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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: _GMK_ on Sat, 09 March 2019, 02:30:37

Title: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: _GMK_ on Sat, 09 March 2019, 02:30:37
A poll states that the most important feature in the next Apple laptops is a good keyboard.


"The ATP hosts all made a "good keyboard" their top priority, an idea that would've been surprising a few years ago but now is almost a given. Yes, of course, Apple laptops need to be fast and reliable and have great displays and good battery life, but the past few years' worth of MacBooks have made a lot of people realize the truth: a bad/unreliable laptop keyboard isn't something you can really work around if you're a laptop user."
https://m.slashdot.org/story/353028

https://sixcolors.com/post/2019/03/prioritizing-the-macbook-hierarchy-of-needs/
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Sintpinty on Sat, 09 March 2019, 05:59:56
Most of the keyboards that i type on are membrane. I can't find my mechanical keyboard, but it's somewhere in the house and only works with my laptop.

In fact, the one that i'm typing on is  a 60 % membrane. It does not have numpad keys because... apple doesn't need those.
I just want a good keyboard, and that's why i entered a giveaway. Unfortuately i never win though.
Would definitely not buy a Apple Macbook due to their keyboard, and the pain of having to plug in an external one.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Sintpinty on Sat, 09 March 2019, 06:01:40
Yes, of course, Apple laptops need to be fast and reliable and have great displays and good battery life, but the past few years' worth of MacBooks have made a lot of people realize the truth: a bad/unreliable laptop keyboard isn't something you can really work around if you're a laptop user."
I believe the only workaround for that is to use the “thunderbolt adapter” to usb, which costs an additional 20 dollars. This is exactly why i do not want a macbook: because of all the adapters you have to use! Windows and Linux are superior to it!
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Lanrefni on Sat, 09 March 2019, 06:22:09
Apples last good keyboard was the AEK II,everything after that has been crap.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Sup on Sat, 09 March 2019, 06:26:24
Apples last good keyboard was the AEK II,everything after that has been crap.
True still rocking a AEK II JP
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: chyros on Sat, 09 March 2019, 07:10:38
man if thats their first priority why buy mac they havent made anything good since the aekii and even that was already a decline
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: killyou on Sat, 09 March 2019, 07:39:51
If that's the priority and reason they pay premium then just buy thinkpad lolz.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: mkkeyboardvigilante on Sat, 09 March 2019, 07:42:11
On this old MacBook Air I had before spilling water on it by accident, the keyboard on there wasn't that good. No butterfly crap but the keys would wear out quickly and I'd have to replace them from time to time.

I could see the scissor switches when this happened. Nowadays since I never use their built in keyboard and just use my other boards and connect to my computer, no problem there with my current MacBook Air I bought last year.

I don't mind a good scissor switch. I still sometimes type on my Logitech K740 occasionally at night when I'm on my bed or something but the ones on Apple really suck and aren't as comfortable at all imo.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Sintpinty on Sat, 09 March 2019, 10:51:48
Apples last good keyboard was the AEK II,everything after that has been crap.
Old Apple keyboards(except AppleDesign but kudos to the students who designed it) are probably the best designed and are way more comfortable to use besides their mouse.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: tp4tissue on Sat, 09 March 2019, 10:54:06
Did they ever expand on what is causing these latest keyboard failures ? membrane layer too thin ?
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Sintpinty on Sat, 09 March 2019, 10:58:39
I think it's because they make them really cheap using scissor switch technology. I know as a fact if you use their stupid butterfly switches, they're really prone to failure and cause strain for heavy typists like me.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Lanrefni on Sat, 09 March 2019, 11:44:23
I would just like to say I hate you all,after posting in this thread I decided to peruse Ebay for AEK II's and found one that looks to be in near perfect condition for $40,it should be here in about a week.   :mad:

 I haven't used one in years and I have a Pro Micro I tore pads off trying to desolder it,but not the important ones.  :thumb:
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Sintpinty on Sat, 09 March 2019, 12:05:59
On this old MacBook Air I had before spilling water on it by accident, the keyboard on there wasn't that good. No butterfly crap but the keys would wear out quickly and I'd have to replace them from time to time.

I could see the scissor switches when this happened. Nowadays since I never use their built in keyboard and just use my other boards and connect to my computer, no problem there with my current MacBook Air I bought last year.

I don't mind a good scissor switch. I still sometimes type on my Logitech K740 occasionally at night when I'm on my bed or something but the ones on Apple really suck and aren't as comfortable at all imo.
Same. Mac keyboards always look like they're burnt.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: mkkeyboardvigilante on Sat, 09 March 2019, 12:10:52
On this old MacBook Air I had before spilling water on it by accident, the keyboard on there wasn't that good. No butterfly crap but the keys would wear out quickly and I'd have to replace them from time to time.

