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New Macbooks loud keyboard noise: does it bother you ?

ginkobiloba

ginkobiloba

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 2, 2007
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Paris
So, I'm thinking of getting the recent ( June 2017 , second generation keyboard) Macbook 12" to replace my Macbook Air 11". I played with it a bit in an Apple Store, the keyboard's touch feels a bit weird, but I think I can get used to it. What I disliked however, is how loud the keyboard sounds. It really attracts attention to itself and would be quite annoying, both to myself and to other people, in a quiet public environment.

For those of you who own one, what's your feeling about it ? Does it bother you ? Did you get adjusted to it ? Did you find a way to type that makes it less loud ?
 
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I don't care much for the MacBook 2017's keyboard, but I'm getting used to it.

As for the sound, it's not bothering me. It doesn't appear to be any louder than the other keyboards I've used over the years but the sound is different than the ones I currently use (wired Apple keyboard on my Mac mini, 11" MacBook Air's keyboard).

Of course, there's far less key travel on the MacBook 2017 so I'm not pressing the keys as hard as I do on my work PC's Microsoft Natural Keyboard.

Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, the Microsoft Natural Keyboard is definitely louder since I have to press the keys harder and the plastic housing seems to amplify the keys' sound.

Disclaimer: I started on manual typewriters decades ago. My typing class had IBM Selectric typewriters.
 
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Bottom line up front, no, the noise does not bother me at all unless I'm typing late at night next to my wife in bed. Even still, I can type carefully and softly and it makes less noice.

I have a 2016 and 2017 MBP's. Both are ntb and 13 inhces. While I originally thought the 2017 keyboard was a bit loud, I got used to it and no longer notice it. The 2017 seems to make about the name noise but it a somwwhat smoother typing experience. Had to clean the keyboard of the 2016 a couple of times, bit no serious troubles. I just make sure I keeop is away from crumbs. I now know and have always kep the 2017 away from crumbs so have not had any issues at all with it.
 
The noise doesn't bother me at all. Note though I don't type in libraries or whatever. Maybe if I did, I'd be more conscious of it.

It's louder than the older chicklet MacBooks, but it's not anywhere near as loud as say a high end mechanical keyboard. The latter would wake up my wife in the next room, but the MacBook doesn't.

Important to note though is that this keyboard is vastly improved over the 2015-2016 keyboard. This 2017 keyboard is just OK and not exactly great in terms of feel, but IMO the 2015-2016 keyboard just plain sucked.
 
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Well, i’ve ordered one. Hopefully it won’t be a mistake, but all these reports about the keyboard failing doesn’t reassure me.
 
ginkobiloba said:
Well, i’ve ordered one. Hopefully it won’t be a mistake, but all these reports about the keyboard failing doesn’t reassure me.
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There's definitely some risk with the keyboard. With that said, I really like the MacBook overall and I still highly recommend it to anyone OK with the tradeoffs (since, after all, technically any electronics purchase is a calculated risk.) The MacBook is definitely a tradeoff of features for extreme portability, but for highly mobile users I cannot emphasize enough how nice this portability is and how well the MacBook accomplishes what it sets out to do. Even compared to the 13 inch MBP or MBA, it makes what I consider to be significant gains in this area.
 
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OK, now that I've been using the 2017 MacBook for a while, yes, its keyboard is slightly louder than that of my 2013 MacBook Air. But it's not difficult to get used to, I use computers with much louder keyboards.

Again, the timbre and pitch of the MacBook's keyboard is a bit different than the other keyboard devices I use.

I do not count the MacBook's keyboard sound to be a negative. What I do not like about the keyboard is the feel. Again, I am getting used to it, just like you can get used to a car with mediocre seats.
 
The noise is annoying. I have not gotten used to it. When I am typing on it at a conference people look at me for rows around. It drives my wife crazy. I am sorry I did not return it in the first two weeks when I could have.

I have asked for help with this at Apple stores and with Apple Care. No resolution. The recent program of keyboard replacement is only for sticky keys and does not apply to noisy keys.

Has anyone found a workaround?

I feel that Apple should repair this obvious hardware problem.
 
Macguynotyet said:
The noise is annoying. I have not gotten used to it. When I am typing on it at a conference people look at me for rows around. It drives my wife crazy. I am sorry I did not return it in the first two weeks when I could have.

