How good are Apple's keyboards in your opinion?

[maxtch]

How good do you guys regard Apple's keyboard mechanism designs?

 

I don't really like mechanical keyboards for their noise and hardness, while mushy membranes like Logitech K220 wireless drives me crazy. I have used mechanical before at a friend's, so please do not assume my experience on keyboards.

 

So far I actually like Apple's keyboard mechanism on their non-Retina unibody MacBook Pro the best, which is also used in my daily driver, their full-sized USB keyboard. I like the short travel distance on those keyboards allowing me to touch type very fast without making too much noise. The newer butterfly ones though have way too short a travel for me to use comfortably, thus I mistypes a lot on it. For a thin keyboard, Apple's boards are also surprisingly heavy (likely thanks to its solid aluminum frame) and don't budge even when I am using a lot of force on it. Also due to its thinness and reduced angle, the board itself is a bit smaller than most full-sized keyboards I have used and the desk surface itself makes a natural wrist rest with reduced muscle strain.

 

My main use case for the keyboard is programming and UNIX console work. This is why I need a good keyboard with overall good experience on all keys (instead of just WASD or arrow keys)

[d3sl91]

1. Have you tried all the different types of switches? Red switches with stoppers are very quiet and smooth. I'm sure others would work as well. The "blue" switches are the loud clicky kind - there are a good dozen types, all with different loudness and feel. http://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2012/12/an-introduction-to-cherry-mx-mechanical-switches/

 

2. I love MacBook Keyboards - But would never choose a mac keyboard for a desktop if I had the choice. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Froody129]

I have an iMac with the flat wireless keyboard. I can type decently but it’s not something I enjoy. I’m a mech keyboard guy though. The battery life is excellent and it feels very solid

 

I have no idea how it compares to the macbook keyboards though

[maxtch]

40 minutes ago, d3sl91 said:

1. Have you tried all the different types of switches? Red switches with stoppers are very quiet and smooth. I'm sure others would work as well. The "blue" switches are the loud clicky kind - there are a good dozen types, all with different loudness and feel. http://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2012/12/an-introduction-to-cherry-mx-mechanical-switches/

 

2. I love MacBook Keyboards - But would never choose a mac keyboard for a desktop if I had the choice. 

 

 

 

 

 

1. I don't have the chance of trying most keyboards. Also one of the benefits of Apple keyboards is being super thin, which is likely unachievable with mechanicals.

2. Apple used the same mechanism on their laptop and desktop keyboards.

 

39 minutes ago, JGBR said:

I personally like Butterfly two on their laptops but the white external ones, are poor ergonomically and slow to type on. 

I don't like Butterfly 2 externals too. However the older pre-Butterfly ones is a whole another story as a desktop keyboard.

 

34 minutes ago, Slippery Vagoo said:

i am not a fan of Apples laptop keyboards but their low profile USB keyboard is my favorite non mechanical keyboard, i think they have retired the USB keyboard though, not sure how the wireless one feels

I don't think it is entirely retired yet, but it is not often found in retail store fronts for sure. And yes I am talking about the low profile USB one being my favorite and my daily driver, the full-sized one with the pre-Butterfly mechanism.

 

19 minutes ago, Froody129 said:

I have an iMac with the flat wireless keyboard. I can type decently but it’s not something I enjoy. I’m a mech keyboard guy though. The battery life is excellent and it feels very solid

 

I have no idea how it compares to the macbook keyboards though

Is it the one with Butterfly series mechanism? Apple updated their keyboards very son after Butterfly came out. I am talking about the pre-Butterfly mechanism that is used on both the USB full size and pre-Retina Unibody MacBook Pro.

[Froody129]

2 minutes ago, maxtch said:

 

 

Is it the one with Butterfly series mechanism? Apple updated their keyboards very son after Butterfly came out. I am talking about the pre-Butterfly mechanism that is used on both the USB full size and pre-Retina Unibody MacBook Pro.

TBH I’m not sure. I think it’s a 2014 or a 2015 iMac. It has no numpad if I remember correctly.

 

I very rarely use the thing,  but I get the same vibes as the rest of the Apple products - superb build quality and size while sacrificing function and ergonomics. If you like th switches it’s a perfectly usable keyboard, it’s just mushy compared to my MX Blue clone 

[Hiya!]

U need to try Topre.

also this is how i think about apple keyboard.

Spoiler

 

[maxtch]

1 minute ago, Froody129 said:

TBH I’m not sure. I think it’s a 2014 or a 2015 iMac. It has no numpad if I remember correctly.

 

I very rarely use the thing,  but I get the same vibes as the rest of the Apple products - superb build quality and size while sacrificing function and ergonomics. If you like th switches it’s a perfectly usable keyboard, it’s just mushy compared to my MX Blue clone 

What is the key cap font on the keys? If it is San Francisco it uses Butterfly mechanism, else it is the pre-Butterfly mechanism I am talking about. Just look at the lower-case "a" in "tab" or "caps lock" and you can tell the two fonts apart.

 

I think Apple decided to build their keyboards super thin with a shallower angle to eliminate the use of wrist rests entirely, placing the keys at a location that just happens to allow the surface the keyboard is on serving as the wrist rest. For me build quality usually takes the front row for me, since programming does takes a significant toll out of all keys.

 

2 minutes ago, Hiya! said:

U need to try Topre.

also this is how i think about apple keyboard.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

How thin is Topre? What angle will it be placed at?

 

Also I think I will skip the keyboard that costs 5x the Apple USB keyboard with pre-Butterfly mechanism or 1.5x the 104-key Apple Magic Keyboard with Butterfly.

[maxtch]

31 minutes ago, JGBR said:

Plenty of programmers like the Butterfly two built into the latest macbooks/pro

Maybe I should give it a real try some time then. Butterfly 1 have way too short a travel and I feel like I am pressing against a touch panel not a keyboard.

[maxtch]

17 minutes ago, JGBR said:

I've seen many a forum saying people prefer version 2, I enjoy it also.

 

I still don't think that it might have a chance to approach the level of comfort with the pre-Butterfly designs, especially the USB one. The ~2mm travel, the tactile feedback, and the sheer solidness of the aluminum frame all make it feel like a good keyboard. Also the feature I miss very dearly is the built-in USB hub.

[maxtch]

1 minute ago, JGBR said:

I think the problem is many keyboards are user specific, we all type different ways. The standard white external USB or bluetooth one I type terribly, where butterfly 2.0 I am far better.

 

 

Maybe it was because of my college years. The pre-Butterfly mechanism is shared among non-Retina unibody MacBook Pros and the external white USB keyboard, and I have typed a lot of papers, thesis and patent application on my laptop when I was in college, on the keyboard built into my laptop.