Wonder how the 16" MBP keyboard compares to a ThinkPad keyboard

[lambertjohn]

We've all heard how great ThinkPad keyboards are. Specifically the X1 Carbon, the T480/480S/490, and some of the other ThinkPads models. Any current or past ThinkPad users out there now using a 16" MBP? If so, how is feel of the new 16" keyboard when compared to the ThinkPad keyboard?

 

[maflynn]

If so, how is feel of the new 16" keyboard when compared to the ThinkPad keyboard?

Inferior.

While the keyboard is a large improvement over the butterfly keyboard, the Thinkpad keyboard takes the cake imo.

Edit: Key travel, shaped keys, mechanical feel, all point to the thinkpad over the MBP.


Plus unlike the MBP, the Thinkpad is spill proof

 

[ugahairydawgs]

It’s a personal preference. The ThinkPad has more travel. Some may like that, some won’t.

Personally the ThinkPad keyboard is a bit too mushy for my taste, but everyone is going to be different there.

 

[AnotherSoftwareEngineer]

I have an X1C6 and a new 16" MBP. Both keyboards are good. The X1C6 has more travel. Whether that's better or not is an individual preference. To me it makes it feel "mushier".

 

[TechRunner]

While I have only spent fifteen minutes playing with a MBP 16 at BB, my wife has an X1C7, and I've spent a fair amount of time with it. To me, keyboards are a personal preference thing, so saying that I thought the Lenovo keyboard felt a bit more precise, and that I loved the extra key travel, is strictly my opinion. Having said that, I found the new MBP keyboard to be really good, and a vast improvement over the butterfly (my daughter has a '17 MBP which I've tried), but again, my opinion...

 

[terraphantm]

Thinkpads have always had better keyboards than Apple.

 

[lambertjohn]

Thinkpads have always had better keyboards than Apple.

In the past, yeah. But is that still the case now that the 16" MBP is out? You'd think with all the keyboard issues Apple has gone through in the past few years, they'd want to make a statement with their new 16" MBP keyboard.

 

[terraphantm]

In the past, yeah. But is that still the case now that the 16" MBP is out? You'd think with all the keyboard issues Apple has gone through in the past few years, they'd want to make a statement with their new 16" MBP keyboard. Maybe take the ThinkPad's place as the new standard in perfect keyboards? Probably not.

I have the 16. It's a decent keyboard, but the thinkpads are still better. As are the microsoft surface keyboards.

 

[fokmik]

Apple keyboard are still second to thinkpads
Not all of the thinkpads
Yes they require more thickness but otherwise apples 16” its very nice, better than my surface laptop 3 or a lot more but not the best until thinkpads key travel becoming less
When thinkpads key travel will get down to 1mm we will see, probably the apples one will be better, until then..the typewriters will prefer the current thinkpads
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Too bad that apple didn’t kept that 2018 membrane, it had some kind of spill resistance, tested with my own hans

 

[Pro7913]

16-inch MBP's keyboard are identical to the 3rd gen MBP.

 

[fokmik]

16-inch MBP's keyboard are identical to the 3rd gen MBP.

There is no apple keyboard with 1mm travel,so that alone makes is different and not identical. Butterfly had 0.8mm, the magic keyboard that close is the imacs that also has 1.2mm travel
Lets learn the meaning of the words that we are using first

 

[Donnation]

If I'm being totally honest I think the Thinkpad has a better keyboard. With that being said, I love typing on the new magic keyboard. It has a great feel and is sooooo much better for me that the butterfly keyboard. I'll take this keyboard and MacOS over a Thinkpad and Windows every single time.

 

[veritech137]

I like the ThinkPad's keyboard is better, but I still like the 16's though.

 

[jerryk]

They are junk until they have MX brown switches!!!

Now back to reality. The new 16" is close to the feel of the Apple Magic external keyboard used with the iMac. Many users find this to be their favorite keyboard on any device. The 16" keyboard has less travel than the external magic keyboard, and the keys are slightly stiffer, which feels better IMHO.

Compared to the Lenovo Thinkpads we have, the 16" is different, but just as delightful to use. The issues we see with the Lenovos are they get sort of greasy after a while compared to other keyboards. Not sure why, but some users have to wipe them off every so often. Other than that they are great.

 

[CloudsNeverDie]

The ThinkPad keyboards are definitely superior. I've been comparing them in the store. More travel, curved keys, less annoying tactile feedback and noise. That said, the X1 Extreme Gen 2 has an issue right now with dropping keystrokes due to a driver problem. The X1 track pad is also very nice, in particular I like having the physical mouse buttons next to the keyboard, you can press them with your thumb while dragging on the track pad with the other hand's fingers.