I have asked for help with this at Apple stores and with Apple Care. No resolution. The recent program of keyboard replacement is only for sticky keys and does not apply to noisy keys.

Has anyone found a workaround?

I feel that Apple should repair this obvious hardware problem.
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A very simple workaround is to use a silicone keyboard cover that you can get on Amazon. It dampens the sound of the keyboard significantly and in my opinion makes the keys feel even better. It also has the added benefit of protecting the keys from dust entering the keyboard.
 
Amplelink said:
A very simple workaround is to use a silicone keyboard cover that you can get on Amazon. It dampens the sound of the keyboard significantly and in my opinion makes the keys feel even better. It also has the added benefit of protecting the keys from dust entering the keyboard.
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[doublepost=1532244013][/doublepost]Problem with using keyboard cover is it may stain or leave keyboard marks on the retina screen ?
Certainly this happened with the older 13 inch MBPs
 
Yes. When I was finishing up my degree, it was a bit of a challenge to use during lectures. Always got dirty looks from other students. It is pretty dang loud, with little or no key travel.
 
For me, the solution was quite simple: you need to adjust your typing force when using the new keyboards. When I first started typing on one of these in early 2017 (a 2016 13" MacBook Pro nTB) it was ridiculously loud, and my wife complained that she could hear me typing in the office when she was sitting in the living room. After a while, my fingers and muscles automatically started to adjust to the new key travel and required accentuation force and I now use much less force and strength to type. As a result, she is now able to sleep on the couch with me typing on the 2017 MacBook right next to her.

I first noticed my changed behavior when I took out my ThinkPad after a couple of months and realized that I was only pressing its keys half-way down and had to use an unusual and seemingly abnormal amount of force to type.
 
jemmarsh said:
Super annoying. Like you wouldn’t believe. People with these keyboards - learn to stop bashing your keys!
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Sounds like my girlfriend ;) ... frankly the keyboard is extremely loud even if you try your very best to only use minimal force.

While i was able to type practically sound-less on my old 2013 model I would not dare to take the new one to a lecture or a library.

Unfortunately the living room couch also doesn't make for an appropriate late night working spot anymore as long as anyone else is in the room.

I do love the new mac book - but had I known about the keyboard beforehand... I would have also thought twice before equipping our entire team with the new models. The office is sometimes annoyingly loud ever since.
 
I prefer the 2017 Macbook 12" keyboard waaaayy much better than the keyboard on my 2018 Macbook Pro 13".

It does sound louder on the 12", and even louder on the 2017 15". But I prefer the 2017 keyboards more than on the 2018 pros as they feel crisper and more solid when I type. It does sound loud especially in an enclosed room but I have learned to control it. I just had a meeting this afternoon in another company's office in a small room of 6 people, and I was taking notes using the 2017 mbpro 15" and that thing is usually loud, but I've learned I can type a bit quieter than my usual code-bashing when I intend to.

The 2018 mbpro keyboard is a bit quieter but after a month of using it, I'm still not happy nor comfortable with it. It feels like there's some food stuck under all the keys, like as if there's a piece of cloth stuck between the keys and the aluminum body.
 
The other day I was in co-working space and had to move across the room to get away from an inveterate clacker.

My wife (who is lovely BTW) is sitting across from em bashing away on hers. As it grated on me for the umpteenth time, I was compelled to search "Mac keyboard annoying sound". which brought me here.

so YES - it bothers me.
 
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It may be a bit loud in and annoying in a quiet environment, but it's nowhere as annoying as a fan running full bore on a laptop whose owner is not computer literate and does not maintain their machine (hardware nor software), in a quiet environment. :D
 
Yes, it does bother me. I was sorely tempted to pick up a refurb 2017 12" Macbook, until I tried out typing on one of the demo units in store and realised how loud the keyboard would be. Especially as my intended use for it would be in semi-quiet environments like libraries...

If they update the keyboard to a gen 3 keyboard then I would likely get a 12" Macbook (provided no massive price increases).

(I have a 2018 MBP with the gen 3 keyboard and the noise of the gen 3 doesn't bother me too much. But testing the gen 2 vs gen 3 in store, it seemed like the gen 2 was much louder than the gen 3...)
 
Not me, but my wife hates me typing on it. She is also switching to a MB 12 soon, so let me see then whether her typing bothers me ;-)
 
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