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Why is the M3 Air keyboard so cheap feeling?
- Thread starter DeepSix
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Yes true but I've just accepted that the Air has a $1 dollar store keyboard on it. I docked my Air for home so have it permanently connected to a mechanical with tactile keys. So much better. If I have to, I will bring this keyboard with me, that weighs more than the Air itself.
Also another reason that I don't want to use the Air's keyboard is to prevent shiny keys. You will get less resale value when you sell the laptop down the road if your keyboard has much more wear on it.
Just about all the Airs do this, it's definitely not just a bad batch. I confirmed this with all the demo units at my Best Buys. We have 4 Air M1's at work and they all rattle too. The Pro does not rattle but has a significantly worse typing experience.
I have an M2 MBA and I dislike the keyboard feel. Magic? Not. When it was 1 month old the space bar started sticking for no reason and the keyboard was replaced under warranty. Remarkably fast service so I'll give Apple credit for that.
The trackpad buttons always felt terrible, very little click feedback... then a couple days ago I spilt a few drops of black coffee (no sugar) on it and now even that tiny bit of feel is gone. It still works, but ugh. So, I may have to replace it.... just to get back to the same crappy feel that it used to have. LOL. I wish these keyboards had better feel and were more robust.
The trackpad buttons always felt terrible, very little click feedback... then a couple days ago I spilt a few drops of black coffee (no sugar) on it and now even that tiny bit of feel is gone. It still works, but ugh. So, I may have to replace it.... just to get back to the same crappy feel that it used to have. LOL. I wish these keyboards had better feel and were more robust.
I have no issue with the trackpad but I agree the keyboards on these Airs are pure dollar store trash. I don't even want to type on it because Im worried the keys are all of a sudden going to start popping right off like popcorn out of a microwave. That's how terrible they feel, quite possibly the worst feeling keyboard I've ever used in my life (and Ive used hundreds of keyboards in my life). Typing on it feels like typing with egg shells. It's just a matter of time before the keycaps start cracking or popping off.
I've decided that when I bring my Air out of the house, Im just going to carry around a 4lb mechanical keyboard made of full CNC aluminum. How pathetic is that? I have arguably one of the best portable laptops to date and I have to carry around another keyboard to get an acceptable typing experience. I bought another keyboard just last week for the laptop bag, already have two for use at home - all are the same keyboard model, just different colours. Yes it's heavy but it's built like a tank. The keyboard will weigh more than the laptop itself lol. The typing experience is just incomparable. Yes my laptop bag now weighs over 8lbs but it's so worth it. The keyboard on the M3 Air is completely unforgivable.
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I read all these posts and I have to wonder if we're talking about the same machine. FWIW there's at least one (M2) Air with a perfectly acceptable keyboard, and I have it.
I moved from a 2016 MBP to a new M1 Air last year. While I appreciate the keyboard is more reliable compared to the notoriously bad previous design, the quality of the material (apparently PBT to ABS) has been pretty atocious for a premium device.
I noticed right away the Airs key caps felt weird, almost like they had some kind of sticky/greasy coating on them? Cleaning them with alcohol had no effect. Only one year later and it's developed shiny keys and a shiny spot on the spacebar where my thumb hits it. It really takes away from the look of the device and honestly is a bit of a bewildering choice from Apple to move to such poor material. Cut corners elsewhere, not on something that will make a 1 year old machine look like it's had 10 years of use.
My 2016 MBP is still being used by a family memeber. On it's 2nd battery, approx 1500 cycles in total. Carried me through my uni days too which involved lots of typing. Keys still look perfect, no shine at all.
I noticed right away the Airs key caps felt weird, almost like they had some kind of sticky/greasy coating on them? Cleaning them with alcohol had no effect. Only one year later and it's developed shiny keys and a shiny spot on the spacebar where my thumb hits it. It really takes away from the look of the device and honestly is a bit of a bewildering choice from Apple to move to such poor material. Cut corners elsewhere, not on something that will make a 1 year old machine look like it's had 10 years of use.
My 2016 MBP is still being used by a family memeber. On it's 2nd battery, approx 1500 cycles in total. Carried me through my uni days too which involved lots of typing. Keys still look perfect, no shine at all.
I’ve had my M2 MBA for two years and I like keyboard on it more than any other laptop I used, including the much more expensive Surface Pro.
No shiny keys either.
My biggest complaint with regards to hardware is that all ports are on the left side. But, it’s not a life changer…
No shiny keys either.
My biggest complaint with regards to hardware is that all ports are on the left side. But, it’s not a life changer…
I don't believe that. Shinness on Macs are unavoidable unless you use latex gloves, put on stickers on the keys or external keyboard.
I completely understand your frustration with the shiny keys. It is pretty inexcusable in laptops of the cost and quality of MacBooks.
That being said let me shift your focus a bit?
Shiny keys happen on all MacBooks with just a little use or within 2 months of regular light use. If that is so resale value will not factor shiny keys because it is considered normal wear that is unavoidable. Sure, If you have a 3 year old Mac with a brand new looking keyboard light get you a few bucks more but it really won't make a huge difference.
If resale won't be affected by shiny keys since it is a guarantee on any Mac that has been just lightly used then you don't need to worry about it. In fact, until Apple makes MacBooks with a better plastic key in the keyboard your resale won't be affected. If Apple changed the plastic in the keys on new MacBooks that would be a factor but it isn't for normal expected wear.
