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The Macbook For a Writer

A

Abaganov

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 30, 2016
375
239
Hey Guys

quick question , my GF is a writer and now looking to buy a new laptop and debating between the Pro and the Macbook , she is doing nothing heavy that require serious power (she does want a mac though)
I know the macbook keyboard is unique and some people love it and others hate it , from your experience and opinion - how does it feel to type hours everyday on that keyboard? is it a better experience then the normal MBP keyboard? does it cause any fatigue on the fingers after some time? would it be suitable laptop for someone who uses their machine primary for writing?

would appreciate any insight
 
only she can answer the question as to whether the machine works for her. best to buy from Apple and make use of their 14 day return policy,
http://www.apple.com/shop/help/returns_refund

the new MacBook is a jumble of compromises, no one can tell you whether she will be happy with it. I would personally have you look at the 13" Air. But it would be nice if you explained more about what she is currently doing/using, if you hope for any meaningful input.
 
thats all folks said:
only she can answer the question as to whether the machine works for her. best to buy from Apple and make use of their 14 day return policy,
http://www.apple.com/shop/help/returns_refund

the new MacBook is a jumble of compromises, no one can tell you whether she will be happy with it. I would personally have you look at the 13" Air. But it would be nice if you explained more about what she is currently doing/using, if you hope for any meaningful input.
Click to expand...

Thanks , sadly we can't use apple 14 days policy as we are not living in the USA at the moment and will be buying the mac from a reseller shop here in Thailand , she is a freelance writer , writing a few hours everyday.
she tried the new keyboard at the shop , obviously it was bit strange for her at first but like so many others mention - its something you need to get use to ,

my question is if someone here uses the Macbook primary as a writing machine and how does he/she finds the experience
 
Thanks we looked into that , sadly they have the following policy :
"Please also note that we only remit refunds domestically and cannot remit refunds outside of Thailand.

since we don't have a bank account in Thailand we can't request a refund
 
Last edited:
tubeexperience said:
It's great if the OP's girlfriend like to have sore fingers.
Click to expand...
+1.
Abaganov said:
Hey Guys

quick question , my GF is a writer and now looking to buy a new laptop and debating between the Pro and the Macbook , she is doing nothing heavy that require serious power (she does want a mac though)
I know the macbook keyboard is unique and some people love it and others hate it , from your experience and opinion - how does it feel to type hours everyday on that keyboard? is it a better experience then the normal MBP keyboard? does it cause any fatigue on the fingers after some time? would it be suitable laptop for someone who uses their machine primary for writing?

would appreciate any insight
Click to expand...
Забудь, просто ужас.
 
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As others have mentioned no one can answer your question.

Your girlfriend can only try it and see some people love the new keyboard claiming greater accuracy and productivity with it, others hate it claiming it hurts their fingers and is a nightmare to use, in such a personal issue only she can decide with extensive use to test it.

As to a 14 dat trial how about ordering it online then you can send it back within 14 days if it doesn't suit.

As to the 13 inch rMBP it is the most balanced thin light laptop you can buy in my opinion.
 
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I too find the keyboard terrible. Work purchased a PC keyboard with long travel keys and today was an absolute bliss working.

My Suggestion is 13" air or MBP that both offer greater battery life also which is a plus for any writers fingers.
 
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Keyboard is fine if she is a good touch typist who doesn't bang on the keys. It's consistently one of my favorite laptop keyboards - and I move daily between the rMB, an Air, and a Thinkpad. The Thinkpad's keyboard is the best but it's not so much better that it's worth nearly double the volume and weight.
 
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I'm a writer, working on nonfiction book #14, all written on Apple early on, Mac later. But for a writer, go for the Macbook Pro Retina over the RMB. I have both and the screen on the latter is too small and causes eye strain and the keyboard is a disaster. the 13" rMBP 2015 is a brilliant machine. Mine is 8/256.
 
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I've become a huge fan of the keyboard after only a couple weeks. Initially a disaster to type on, but I've become more and more accustomed - to the point where i almost prefer it.
 
