Filing the corners off my MacBooks • Hacker News Board

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#681

Post by mrguyorama » Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 6:17 PM UTC

chihuahua wrote: post #177

vvpan wrote: post #101

I just came into Mac world for work and struggle to understand the choices Apple makes: - Sharp edges eat into my forearms. - Glossy screen makes it hard to see when it's light out. - The keys have a real hard stop when you press on them which tires out my hands. - An arrogant desire to obsolete ports. I don't understand the appeal of the machine, it feels like style over function everywhere.

I, too, only use Macs when my employer forces me to do so. Here's how I made it bearable: MacBook lid stays closed at all times; plug it into a Thunderbolt hub (requires just 1 Thunderbolt port for everything); connect a proper matte monitor, external keyboard, Logitech mouse. Now the only annoying things are the MacOS window manager (uBar attempts to fix this, but is flaky) and the weird keyboard mappings for things…

I found external, non-apple mice had terrible functionality. There was forced acceleration and other ways in which the Magic mouse and Mac were purposely configured to work "differently" from normal mice and it made using anything other than a Magic mouse work terribly.

Which sucks because the magic mouse is the worst mouse money can buy.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#682

Post by chihuahua » Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 6:27 PM UTC

stephbook wrote: post #643

chihuahua wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I, too, only use Macs when my employer forces me to do so. Here's how I made it bearable: MacBook lid stays closed at all times; plug it into a Thunderbolt hub (requires just 1 Thunderbolt port for everything); connect a proper matte monitor, external keyboard, Logitech mouse. Now the only annoying things are the MacOS window manager (uBar attempts to fix this, but is flaky) and the weird keyboard mappings for things…

Do you still have to install third-party software to keep it running when you close the lid? Does it still not support "Windows Hello" style face unlock when closed? I remember I couldn't touch the fingerprint sensor when closed and the MacBook was unable to use my Windows Hello camera.

It seemed to just keep running with the lid closed. I think I woke it up with the keyboard and it didn't care whether the lid was open or closed.

I just used the keyboard to unlock by entering the password every time.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#683

Post by ddlsmurf » Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 6:47 PM UTC

bragr wrote: post #247

ddlsmurf wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

only two prongs of which make it through. Usually the regulation as I understand is that it's fine if you can prove the case can never get in contact with anything electric, for most laptops that's just being made of plastic.

As has been established in other threads here, the metal button thing the prongs slide onto is an earth connection.

Just take an apple charger and a multimeter, try to find a path to ground from the computer side, I'll wait. Plugs have regulations on how they can be built which are different from how they must be connected.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#684

Post by a96 » Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 6:48 PM UTC

Groxx wrote: post #553

Yeah, they are quite uncomfortable. A clear "form before function" decision, and one of many "the wrong people are deciding things" signs :/ I like the idea of fully blending the notch, rather than just rounding slightly. Looks comfy and distinct!

The form is fuckugly, too. At least it's somewhat consistent, though.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#685

Post by dwaite » Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 6:53 PM UTC

kpil wrote: post #538

jacobolus wrote: post #519

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> save our wrists If your wrist is in contact with the edge of the laptop while you are actively typing, then your typing style has a good chance of giving you RSI. You'd be better off trying to fix that than trying to make the fast path to RSI more convenient.

How the f are you supposed to type? Ideally I'd like full support for my arms from the elbow to the wrist. In my first job - i think it was in 1997, I had my own small room with an L-shaped desk with a rounded corner. That gave a few inches of space for resting my arms - both when typing on a quite reasonable Pentium laptop, and especially when using the mouse. Since then, the desks and the chairs has become shittier…

On a modern laptop, the keyboard is on the top half of the lower case these days, not the bottom.

My palms are hovering over or resting on the chassis, and I sit high enough that my wrists do not come in contact with the edge of the case or desk. The majority of the weight of my arms is supported by my shoulders. For me, the ideal height happens to be pretty close to a neutral wrist position.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#686

Post by necovek » Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 7:27 PM UTC

Slow_Hand wrote: post #344

wraptile wrote: post #310

I used a macbook for almost 2 years and genuinely don't understand how people can tolerate these machines. My wrists would be cut up all the time to the point where I looked like I was self harming myself and the glary screen is entirely unsuable anywhere but a darkest basement. Not to mention the terrible keyboard. To this day I'm perplexed how macbooks have such high desirability by full time developers when they'r…

I hear people complain about laptop ergonomics all of the time and I don't understand it. I have zero issues with either of my Macbooks. I can go for hours and not be fatigued. If I have it in my lap, the outer ball of each wrist is resting on the body to the left and right of the trackpad and that means my forearms are angled upwards, away from the edges. They never rest on the edge of the laptop until I use the tra…

People have differently sized hands too: with my fingers on the home row, 13" and 14" Macs have the heels of my hands resting exactly on the sharp bottom edge.