I could see the scissor switches when this happened. Nowadays since I never use their built in keyboard and just use my other boards and connect to my computer, no problem there with my current MacBook Air I bought last year.

I don't mind a good scissor switch. I still sometimes type on my Logitech K740 occasionally at night when I'm on my bed or something but the ones on Apple really suck and aren't as comfortable at all imo.
Same. Mac keyboards always look like they're burnt.
Yeah. Even with your hands super clean, the keys still shine pretty quickly. I'm assuming it's some cheaper ABS. I understand why Apple has gotten so much criticism these days.



Sent from my REVVLPLUS C3701A using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: _GMK_ on Sun, 10 March 2019, 05:32:51
On this old MacBook Air I had before spilling water on it by accident, the keyboard on there wasn't that good. No butterfly crap but the keys would wear out quickly and I'd have to replace them from time to time.

I could see the scissor switches when this happened. Nowadays since I never use their built in keyboard and just use my other boards and connect to my computer, no problem there with my current MacBook Air I bought last year.

I don't mind a good scissor switch. I still sometimes type on my Logitech K740 occasionally at night when I'm on my bed or something but the ones on Apple really suck and aren't as comfortable at all imo.
Same. Mac keyboards always look like they're burnt.
Yeah. Even with your hands super clean, the keys still shine pretty quickly. I'm assuming it's some cheaper ABS. I understand why Apple has gotten so much criticism these days.



Sent from my REVVLPLUS C3701A using Tapatalk

Again. Oily fingers make no difference in the aspect of shining your precious abs, which is a plastic resistant to sebum and animal - vegetal oil in general.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Riverman on Mon, 18 March 2019, 13:09:51
I would just like to say I hate you all,after posting in this thread I decided to peruse Ebay for AEK II's and found one that looks to be in near perfect condition for $40,it should be here in about a week.   :mad:

 I haven't used one in years and I have a Pro Micro I tore pads off trying to desolder it,but not the important ones.  :thumb:
I still have an old AEK II that my dad bought in the early '90s.  I pulled it out after buying a Matias Quiet Pro, and was quickly reminded that there's no substitute for the original.  I don't know how Matias can claim their quiet switches are recreations of the old damped cream Alps switches.  They're nothing alike.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Lanrefni on Mon, 18 March 2019, 13:28:39
I would just like to say I hate you all,after posting in this thread I decided to peruse Ebay for AEK II's and found one that looks to be in near perfect condition for $40,it should be here in about a week.   :mad:

 I haven't used one in years and I have a Pro Micro I tore pads off trying to desolder it,but not the important ones.  :thumb:
I still have an old AEK II that my dad bought in the early '90s.  I pulled it out after buying a Matias Quiet Pro, and was quickly reminded that there's no substitute for the original.  I don't know how Matias can claim their quiet switches are recreations of the old damped cream Alps switches.  They're nothing alike.

I got mine working and the switches are lovely to type on,sadly it being non split means it really screwed up my wrists after 8 hours of use,currently messing around with KLE and Swillkb to see if I can make a decent split board to use the switches and caps in.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Leslieann on Mon, 18 March 2019, 17:56:29
I'm not expecting them to return to a good keyboard any time soon, if ever.
You might see it next complete refresh (not just a cpu update), but how long before we see that? And why should they change it? Things are selling just fine and quite often they can blame and charge the customer each time it has a problem.

I REALLY wish hardcore Mac users would understand that they are no longer their focus.
They don't need you, they don't want you, Macintosh represents 10% of Apple's profits and you are a minority in that 10%.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Riverman on Tue, 19 March 2019, 16:06:20
I'm not expecting them to return to a good keyboard any time soon, if ever.
You might see it next complete refresh (not just a cpu update), but how long before we see that? And why should they change it? Things are selling just fine and quite often they can blame and charge the customer each time it has a problem.

I REALLY wish hardcore Mac users would understand that they are no longer their focus.
They don't need you, they don't want you, Macintosh represents 10% of Apple's profits and you are a minority in that 10%.
Apple hasn't cared much about hardcore Mac users since OS X came out.  I would love to see more Mac mechanical keyboard options.  The ones that are out there are generally either all white (Varmilo) or white and silver and crappy, and none of those match current Macs, which are all black and silver.  The original Das Keyboard Mac edition matches better, but even that one's half-a**ed because it's missing the proper function key legends.  I'm currently using a Filco Majestouch 2 with WASD's Mac function keys, option, and command keycaps.
Title: Re: Apple users just want a good keyboard
Post by: Sintpinty on Wed, 20 March 2019, 10:15:33
Apples last good keyboard was the AEK II,everything after that has been crap.
Yes, and i agree with you. Looks so cheap. Why would i pay 180 dollars for a keyboard that is made out of real cheap materials, and is slanted up by default?
I could just get a mechanical keyboard for that price, seriously.