarly "loud" volume-wise. I also have a "traditional" Microsoft keyboard here for comparison, and it's thunderous compared to the MB's keyboard.

 

[Sirolway]

I agree that the 12" rMB keyboard is relatively noisy.
Small price to pay for such an excellent machine

 

[SteveJUAE]

I guess the sound seems worse to you as you have no noisy fan to mask the noise

Don't buy this if you need a silent machine. Over all the clackety clack of the low travel keyboard, a MacBook Pro retina is actually more silent. It's so thin, that there's no sound dampening.

 

[lite426]

I guess the sound seems worse to you as you have no noisy fan to mask the noise

That's not the case. My previous laptop was the Retina MacBook Pro 13". I'm comparing to that. The fan on that for general use didn't come on at all.

 

[Greene]

Not currently an owner, but man, a nice clickity keyboard is like music to my ears. then again, I'm not in situations where I need to type quietly. I tend to be a relatively heavy typer too, so all keyboards are noisy in my hands.