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A fast computer with a shabby keyboard looks like a Les Paul with broken strings, or a Ferrari with a broken gearshift. They are not good if you can not use them properly.
Think about it: have you ever had to relearn how to type because of an awkward or unfamiliar keyboard? A good keyboard disappears in one way or another, as if you were merged with your PC
That is why the keyboard is what matters most for the new MacBook Pro. The five rows of keys look almost identical to the model from last year, but
Apple
calls this his third-generation "butterfly" keyboard. Apple says the big difference is that it's more calm.
Anyone who uses a MacBook during a conference call or at a meeting can tell you that it's good … and necessary. But my tests show that Apple has probably solved a bigger problem than noise.
In case you're curious, here's the lean on the rest of the new expensive MacBook Pro, which comes in 13 and 15-inch models. They are not for ordinary users. The benefits are for people who care about graphics rendering times, or who really want to play "Fortnite" at work. They are for those who are not laundered to pay between $ 2,400 and $ 6,700 for a laptop. Which means, not most people. (For normal humans, Apple offers a compromise choice: the iPad Pro with a keyboard case, the 12-inch MacBook Ultra-thin but undernourished and the old MacBook Air.)
Fortunately, The most important improvements of the Pro will come to other devices soon enough. The performance enhancement through the latest Intel chips, the TrueTone display that looks good in all lighting, the special secondary chip that allows Siri to be always at the same time. listen – I'm expecting them to infiltrate on more affordable MacBooks. , a MacBook feature in particular created a controversy. Apple showed a new striking mechanism in 2015 when it introduced the 12-inch MacBook waif with the butterfly keyboard, named for the two small wings on either side of a key that flaps up and down for that he is moving. The butterfly keys have enabled Apple to put incredibly thin keyboards in incredibly thin notebooks.
To make the whole room thinner, reduce the "stroke", the distance a key moves up and down when you press it. Designers must also balance features such as oscillation (does the key move without recording a press?), Peak force (should it snap to do something?), Key size and the distance between them. "It's a mix of art and science," said Art O. Gnimh, Keyboards Manager.
Logitech
.
I have never taken care of the butterfly keyboard. It just feels too shallow, too close to tapping on the glass rather than pressing a key. But some users had bigger problems.
Since every key moves so little, anything in its path – even a speck of dust – could make its use useless. Apple says very few people have had problems, but still offers free repairs. (Note: If you have your old keyboard repaired, Apple will not replace it with the new version.) Three complaints claiming class action status in California allege that Apple knew that the keyboard was faulty and continued to sell it anyway
. brings us back to the new MacBook Pro keyboard. The most important change of Apple is a thin silicone membrane attached under the keys. It dampens the sound, at least a little. I've found the new Pro's keyboard both quieter and more enjoyable to listen to without some of the hype from the older model. It seems likely, however, that the actual purpose of the membrane is not on the decibels.
An Apple 2016 patent filing describes a keyboard mechanism similar to that implemented on the Pro, describing it as a means of "preventing and / or mitigating the entry of contaminants". The new silicone membrane seems to do just that. "It's obvious that it's a blanket, a raincoat," says Samantha Lionheart, technical writer at iFixit, a website dedicated to helping people repair their own technology. It acts as a shield for tiny butterfly wings and as a bellows blowing dust every time you press a key.
If Apple recognized the benefits of the membrane, one would have to admit that there was a dust problem with a keyboard. continues to sell in large volumes on cheaper MacBooks.
The new design, however, makes the difference. In my tests, which consisted largely of pouring Cheetos dust all over my keyboard (purely by accident, of course), the new Pro did a very good job of keeping the crud. Some remains have still done under the keys, but nothing has prevented my keys from working. Ms. Lionheart came to the same conclusion in her tests, which were decidedly more scientific but involved far less Cheetos.
This is an improvement. But it is still far from my favorite laptop keyboard. I much prefer typing on Microsoft's Surface Laptop or the Google Pixelbook.
If you buy a MacBook Pro, I recommend you use Logitech's 200 € Craft Keyboard, which is a pleasure to type on. It can simultaneously control other devices, so you can use the keyboard on your phone, iPad and laptop without moving your hands.
I also like the Matias 100 $ aluminum wireless keyboard, which looks remarkably like a product made by Apple. Even Apple's $ 100 magic keyboard, which uses the old scissorswitch mechanisms, offers a more satisfying and comfortable typing experience.
If you are looking for something more like a typewriter than a touch screen, the $ 150 Das Keyboard 4 offers all the clatter that you might want.
No keyboard is good for everyone. So the next time you're on the market for a PC, instead of worrying about RAM and processor speeds, put your fingers on the keys and type a few sentences. Make sure you have a keyboard that fits you. This will make even the machine slowest at the speed of lightning.
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