Am I delusional or was the sculpted PowerBook keyboard the best keyboard Apple ever made? I had a 12 inch. I bought the 2016 MBP when it came out and I'm still adjusting to it. I have to really trust my touch typing skills without feeling the keys.
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PowerBook vs. MBP keyboard
- Thread starter Yr Blues
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I recently got to try the new tbMBP keyboard and loved it a lot. Way more than the spongy one on my MBP.
But I've got a PBG4 12" sitting in a drawer right here and nope, you're not delusional.
Huge travel. Incredibly springy. Wonderful sound. Soft surface on the keys. It's delightful.
Except for the fact that you can wear through the paint on the backlit ones rather easily. That was less than great.
But I've got a PBG4 12" sitting in a drawer right here and nope, you're not delusional.
Huge travel. Incredibly springy. Wonderful sound. Soft surface on the keys. It's delightful.
Except for the fact that you can wear through the paint on the backlit ones rather easily. That was less than great.
Yeah this is 100% correct. That powerbook g4/first gen intel MacBook keyboard is the best. Those were incredible computers, probably always be THE iconic Apple notebook to me as I had a 12" PB as well and still using my 07 15" MBP.
The new 2016 MBP butterfly one I actually don't mind though, it's very different but I've gotten used to it. The old chiclet-style on on the prior MBPs is the one I can't stand though, it's always seemed cheap as the keys are so floppy and the huge gaps between keys seemed bizarre to me. I think the new one is a huge improvement tbh.
The new 2016 MBP butterfly one I actually don't mind though, it's very different but I've gotten used to it. The old chiclet-style on on the prior MBPs is the one I can't stand though, it's always seemed cheap as the keys are so floppy and the huge gaps between keys seemed bizarre to me. I think the new one is a huge improvement tbh.
PB keyboard was awful. Memories aren't always reliable. We remember just about any gadget better than it actually was. We remember game graphics better than they were.
The test is to put this old stuff in front of you today and then compare. The PowerBook G4 Alu keyboard wasn't very stable compared to chiclet designs, the keys fell off for many, the paint wore out, some would turn yellow, backlight was weak and uneven, and the heat of the PowerPC CPU was quite hard to tolerate in some models, especially the first 12" PowerBook which you could cook bacon on.
The PowerBook G4 Ti didn't have the paint issue but was mushy because it rested on a flexible backplate that was used to access the memory.
PowerBook G3 Lombard and Pismo was also mushy as hell. If you had a faulty one with no warranty it was $450-500 to replace.
The test is to put this old stuff in front of you today and then compare. The PowerBook G4 Alu keyboard wasn't very stable compared to chiclet designs, the keys fell off for many, the paint wore out, some would turn yellow, backlight was weak and uneven, and the heat of the PowerPC CPU was quite hard to tolerate in some models, especially the first 12" PowerBook which you could cook bacon on.
The PowerBook G4 Ti didn't have the paint issue but was mushy because it rested on a flexible backplate that was used to access the memory.
PowerBook G3 Lombard and Pismo was also mushy as hell. If you had a faulty one with no warranty it was $450-500 to replace.
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Pretty good. As soon as you adjust (don't strike, just press) then you appreciate that you can type faster.
Not delusional. That WAS the best keyboard ever on an Apple laptop. Period, full stop.
And because I still have a 15" 1.67 GHz Powerbook, it's easy to compare . . .
It feels like I'm typing on an iPad. It's just too flat, but it looks cool. I think most people dislike the amount of travel the most.
It's nothing like typing on an iPad. Most people around here like it once adjusted.
I just feel for the protrusions on the F and J keys. I find that I can type much more quickly on the late 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard than any other keyboard I've used in the past. The keys are large, and clicks are nice and crisp. The 2008-2015 MacBook Pros definitely had some of the worst keyboards I've ever used though, mushy and they made that horrible cheap and tinny sound.
My favorite keyboards were the Wallstreet G3 powerbooks. Very solid keys, nice feel. Before that I always loved the keyboard of my Powerbook 180. Apple made some really excellent keyboards back then.
Strangely enough When I got used to the current keyboard, I began to like it a lot. Love its clickiness.
Strangely enough When I got used to the current keyboard, I began to like it a lot. Love its clickiness.
I was thinking the same thing seeing the MBP commercial where they highlight the older Apple laptops. I think over time, apple has consistently altered the keyboard to fit their design. The changes have been small, but if you now compare a PowerBook keyboard to a current one, the differences will be immense.