Preventing "shiny keys" on MacBook Pro

[januarydrive7]

Not that I'm aware of. ABS is quite resistant against most chemicals (except Acetone). you can clean the keys with soap or IPA. I prefer IPA as it evaporate quickly and there is almost 0 chance it gets into the machine. Even if it does, it evaporates in seconds and is also (pretty much) non-conductive.
Grease will not break down the ABS.. it will just add more shine to it due to the grease. But this is non-permanent in contrast to the wear which is irreversible.

I initially read "Indian pale ale" when glancing through this thread and did a double-take

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Other end of the desk 2011 15" MBP keys are in great shape for an 11 year old notebook.

I know exactly what you mean. My 2009 15" MBP also shows hardly any discernible wear on its keys.

 

[Queen6]

I know exactly what you mean. My 2009 15" MBP also shows hardly any discernible wear on its keys.

Apple clearly cracked this one over a decade ago. The keys polishing up on far newer Mac's does tend to lean towards cheaper materials being used...

Q-6

 

[orionquest]

Stop eating KFC and using your mac 🤣🤣

 

[BanditoB]

I've found that Clorox or Lysol type wipes work really well for cleaning keyboards. They are not too wet and they cut through finger grime very well.

 

[T Coma]

This is kind of annoying. It just looks cheap, especially for a 4 month old "high end" 16 in. MBP, that has not seen all that much keyboard use. The completely clean spacebar shows the worst.

Compared to our 2009 MBP which has been used to type many books' worth of writing.

 

[jerryk]

Use it long enough and you won't care anymore... that's my reality...... I slowly go from "trying to keep it spotless" to "who cares".... in a year or two is the normal cycle.

Agreed. It is a business tool I will keep for a year or 2 and then replace it.

 

[GumaRodak]

Use external keyboard

 

[spiderman0616]

Look at every MacBook you see on any TV show or movie. They all have smooth spots worn into the keys where the person types a lot. It's just the nature of the beast.

 

[chrono1081]

If you use it a lot, they will get shiny in a few months.

I wish it took months for mine to get shiny. I was shiny in two weeks (but I use my computer HEAVILY).

I don't mind though it's just part of normal wear and tear.

 

[JPack]

Just use a silicone keyboard cover.

When Apple says don’t use a keyboard cover, they’re talking about hard covers. A silicone cover will obviously flex, not to mention the keys themselves will travel down to accommodate the cover.

 

[T Coma]

Look at every MacBook you see on any TV show or movie. They all have smooth spots worn into the keys where the person types a lot. It's just the nature of the beast.

Better yet, I’ll look at every MacBook I see in my house. The one that’s been here for 13 years has no smooth spots where the person types a lot. The one that’s been here for 4 months, however, already has smooth spots worn into the keys. (See pics above)

The “beast” that this is the nature of is the use of an inferior material for the keys. Not entirely cynically, I’d add that use of inferior material is due to a corporate philosophy that will sacrifice (existing) quality for any scrap of additional profit… or incomplete quality assurance / testing.

Or both.

 

[sdwaltz]

Best thing I've found is to wash your hands before using the laptop.

 

[jabbr]

Modern MacBooks keys seem much less resilient to this wear. It’s obviously a material difference

 

[ignatius345]

I use a Das Keyboards, one on my Windows machine and one on my Mac. The keys that are pressed most often are much more shiny than others. Over the years I've just come to expect shiny keys on all keyboards that I use. I would find key covers more unpleasant to look at than the shiny keys.

But, I hope you find key covers you like.

Since you have board with replacable keys, you could if you wanted switch your key caps out for PBT key caps. I have a set on my mechanical keyboard -- they don't pick up shine as you use them.

 

[Queen6]

Better yet, I’ll look at every MacBook I see in my house. The one that’s been here for 13 years has no smooth spots where the person types a lot. The one that’s been here for 4 months, however, already has smooth spots worn into the keys. (See pics above)

The “beast” that this is the nature of is the use of an inferior material for the keys. Not entirely cynically, I’d add that use of inferior material is due to a corporate philosophy that will sacrifice (existing) quality for any scrap of additional profit… or incomplete quality assurance / testing.

Or both.

