Live data from Hacker News

Problems with MacBook butterfly switch keyboards

theoutline.com

111–120 of 291 posts

Re: Problems with MacBook butterfly switch keyboards

#111
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

stop making excuses for Apple's dumb decisions. With physical buttons I can find a key by feel just by running my fingers across the top row. Good luck accurately hitting any button on that stupid little touch screen.

The touch bar finally forced me to remap Caps Lock to Escape. It's much easier to hit on my computer (just don't ask me to use yours).

Personally I map caps to control because it makes all my text navigation easier (ctrl + a, ctrl + e, ctrl + shift + enter, etc).

Plus side: less RSI-feelings in my left wrist. Down side: muscle memory makes you look incompetent on other machines.

Re: Problems with MacBook butterfly switch keyboards

#112
post #69
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I understood it the part where you hit the power button when you don't want is the root of the problem. The horrible Mac keyboard is accidentally also the topic here.

Well, as noted though, this behavior is determined by the OS; it's not a hard-coded part of the system or anything. Windows has a control-panel option for what Windows should do when the power button is pressed, and for whatever reason, it defaults to "Shutdown". This is not the behavior on macOS, and as such accidental presses are not a problem on macOS, nor would it on Windows if the user desired.

The topic is not "macOS is ruining my life" but "The new MacBook keyboard is ruining my life".

Besides that, I would consider going on standby accidentally a problem independent of the OS (hitting the power button for a shot time usually gets you in standby also).

Re: Problems with MacBook butterfly switch keyboards

#113
post #21

Based on the title I assumed that this person was going to be complaining about joint damage due to the low key travel. This keyboard on my 12" MacBook is so bad that between having to get the top case replaced to fix broken keys (when as stated in the article, careful blowing didn't work and trying to replace the keys caused them to break) and my fingers feeing like they have aged many years from the poor ergonomics…

Your story resonated with me because I had the same experiences with a 12” MacBook. While I can’t really use you as an example, since you kind of need a Mac for a lot of the work you do specifically, I’ve heard the same complaints about Apple hardware from other long-time Mac users that don’t actually need to have a Mac. I am curious how many of those of us that don’t need macOS day to day have voted with their walle…

I am quite fond of the mobile workstations from Titan. They are a bit heftier, but I'm okay with that. You can customize them into real beasts.

Re: Problems with MacBook butterfly switch keyboards

#114
post #81
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

linux as daily driver is honestly good, from the bottom of my heart (I recommend xfce)

Also if any Linux laptop can give me 8 plus hours of productive battery life I am also switching. I had problems with an old one where closing laptop lid drained all the battery so I constantly had to worry about the on state of my laptop

It's already here. I got between 13h (normal workload) to 25h (no internet and Emacs only) on the Lenovo x270 with arch and i3wm

Re: Problems with MacBook butterfly switch keyboards

#115

It's rare seeing an ad get through ublock and hosts filters.

The outer div from the advert has a data-dfp-pixel attribute with a value of a doubleclick URL. I'm not sure what that is about, but I guess it is for tracking.

The images themselves are coming from the imgix CDN for outline-brand so they do seem to be providing their own adverts, but maybe using doubleclick for some sort of engagement tracking. I'm not really sure.

Re: Problems with MacBook butterfly switch keyboards

#116
post #31
post #9

I actually really like my 2017 MBP's keyboard. There isn't much key travel, but the keys do have a very satisfying "click." I prefer it over older apple keyboards. Keys do have issues weekly or so, but that's resolved by hitting the key a bunch; it's an inconvenience, but certainly not a dealbreaker.

Am I the only one who has been heavily using the new MBPs since launch, with zero keyboard issues whatsoever? And I sometimes eat at my laptop.

In the interest of not only providing anecdotes when I'm complaining: I too have had zero issues with the keyboard in the ~4 months I've been using it daily, and actually quite like it. I was afraid after hearing the stories that it'd be an expressionless, tactileless hunk of junk, but I like it a lot.

Re: Problems with MacBook butterfly switch keyboards

#117
post #47
post #5

My work gave me one of the 2016 15" MBPs as my main computer, and the keyboard is horrible. My V key double-presses about half the time, and the rest of the keys are really hard to press down all the way. Some of the keys make a weird metal rattle when I press them. Typing on that wretched keyboard for more than an hour or so literally bruises my fingers. Since I do most of my day-to-day work at a dock with an extern…

yes I agree. I don't know how hardware teams with such a stellar track record as Apple have can make such awful decisions. The first time I used the new keyboard I thought that it was broken in some way (how is a shorter key travel a better thing?), and the touch bar is just stupid. I've seen people use them and the awkward way they have to stop what they're looking doing, orient themselves with the silly little scre…

The answer is simple. They no longer had someone that would tell them "No, redo it."

It's also why we have a notch on the iPhone X.

Re: Problems with MacBook butterfly switch keyboards

#118
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a functional Escape key. It's right there in the top left corner. I use it hundreds of times a day. It's definitely not as nice as a dedicated key but you get used to it. And if you want permanent function keys then just go to the Keyboard control panel and enable it.

stop making excuses for Apple's dumb decisions. With physical buttons I can find a key by feel just by running my fingers across the top row. Good luck accurately hitting any button on that stupid little touch screen.

> stop making excuses for Apple's dumb decisions.

This breaks the HN guidelines by being uncivil as well as uncharitable in the sense requested here: "Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize."

Your comment would be fine without that first bit. Would you mind reading https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and following the guidelines when commenting here?

Re: Problems with MacBook butterfly switch keyboards

#120

Complete opposite is new Surface Book or however it is called. Keyboard travels just fine, it has touch screen, long life... I am writing this on Mac, I have several more, but since passing of Steve Jobs, things are just not right. Anyhow, looking at new Microsoft machine, with great graphics card and every feature I would want (sd card, thank you!), couldn't help but think about how things have changed. Oh and biggi…

Ha ha ha, truth hurts so much :) How Apple dares not be cool :)

I am in the same boat, I am just not as messed up as you downvoters.

Post reply on HN