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MacBook keyboard vs. PowerBook keyboard

S

somevelvet

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 13, 2006
63
2
I'm thinking of buying a MacBook but I have one reservation. I'm moving from a Powerbook 12"...

What's the consensus on the MacBook keyboard in terms of ease & comfort of use? I write for a living so a good keyboard is pretty essential. I've always been mostly satisfied with my powerbook keyboard, it's pretty comfortable although I occasionally mash a neighbouring button with my big clumsy fingers. The MacBook keyboard looks a little... weird. How is it?
 
I can't directly compare the Macbook and Powerbook keyboards as I've only used a powerbook for a few minutes. I just picked up my first Mac for a long time (since a classic :) ) and decided on a macbook for it's price and size.

My main concerns before buying were the screen and the keyboard. The screen is phenomenal. The keyboard took a little getting used to; I'm fairly picky about them (I love my Thinkpad's keyboard and for desktops use a Logitech that is quite similar to the thinkpads which I found after digging around a bunch of reviews). I find it pretty easy to use and probably type just as fast on it as I do on others. Depending on where you place your wrists, the edge of the macbook is sharp and could be annoying, though it doesn't bother me when my wrists are correctly placed.
 
I think thats what turned off a MB was the spaces between the keys. It mightn't bother some people but I just didn't like the look. The powerbook keys are great :) MB is a powerful little machine though havent really had a proper fiddle with a Powerbook though
 
I'm typing this on my MacBook's keyboard now, and I definitely like it. I can't really say whether I like it more than I liked my 12" PowerBook's keyboard or not, but I'm definitely not complaining about it. In some respects, I think the MacBook's keyboard feels cheaper and less sturdy than the PowerBooks'. However, I'm not sure that I like it any less. It definitely takes a day or so to get used to, but now when I'm typing on it, I don't really notice it as being a problem, and I definitely like it. I was in the same place as you, thinking that I wouldn't like it, but after using the MacBook for a month and a half, I'll say that the keyboard isn't something that has ever made me think twice about buying a MacBook. It's an amazing computer, and I doubt that you'll be dissapointed with it.
 
Thanks!

Do you do a lot of typing?

I'm thinking the spaces b/w the keys might actually be a plus, as like I said I too-often mash two keys at once. Maybe this'll cut down on it...

Or maybe I'm just looking on the bright side!
 
Hey,

I was in your shoes a little while ago. One of the things that pushed me towards the mbp was the keyboard. I know it dosen't affect performance and isn't life altering but it sure as heck is important. If i were you i'd go to the nearest store or to a friend who has one and test drive it. When i tried it i really didn't like the keys and like you i do alot of typing. It's personal choice really and only you can decide.
 
A few things I love are that the keys are... strong? It almost feels like typing on a desktop keyboard. Think about:
Grand Piano vs. Electric Keyboard

This is like an electric keyboard, but it feels as though you're playing a real piano. My thoughts on the gaps... don't bother me, in fact, it's nice because you rarely miss a key. I find that sometime with laptop keyboards my long fingers can hit two keys at once, not a problem here.
 
I had a 12 inch powerbook and my girlfriend has a white macbook. I loved my powerbook's keyboard, but her macbook's is perfectly fine. It's so fine that I'm going to be buying a next revision macbook!
 
amoda said:
Hey,

I was in your shoes a little while ago. One of the things that pushed me towards the mbp was the keyboard. I know it dosen't affect performance and isn't life altering but it sure as heck is important. If i were you i'd go to the nearest store or to a friend who has one and test drive it. When i tried it i really didn't like the keys and like you i do alot of typing. It's personal choice really and only you can decide.
Click to expand...

Thats exactly what made me buy the MBP over the MB is the keyboard. Silly I know but I could see me regretting it
 
I also own a 12" Powerbook and am a freelance writer. A very, very good keyboard is a critical component for me. When the Macbook was announced back in the spring - and once it was clear that a small (12-13") MacBook Pro was not in the cards - I stopped by my local Apple store expecting to buy a Macbook.

I ended up walking out with a 15" MBP. And the reason, far more than anything else, was the keyboard. I don't doubt that one would get used to the keyboard on the Macbook. We humans are pretty adaptable, after all. But after spending a couple hours going back and forth between the two machines, I simply couldn't convince myself that the Macbook keyboard would ever "disappear", a crucial element when one is composing words. Conversely, I've always loved the keyboard on my Powerbook - and the MBP retains that excellent design.

The rest of the story, in my case, was that I ended up returning that 15" MBP a week later because of the infamous whine (no way you could compose words very well with that going on!). I'm waiting for the updated Merom chips expected in the next few weeks and then I'll be buying another 15" MBP. From everything I can gather, most of the early birthing problems with the MBP, including the whine, have been resolved.

Jeff
 
I thought I'd hate the keyboard on the MB, but I went into the Apple Store yesterday to have a look at one and I adapted to it instantly. When I start uni I'm going to get an MB.
 
I had a 12" Powerbook and I have to say that by comparison the MacBook keyboard is just as good. I guess the Powerbook's was a little more snappier, but the only outstanding obvious thing is the MacBook key's aren't as slippery as the Powerbook.

I loved the Powerbook keyboard as I was upgrading from an iBook (which was a lousy keyboard) and so was worried the MacBook might have been the same, but it's great.
 
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