Just Apple being cheap simple as that, there's sub $300 notebooks with better wear & tear resistance to KB use. I bought the cheapest 2in1 so I could to learn W10, 6 years on the KB still looks like new as does a heavily used Acer Switch 5 which was $600. The far more expensive Apple notebooks past 2012 keys have all polished up in a matter of months. M1 MBP I'll see but it's not used much.

My 11-year-old MBP proves Apple solved this issue over a decade back as that's been absolutely hammered both professionally & privately (engineering & gaming). Apple now either uses cheaper materials to save cost or to tip the users to update more frequently. Either ways not a good look from a so-called premium provider.

Really poor show in my book, premium is supposed to be a better product. Jobs was many things and not all good but he understood the value of the customer. Apple today just wants easy money...

I used to buy highest spec, these days I buy the lowest spec I can get by with as Apple is far too much about itself these days...

Q-6

 

[spiderman0616]

Just Apple being cheap simple as that, there's sub $300 notebooks with better wear & tear resistance to KB use. I bought the cheapest 2in1 so I could to learn W10, 6 years on the KB still looks like new as does a heavily used Acer Switch 5 which was $600. The far more expensive Apple notebooks past 2012 keys have all polished up in a matter of months. M1 MBP I'll see but it's not used much.

My 11-year-old MBP proves Apple solved this issue over a decade back as that's been absolutely hammered both professionally & privately (engineering & gaming). Apple now either uses cheaper materials to save cost or to tip the users to update more frequently. Either ways not a good look from a so-called premium provider.

Really poor show in my book, premium is supposed to be a better product. Jobs was many things and not all good but he understood the value of the customer. Apple today just wants easy money...

I used to buy highest spec, these days I buy the lowest spec I can get by with as Apple is far too much about itself these days...

Q-6

This happened under Jobs too. So did Antennagate, MobileMe, etc. Rose colored glasses and so forth…..

 

[Queen6]

This happened under Jobs too. So did Antennagate, MobileMe, etc. Rose colored glasses and so forth…..

Fair enough, but think the quality was far better. I used the 2011 for work purpose in an engineering role, my daughter used it as a PlayStation for years. Its KB remains to be matte, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019 keycaps all polished up in a matter of months.

No magic with the 2011 the KB it was just manufactured to a higher standard with better materials. The evidence is obvious and physically the new KB's simply wear faster as said is just Apple being cheap...

Q-6

 

[svenmany]

Since you have board with replacable keys, you could if you wanted switch your key caps out for PBT key caps. I have a set on my mechanical keyboard -- they don't pick up shine as you use them.

Thanks for that. I just watched a video discussing ABS versus PBT. If the letters start showing any wear, I'll certainly consider replacing them with PBT keycaps.

I'm happy to say that being bothered by the shine on the keycaps has never occurred to me. I'm happy because I don't want to spend the money replacing them.

 

[ignatius345]

Thanks for that. I just watched a video discussing ABS versus PBT. If the letters start showing any wear, I'll certainly consider replacing them with PBT keycaps.

I'm happy to say that being bothered by the shine on the keycaps has never occurred to me. I'm happy because I don't want to spend the money replacing them.

Yeah same. Would never have occurred to be to be bothered by it. Thick PBT key caps do tend to have a nice sound to them, if you’re into that kind of thing. (The mechanical keyboard thing is such a massive rabbit hole if you’re not careful…)

 

[svenmany]

Yeah same. Would never have occurred to be to be bothered by it. Thick PBT key caps do tend to have a nice sound to them, if you’re into that kind of thing. (The mechanical keyboard thing is such a massive rabbit hole if you’re not careful…)

Yeah, I use to have money. Right now, that rabbit hole is off limits.

 

[barkomatic]

I like keeping my Mac in as good as shape as I reasonably can so I don't use it while eating finger foods and I make sure my hands are clean before typing. However, that's as far as I go. I'm not going to wash the keyboard after every use or use an ugly cover just to keep it pristine -- and for what? The next buyer? A future museum?

As long as I can keep scratches and dents to a minimum I'm good.

 

[ignatius345]

I like keeping my Mac in as good as shape as I reasonably can so I don't use it while eating finger foods and I make sure my hands are clean before typing. However, that's as far as I go. I'm not going to wash the keyboard after every use or use an ugly cover just to keep it pristine -- and for what? The next buyer? A future museum?

As long as I can keep scratches and dents to a minimum I'm good.

Agreed. The shine will show up no matter what, from friction, so it's not really worth getting too worked up about, IMO.