I used a late 2013 MBP for six years and love the keyboard on that thing. It has a lot more travel than the new MBP 16" and less tactile feedback. The MBP 16" keys feel a bit like pressing on the popped up metal lid of an opened jar. Pop down, Pop up. Yuck.

The Dell XPS 15 has a nice keyboard too, but there's too much space between the keys for my preference. I find myself missing the keys sometimes and pressing on the gap instead.

 

[lambertjohn]

16-inch MBP's keyboard are identical to the 3rd gen MBP.

Don't understand this statement. Can you explain what you're talking about, Pro7913?

 

[jerryk]

Don't understand this statement. Can you explain what you're talking about, Pro7913?

Agreed. The 16" keyboards is definitely not the same as say my 2015 15". The 16" is much better IMHO. Keys don't wobble as much, have less travel, and have more clickiness like a mechanical keyboard with MX switches.

 

[Pro7913]

There is no apple keyboard with 1mm travel,so that alone makes is different and not identical. Butterfly had 0.8mm, the magic keyboard that close is the imacs that also has 1.2mm travel
Lets learn the meaning of the words that we are using first

That doesnt change the fact that 16-inch MBP has an identical keyboard from the magic keyboard that we've been using for a long time. Both keycaps are totally identical. What do you expect?
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Don't understand this statement. Can you explain what you're talking about, Pro7913?

The keycaps from other non-butterfly keyboards are compatible and technically, they are the same keyboards.

 

[CloudsNeverDie]

Be careful, they are not exactly the same. The MBP 16" has 1.0mm of key travel. The Magic Keyboard had slightly more, at 1.2mm.

 

[Pro7913]

Be careful, they are not exactly the same. The MBP 16" has 1.0mm of key travel. The Magic Keyboard had slightly more, at 1.2mm.

That doesnt change everything at all. How can you explain that both keyboards from 16-inch MBP and other Mac keyboards with a scissor-type are using the same keycaps? Literally, they are identical. The travel distance is not that distinguishable.

 

[CloudsNeverDie]

I can certainly tell the difference. The butterfly keyboard had 0.7mm of key travel, so the difference in travel between the butterfly and the MBP 16 (0.3mm) is almost the same as the difference between the MBP 16 and the Magic Keyboard (0.2mm). Yes, the keycaps are the same. These keyboards are not "literally identical".

 

[Pro7913]

I can certainly tell the difference. The butterfly keyboard had 0.7mm of key travel, so the difference in travel between the butterfly and the MBP 16 (0.3mm) is almost the same as the difference between the MBP 16 and the Magic Keyboard (0.2mm). Yes, the keycaps are the same. These keyboards are not "literally identical".

0.2mm doesnt tell the difference and I have no idea what you are saying.

 

[matram]

The key travel is about midway between the Butterfly and the Magic Keyboards.

Apple has taken the scissor mechanism from the Magic Keyboard and adapted it.

They kind of hinted that they also had made changes to the dome switch to increase stability.

So, no, it is not exactly the Magic Keyboard.

 

[RedTheReader]

In the past, yeah. But is that still the case now that the 16" MBP is out? You'd think with all the keyboard issues Apple has gone through in the past few years, they'd want to make a statement with their new 16" MBP keyboard.

Apple was absolutely not trying to make a statement with this keyboard. I know I am in the minority in my dislike for it, but that's not what leads me to say this. They used the words "scissor" in their descriptions and marketing, compared it to the external iMac keyboard, and named it the "Magic Keyboard" (a name they've been using for a long while, making it very recognizable) all because they wanted people to know that this isn't yet a new attempt at making a keyboard from them. It's them admitting they were wrong and going back to an older design.

Apple did NOT want to experiment again. Believe it or not, there are people who like the Butterfly, and Apple probably liked it too. Contrary to popular thought, they didn't pump it out believing it was garbage. They really were trying to push the envelope in terms of keyboards. According to most people, they messed up. Why would they try their luck at making something superior again, when they might just mess up and make something people dislike again?

This is about being conservative and safe, not making something special. Special might not appeal to the masses, and that's not a risk worth taking after years of bad PR.

 

[impulse462]

i think the 16" keyboard feels better than the imac keyboard. they are definitely different. both are way better than the butterflys, however. those need to be erased from existence