Glare from the screen can affect you more if you have problems with halos in general (many vision problems can cause them, and fatigue won't help either), causing reflections to disproportionately affect legibility of the screen for you.

Finally, the keyboards are simply bad in comparison to best keyboards (in terms of typing feedback) on small portable laptops like Thinkpad X1 Carbons (though those have gotten significantly worse with Gen 7 onwards too).

Additional gripe I'd have is that they are very heavy in this day and age when we are getting laptops under 1kg (2.2lbs) in 14" size that perform and hold battery adequately well. This only hurts if you travel a lot and carry more than one laptop with you (business and personal, for instance).

But really, ergonomics is hard because everyone is different, and as long as you are outside the 2 SDs from average (and you can be so only on one of those measures, like your hand size or torso height or head size), your ergonomic position might be impossible.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#687

Post by necovek » Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 7:40 PM UTC

koonsolo wrote: post #418

onli wrote: post #389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember multiple reviews of other laptops that indeed came close in all of those categories. So those statements are objectively wrong. Problem is that I dont remember which, and if I remembered the model might very well not be in stock anymore. The other vendors with their always changing lineup of models make that impossible by choice.

"comes close" in itself is a very relative concept. So how can you claim my statements are "objectively wrong"?. Depends on how close "close" is, right. If you can provide me an example of a laptop that beats one of those categories, it's objectively wrong. In all other cases, nope.

In reviews, I'd say the closest one can get is either Asus Zephyrus ROG G14 or Asus ProArt PX13, on top of the mentioned HP ZBook.

As I like my laptops not cutting into my palms when typing and being lighter, I am sticking with Thinkpad X1 Carbon for now and enjoying the fact they are less than 1kg as well (also, they run actual Linux well :)).

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#688

Post by necovek » Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 7:41 PM UTC

rbanffy wrote: post #439

koonsolo wrote: post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I switched as a long time Linux user to a MacBook because of the hardware: - Battery: no other laptop comes even close - Trackpad: I don't use a mouse anymore, no other laptop comes close - Audio: No other laptop comes close "Sharp edges" really don't bother me to be honest, I wouldn't have noticed it if nobody told me. I have a nano-texture screen, and it works great in daylight. Just goes to show how opinions can d…

My only complaint is with the EN-international keyboard my company prefers - there is no way to reverse the tilde key position back to the same place next to 1 on the US keyboard. The OS knows what keyboard the laptop has and refuses to change it.

I am using XKB layouts from Linux recompiled for Macs and loaded with Karabiner: I am sure something as simple as rearranging the tilde key is possible, but maybe management software from your company will prohibit it.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#689

Post by xenadu02 » Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 9:03 PM UTC

I do some machining as a hobby (I get enough of computers at work and elsewhere) so here's a similar tip:

Don't treat your lathe faceplate as a precious artifact. Need to clamp an oddly shaped part to it? Drill and tap some holes. That's what it is for.

Is that reamer too long to fit? Cut it shorter.

Modify your tools to make you happier or more productive.

What if the modification doesn't turn out well? Great! You learned something. Make the next one better.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#690

Post by kbutler » Tue, Apr 14, 2026, 2:46 AM UTC

traceroute66 wrote: post #674

kbutler wrote: post #561

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Straight wrists is good, but hovering like a pianist is not good for extended computer use.

> but hovering like a pianist is not good for extended computer use. Why ? If you were taught piano by any teacher worth their fee, then your position is natural, effortless and your wrists are limp without tension. Exactly the same position as an ideal computer keyboard position. Piano position is the best keyboard position. Your fingers are doing the work.

Constant change in position, dynamic motion, strong & brief muscular exertion of whole hand and arm, even including the shoulder vs constant static position w/ small repetitive motions, where the fingers really are doing almost all the work.