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Who here dislikes the new ultra-thin Mac keyboards?

P

PsychOff

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 8, 2009
20
0
London
Warning, this is a rant, but not a really nasty one.

Is it just me or are the new Mac desktop keyboards really irritating to use?
I'm talking about their new aluminum anodized ultra-slim keyboards, both the compact one and the large one. I love the new mouse, thats great, it has a right-click button! We can leave that one alone.

But the new ultra-thin keyboard... granted the new compact keyboard comes standard as wireless in the box rather than it being a pricey luxury add-on and that the buttons are far more durable because your not dealing with so much moving parts inside (e.g springs), but I just find the small, nimble buttons very cumbersome on the new keyboard, I struggle with searching the buttons without looking down at the keyboard, and I often accidentally hit another button (I can semi-touch type, if you can believe that).

I mean I do have the old styled keyboard prior to the new remake, the big, bulky, heavy, thick button keyboard. However it is the special colour-coded keyboard designed for Final Cut Pro 6, although Apple do have their new keyboard for FCP users; I find that now the old FCP keyboards are extremely expensive and harder to come by.

Does anyone else agree with me here? Who here would like to see the thick button keyboard return? Obviously still advancing its performance and durability with newer models.
 
I haven't seen/used the keyboard you're talking about, but as for right-click on the mouse, the Mighty Mouse (included with desktop Macs) has always had right-click, it just looks like one piece/button.
 
I'm confused by what you mean by "standard as wireless in the box." The wireless keyboard is a $80 additional purchase and isn't included with any Mac.

I guess I'm the opposite of you. I love the thin keyboard and hate the mouse. I still have my old wireless keyboard and use it when I play WoW cause I use the numeric keypad which the new one doesn't have. But I hate typing on the old one after using the new one. I haven't had any problems with hitting the wrong keys or having to look at the keyboard when I type.
 
My mistake about the wireless as standard, my apologies.

The right-click however Mac didn't always have, it was a recent addition no? I mean I remember several years ago they did not have right-click on their machines... maybe many many years ago.
 
PsychOff said:
My mistake about the wireless as standard, my apologies.

The right-click however Mac didn't always have, it was a recent addition no? I mean I remember several years ago they did not have right-click on their machines... maybe many many years ago.
Click to expand...

The Mighty Mouse was the first Apple mouse to have two buttons and was released in 2005.
 
PsychOff said:
Does anyone else agree with me here? Who here would like to see the thick button keyboard return? Obviously still advancing its performance and durability with newer models.
Click to expand...

personally i use a MS split keyboard and the classic MBP keyboard. i don't think apple will go back to the um…IBM style keyboards. The next keyboard will probably be a wireless touch panel.
 
Having learned to touch-type on a British "Imperial" telecommunications typewriter (all letters upper case) some fifty-eight eight years ago, and enjoyed many an hour at many a desktop Mac's "big, bulky, heavy, thick button keyboard" since 1997... I too find that the ultra-slim aluminum desktop keyboard that came three months ago with my refurbished iMac 20" Intel 2.66 is not conducive to touch-typing... as for its mouse... I prefer and use a KENSINGTON Expert Mouse Trackball - optical - wired - PS/2 USB Model K64325...
 
I really like the new, slim keyboard. The previous one (chunky white keys) was hard to type on -- if you hit a key at an angle it often wouldn't depress all the way, so typing was tedious. Now I can effortlessly type knowing if I hit a key it will depress.
 
I miss the old Black usb keyboard that shipped with the Power Mac G4's.
 
I really like the new aluminum keyboards. I've used every Apple keyboard since the ADB II and I've never had an issue with any of them.

If you don't like it then go get something else.
 
I love everything about new KBs aside from F keys rearrangement. I prefer the old-style F8-F12 for Spaces/Expose/Dashboard and keys above num pad for volume adjustment and eject key.
 
I just recently bought a used white Apple wireless keyboard, with the bigger heavier keys, and I've found it to be quite a bit harder to type with than the new chicklet keys on my Macbook (which are virtually the same as the new keyboard style ones). Like one of the other posters said before, there was a full size black usb Apple keyboard, that my dad has now, that is perfect in terms of writing. Maybe its just cause its got worn in nicely.
 
I strongly dislike the new keyboards. After months of trying to get used to it I made my IT department give me back my old, white keyboard. I kept miss-hitting keys because they are so flat, the angle is odd and the half-sized F-keys are just maddening, IMO. They look cool, and the smaller footprint is nice, but I'm much more productive on the older Apple keyboards.


Lethal
 
I LOVE the new keyboards, the only thing that's stopping me buying a new wireless one is that it misses the number keypad! I use lots of software where the number pad has specific functions which I wouldn't be able to use.

I'll stick with my old white one for now...
 
I also learnt to touch type on an old Imperial typewriter in the days of yore but I love this slim keyboard and have no probs whatsoever using it. In fact when I go into my office to use my old Windows computer with other keyboard it takes me longer to get readjusted to it than when I first got my Apple one.
 
It all depends on the individual user's needs, but I absolutely love the Apple Wireless Keyboard! Batteries last 4-6 months, works flawlessly, fits in my ultra-slim MBP case. Very comfortable to type for hours. I've never found a better keyboard!
 
If you don't type much or type one/two-fingered, I guess it's not bad.

