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De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

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Re: De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

#31

Post by rconti »

shimms wrote: post #11
geophile wrote: post #2

I've owned MBPs for over ten years. But my mid-2015 15" MBP ("peak MBP") is giving out, and I need a replacement. It won't be another MBP, because of the keyboard regressions -- the butterfly keyboard, and the touchbar. Thinking about a System 76 Galago.

> It won't be another MBP, because of the keyboard regressions Have you tried the third generation butterfly on the 2018 MBP and MBA? I hate with a passion the first two attempts at the butterfly keyboard, but the third gen I actually enjoy using.

I had my first MBP butterfly keyboard failing with a spec of dust or something. At my new job, new MBP, no such problem -- but I'm mixed on replacing my (personal) 2011 MBA with a 2018 MBA because of the keyboard and USB port and SD card reader regression.

Tried a 2018 MBA at the apple store -- I didn't realized they changed the keyboard, but it's definitely better.

I don't hate the keyboard on my 2018 MBP but its.. not great. I just rarely use it; I typically have my computer plugged into external keyboard/monitor.

Re: De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

#32

Post by glhaynes »

eslaught wrote: post #30
dkonofalski wrote: post #8

I see a lot of complaining about this keyboard online but I have yet to meet someone in person that thought it was as terrible as claimed. I love the new MacBook keyboards and Touch Bar but it's possible that I'm a complete outlier.

I wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on the 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard. It's... ok, I don't hate it, but even after years of using it, I still sometimes get this odd feeling that something is slightly off. I've never had this feeling before, with any keyboard except possibly with some of the more aggressive ergonomic keyboards like the Kinesis (and that was more of a layout issue). There are the maintenance issues, but that'…

When Apple replaces keyboards, they replace them with the 2018 keyboard (the one with the extra rubber barriers)?

Re: De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

#33

Post by munk-a »

snowwrestler wrote: post #20
perplex wrote: post #4

This is cool (and I don't even use mechanical keyboards). It reminds me of the movie "The Dilemma" where the characters were making an audio system to emit fake "muscle car" engine sounds for electric vehicles. Not a great quality clip, but here is the scene: https://youtu.be/Etu44hXY3zg?t=55

Some luxury cars play engine noise through the speakers: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15117726/faking-it-en...

Reading through that it looks like sometimes the sound is directed inward at the cabin and other times the speaker is in the engine itself... that latter setup is just so considerate to us pedestrians who love to hear people tear their engines out on short downtown blocks - thanks VW! /s

Re: De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

#34

Post by TomVDB »

dkonofalski wrote: post #8

I see a lot of complaining about this keyboard online but I have yet to meet someone in person that thought it was as terrible as claimed. I love the new MacBook keyboards and Touch Bar but it's possible that I'm a complete outlier.

Even if the keys were perfect, the lack of ESC key is disqualifying. I use Caps Lock all the times, so no remapping possible...

Re: De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

#35

Post by sorahn »

geophile wrote: post #2

I've owned MBPs for over ten years. But my mid-2015 15" MBP ("peak MBP") is giving out, and I need a replacement. It won't be another MBP, because of the keyboard regressions -- the butterfly keyboard, and the touchbar. Thinking about a System 76 Galago.

I was just looking at some of the 2015 refurbs on amazon. Not bad. I have a 2018 at work, and I hate the keyboard. I'm either gonna grab the highest spec 2015 when mine dies, or just use my work laptop until the next generation.

I'm not interested in shelling out for a new personal laptop with these keyboards. :(

Re: De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

#36

Post by forgetcolor »

dkonofalski wrote: post #8

I see a lot of complaining about this keyboard online but I have yet to meet someone in person that thought it was as terrible as claimed. I love the new MacBook keyboards and Touch Bar but it's possible that I'm a complete outlier.

I'm okay with the travel changes (and even sometimes prefer it to the old generation).

I am unhappy about the increased sound, but can live with it.

But the regular problems with repeating keys is an insane regression in functionality. I have this problem with a different key almost every day (today it's my 'i' key), but most days one of the keys repeats itself every time I activate iti, such that—see, that "iti" was a perfect example (I corrected the others)—and the repeat happens usually after the following letter. Drives. me. crazy.

Re: De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

#37

Post by throwawaymath »

dkonofalski wrote: post #8

I see a lot of complaining about this keyboard online but I have yet to meet someone in person that thought it was as terrible as claimed. I love the new MacBook keyboards and Touch Bar but it's possible that I'm a complete outlier.

I'm in the same boat. I prefer mechanical keyboards and have a small hobby collection of them. But I like my 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard and have never had a problem with it. Maybe people who don't have problems with the keyboards don't talk about them as much?

Re: De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

#38

Post by aaronbrethorst »

dkonofalski wrote: post #8

I see a lot of complaining about this keyboard online but I have yet to meet someone in person that thought it was as terrible as claimed. I love the new MacBook keyboards and Touch Bar but it's possible that I'm a complete outlier.

I have yet to meet someone in person that thought it was as terrible as claimed

I haven't met you in person, but I will tell you that it's even worse. I have a supply of cans of compressed air at home to clean out my MacBook Pro's keyboard on a regular basis lest the keys get stuck. I have never had to do this with any of my previous Mac laptops over the past 17 years.

Re: De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

#39

Post by klodolph »

forgetcolor wrote: post #36
dkonofalski wrote: post #8

I see a lot of complaining about this keyboard online but I have yet to meet someone in person that thought it was as terrible as claimed. I love the new MacBook keyboards and Touch Bar but it's possible that I'm a complete outlier.

I'm okay with the travel changes (and even sometimes prefer it to the old generation). I am unhappy about the increased sound, but can live with it. But the regular problems with repeating keys is an insane regression in functionality. I have this problem with a different key almost every day (today it's my 'i' key), but most days one of the keys repeats itself every time I activate iti, such that—see, that "iti" was…

This is a defect. There's a service program for keyboards with problems. I took mine to be serviced and it was returned without repeating keys or stuck keys.

https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-m...

Re: De-Suckafying Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard

#40

Post by blawson »

reaperducer wrote: post #16
dkonofalski wrote: post #8

I see a lot of complaining about this keyboard online but I have yet to meet someone in person that thought it was as terrible as claimed. I love the new MacBook keyboards and Touch Bar but it's possible that I'm a complete outlier.

I'm of mixed opinion on it. It took a while to get used to using it every day. Now I'm OK with it, except for the arrow keys. My biggest problems are that there are no landmarks for your fingers. I swivel between two or three or four computers when I work, and coming back to the MBP, it's hard to re-center my hands without looking. On earlier MacBooks, I think my brain used the inverted T arrows, because my fingers s…

Curious what you mean by no landmarks. I'm typing on a 2017 keyboard and it has the raised marks on the 'F' and 'J' keys to orient for touch typing like every other keyboard I can remember.
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