I also disagree with the idea that is is a dollar store keyboard. It is not! I have had cheap keyboards on various laptops, Chromebooks, etc. This is an exceptional keyboard with incredible backlight with no light leaking from the keys. The accuracy is amazing for me. The feel of the keyboard is just about perfect for a thin and light. I love this keyboard and it rivals another favorite which is the Surface laptop keyboard which might be my favorite and the M2 MBA a very close second. The thing is my surface never had shiny keys??
Things that will affect your resale value,
Battery health.
Wear to the finish of the case on any surface, scratches, dings, etc.
Scratches to the screen.
These are the things that will affect your resale value far more than shiny keys.
MacBooks seem to hold up well over time as long as you are careful and keep your laptop in a case when not in use as much as possible.
If you focus on things that you really can't control and that are pretty much guaranteed to happen over time it will simply create anxiety and fear and potentially harm the enjoyment of your MacBook. Just do your best with common sense methods to keep your Mac in the best condition possible while getting the most use possible before you sell it.
Otherwise I think considering the weight and limited portability with the remedies you have made defeating the entire point of an Air Laptop I would seriously consider a desktop option as new releases like the new Mac mini are pretty affordable. Then your peripherals would mostly be your own and then it is just the Mac mini or iMac which would be much easier to keep in good condition for resale.
BUT you do you. I am just considering stress and well being. I think it would greatly lower your stress if you simply had a desktop or if a laptop is important and the shiny keys and keyboard I general are unacceptable to you or you may have to consider a different type of laptop like a Windows laptop.
I have had countless Windows laptops and Chromebooks and the only time I have ever had shiny keys is on MacBooks with the exception of the printed keycaps on really, really cheap laptops. Any decent Windows laptop or decent Chromebook for the last at least 15-20 years I have never experienced any deterioration in the keys or shiny keys. On any modern and mid range or higher Windows or other laptop I never had shiny keys and my MacBooks were the first. My M2 MBA took the least amount of time. Other m series MacBook have had similar shiny keys but it took longer like 6 to 12 months instead of 2??
Yes we would love that. If your doesn't have shiny keys then you'll have to tell all of us how you prevented it. Because everyone has shiny keys on their MacBooks and there is no way around it
I regret not testing the store demo at Best Buy for longer before buying the Air M3. The wobbly keys really ruin the typing experience for me but I've just accepted it. But when used at home, there's no point in me using the laptops keyboard when I have the ability to use much better keyboards with it. I am using a mechanical with full CNC machined aluminum casing and fully sound dampened top to bottom. No laptop keyboard can even compare to the typing experience.
For on the go it's a different story, as its the only time that I will use the laptops keyboard because it's just not logical to carry around a metal keyboard to go with the Air that weighs more than the Air itself. If I'm using the Air outside of the house for a short time, then I will use the laptop keyboard.
But if I'm using it out of the house somewhere for the entire day (or even half day) then I have no problem bringing my over 4lb mechanical keyboard, MX Master 3S mouse and 16" portable monitor along too just to make the whole experience that much better. With my 16" portable monitor, mouse and keyboard it really does make the Air feel like a complete desktop experience. Well worth carrying all the extra parts around to get that far superior experience if I'm using it somewhere for awhile. And the mechanical keyboards that I have, I never have to worry about shiny keys on them.
Ive been thinking about getting those key stickers that you can put on the keys itself to prevent shiny keys. It seems popular.
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Are you spreading baby powder or chalk dust on the keys before using it each time? Unless you're doing that or wearing latex gloves, how is it that you don't have shiny keys but everyone else does?
How should I know ? Perhaps my fingertips are dryer than an average person. Although I don't think I have particularly dry hands. I have also never used any of my laptops while eating, I hate it when I have to use some other people's keyboards and they are sticky from some chips they've been munching on. I do get some shine on keys after a couple months of use, probably from skin oil accumulation, but it's usually gone after a quick wipe with a damp microfiber cloth.
To add: I don't think everyone else necessarily has shiny keys. Those who don't are unlikely to complain or even know that this is an issue. Some people just have more skin oil on their fingers than others. When you go to the store, the display unit is touched by hundreds of people so it's obviously going to get all shiny even if just one in 10 has oily skin. So it's not a good indicator of whether the problem is widespread.
I've done quite a bit of research on the topic of shiny keys and I don't see a way to avoid it from happening. Apple just uses extremely cheap plastic for the keyboards.
Well, I don’t have shiny keys. I uploaded the picture before.
I’m working from home today, so here’s also my wife’s 2019 MBA, heavily used for almost six years. I don’t consider these keys as particularly shiny. Do you?
Im not sure how you got so lucky, honestly. The keys on the M2 and M3 MacBooks will shine like marbles from just a few weeks of usage. Compared to my last MacBook in 2013, which was used everyday as a main computer and after 6 years of usage it may have had a tiny bit of wear (and had to see inspected up close to see it) but nothing compared to the cheap keyboards in them now.
In two months of light use the key caps on my M2 MBA started showing shiny spots. It has progressively gotten worse.
Many people experience this.
I don’t remember my first m1 mbp 13" having this issue or my M1 Max MBP 16" both of which I don't own anymore. If they did have the shiny keys it was very mild compared to the new MacBooks.
Anyone who says because this issue hasn't affected them, therefore it doesn't exist is a nice way of redirecting the conversation away. Most people experience shiny keys on the latest MacBooks within a very short period of time and without heavy users. Just because a minority subset get lucky doesn't mean the issue doesn't exist.
It should be a pretty easy fix for Apple.