It is definitely an improvement from the chronically bad previous-generation Apple wired/wireless keyboards, which managed to frequently bind once the keyboard started to see some wear due to the non-precision of the keyboard parts fit and the key feel generally being clattery dead flesh. Fast typists should easily be able to tell the difference between the old white Apple crapboards and a similar weighted keyboard, even something entertainment-orientated in the same price range such as the Microsoft Reclusa.

However I can also see how the committed 'Buy Anything Apple-er' would transition from the old crapboard and go 'WOW! This Rocks!'. Whether it rocks in comparison with actual quality keyboards is something else however... and I've found it far from the case for either board.

I hate the current Apple keyboards. Too much like the crappy-typing-feeling, but superficially-quality-feeling Sony style keyboards in e.g. the MBA, if not even more unyielding at the end of the keystroke. The genuine Sony chicklet keyboards provide a more salubrious fast typing experience, and there are many more on the market that also provide a significantly better feel than the Apple articles.

If design coherence is all that matters (even if it's white keys, not black) as I'm beginning to think for many Apple buyers to the exclusion of everything else, I guess it's the board for you.
 
I enjoy the thin aluminum keyboard. I can type much faster on it as opposed to a normal keyboard and it just feels nicer for me. Plus, it doesn't look half bac XD
 
LethalWolfe said:
I strongly dislike the new keyboards. After months of trying to get used to it I made my IT department give me back my old, white keyboard. I kept miss-hitting keys because they are so flat, the angle is odd and the half-sized F-keys are just maddening, IMO. They look cool, and the smaller footprint is nice, but I'm much more productive on the older Apple keyboards.


Lethal
Click to expand...

I have to admit the keys (whilst they look nice) can be irritating because they aren't substantial enough - too shallow for my liking...
 
I don't have a real problem with the keys and can touch-type, BUT, when I do my capital letters, I use the CAPS lock rather than shift, the button for caps lock isn't that responsive and often doesn't...activate? mainly when i'm typing in passwords and such, other than that, i have no problem with it :)
 
Sesshi said:
If you don't type much or type one/two-fingered, I guess it's not bad.

It is definitely an improvement from the chronically bad previous-generation Apple wired/wireless keyboards, which managed to frequently bind once the keyboard started to see some wear due to the non-precision of the keyboard parts fit and the key feel generally being clattery dead flesh. Fast typists should easily be able to tell the difference between the old white Apple crapboards and a similar weighted keyboard, even something entertainment-orientated in the same price range such as the Microsoft Reclusa.

However I can also see how the committed 'Buy Anything Apple-er' would transition from the old crapboard and go 'WOW! This Rocks!'. Whether it rocks in comparison with actual quality keyboards is something else however... and I've found it far from the case for either board.

I hate the current Apple keyboards. Too much like the crappy-typing-feeling, but superficially-quality-feeling Sony style keyboards in e.g. the MBA, if not even more unyielding at the end of the keystroke. The genuine Sony chicklet keyboards provide a more salubrious fast typing experience, and there are many more on the market that also provide a significantly better feel than the Apple articles.

If design coherence is all that matters (even if it's white keys, not black) as I'm beginning to think for many Apple buyers to the exclusion of everything else, I guess it's the board for you.
Click to expand...

While I admit that I've never owned a non-Apple keyboard its not because I'm a fanboy and buy only Apple stuff (I hate Mighty Mouse ;) ) but because I find them good enough not to spend another 50$ on a 3rd party keyboard. And besides, I prefer Apple's KBs to most if not all 3rd parties that I tried at friends' house, etc

little nin said:
I don't have a real problem with the keys and can touch-type, BUT, when I do my capital letters, I use the CAPS lock rather than shift, the button for caps lock isn't that responsive and often doesn't...activate? mainly when i'm typing in passwords and such, other than that, i have no problem with it :)
Click to expand...

Caps Lock key has to be pressed and held for a second or too to make it activate. This was done to prevent accidental activation.
 
eXan said:
While I admit that I've never owned a non-Apple keyboard its not because I'm a fanboy and buy only Apple stuff (I hate Mighty Mouse ;) ) but because I find them good enough not to spend another 50$ on a 3rd party keyboard. And besides, I prefer Apple's KBs to most if not all 3rd parties that I tried at friends' house, etc
Click to expand...

No. You don't need to be a fanboy. You can be not bothered, misguided, etc.

I understand how your kind of logic might seem plausible, but as a component which I sit in front of for a fairly significant percentage of my working life and directly interface with, I think it's worth spending significant attention on it. However manufacturers know that the majority of people are too dumb to realise that simple fact - and will ship any old crap with their machines. I don't deny that Apple has imbued the humble keyboard with a significant design upgrade - but like most things Apple, it may look cool but a cheaper Dell step-up keyboard is still the more effective tool in terms of what you are actually doing with it.

I buy a range of new keyboards almost continuously which interest me ergonomically, in terms of key technology or in terms of features. And the vast majority of them end up by the wayside. Currently what I use is based on the same laptop-derived technology as the Apple keyboards (scissor-action) but the key feel is a lot better especially after some wear.

Despite its flaws (especially the 'chicklet island', and I can also attest to its lack of reliability quoted on Wikipedia), the last Apple keyboard that survived such a selection process was the Adjustable. The key feel wasn't the best, but the ergonomics actually worked for intensive use.
 
eXan said:
Caps Lock key has to be pressed and held for a second or too to make it activate. This was done to prevent accidental activation.
Click to expand...

ohh, so that's why, it annoys me so much because i've always been a tapper of caps lock lol, at least i know the reason why now
 
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