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I find the keyboard a joy to use, each key broad enough for me to type on and to avoid making too many mistakes. Please note that I am not a touch typist. It took about three or four days for me to adjust from a normal to this keyboard. Now I am able to switch between using this and other keyboards without any issue.
 
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thats all folks said:
only she can answer the question as to whether the machine works for her. best to buy from Apple and make use of their 14 day return policy,
http://www.apple.com/shop/help/returns_refund

the new MacBook is a jumble of compromises, no one can tell you whether she will be happy with it. I would personally have you look at the 13" Air. But it would be nice if you explained more about what she is currently doing/using, if you hope for any meaningful input.
Click to expand...

Agree. Air would be the best option if she doesn't like the new Macbook keyboard.
I tried the keyboard and don't like it due to its cramped feeling and rubber-ish feedback.
 
Only thing about the keyboard.
The new Macbook is not suitable for very fast and very slow user,
this design for normal people something 20-50 words per mins in real usage (not for typingtest).


For very fast typist, they will not feel the metal dome reaction because they need to leave the key before the dome release, because of short key distance, it very bad feel.

For very slow typist, they will not use standard typing method by ten fingers, mostly they use two or three fingers and tend to use very high pressure for the key and hold it in while, so they will not feel the metal dome reaction.

Once you get the feeling of macbook keyboard, you get the accuracy with out use too much focus, you can typing as fast as normal keyboard or faster, and use less focus or movement for typing.
 
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I use MBPR 13", an excellent laptop, and screen size is as small as I want to go for long writing sessions. Some people have recommended MacBook Air, I would not recommend it because of the non-retina screen.
 
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I can't tell you what to do.
The only thing I can do is tell you is my experience with the MacBook keyboard.

First I tried the keyboard in a store right after the MacBook hit store shelves in 2015.
And I hated it. I mean really HATED it.
It felt awful, the keys were too fat, the spacing between the keys was too narrow and the key travel was far too short.

When the refreshed 2016 MacBook was launched I figured that I might be willing to give it a chance. -I really loved the thought of a fanless laptop.
So I bought one.
And gradually the keyboard grew on me.
At first I had a hard time writing without errors but now it's second nature, I love it.
I can easily type as fast as on a normal, old fashioned Apple keyboard and I'm a fast typer.
In fact, normal keyboards feel "mushy" and unresponsive to me now.

But as they say; your mileage may vary.
 
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I do loads of writing and document management on RMB and it is a superb device. The MB pro is overkill for writers and is more geared for photographers and or video editors. Of course there is the macbook air but the screen quality is awful.

The RMB keyboard is brilliant and you soon get used to it. I do lots of typing and find it fine. The RMB is fan less and that makes a huge difference imho also. Its portability is also a deal breaker though to be honest all of apple's laptops are not that heavy.
 
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Abaganov said:
Hey Guys

quick question , my GF is a writer and now looking to buy a new laptop and debating between the Pro and the Macbook , she is doing nothing heavy that require serious power (she does want a mac though)
I know the macbook keyboard is unique and some people love it and others hate it , from your experience and opinion - how does it feel to type hours everyday on that keyboard? is it a better experience then the normal MBP keyboard? does it cause any fatigue on the fingers after some time? would it be suitable laptop for someone who uses their machine primary for writing?

would appreciate any insight
Click to expand...

I've had the Macbook 12" for almost a year and a half and my thoughts here are quite simple:

If the goal is portability and the ability to write anything anywhere, the RMB is a dream machine for a writer. Zero boot-up time, just like an iPad in that regard, so easy to open the lid and just get going.

If the goal is sustained typing for hours at a time in a stationary environment such as an office, the RMB's keyboard is not the best for that experience. You get fully used to it, it's a great keyboard for the general user, but a professional writer would probably feel constricted by its size and layout.

The perfect combo? Get the 12" RMB and get a comfortable, full sized peripheral keyboard. Best of both worlds. Ready on the go whenever, ready for hours of steady typing on a desk.

BJ
 
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My fingers would get sore the first couple of weeks, but as I adapted to the shorter key travel, now I enjoy the keyboard and find it comfortable and very fast.
 
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