Keyboard on MBPro a bit worse than MBAir?

[rebelo]

Hi there,

Maybe it's just me, but does anyone out there also feel the keyboard from Macbook Air is better than the Macbook Pro's? I own both machines and I write for a living. It's funny how the MBAir's keyboard feels better to type and for long sessions of writing. For me it's a shame, because the screen is so much worse than MBPro's. Does anyone have the same feeling? I really wish to get a new M5 MBpro, but when I think about the keyboard difference...

Thanks for any shared opinion.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Interesting. I can't compare since I don't have the MBA, but now I am curious to try it out. The next time I am at the Apple Store, I will give it a shot.

That said, coming from a ThinkPad (X1C6) with its classic ALPS keyboard, I have been spoilt. I do find the MBP KB quite different in feel but I attribute that to what I am used to. I don't seem to be making mistakes while typing, and I think while the sound of the MBP KB is different as compared to the ThinkPad, it is also a bit more silent.

Cheers!

 

[ascender]

Agreed, I don't think you're imagining it. I prefer the keyboard feel of the MBA and also the thinner body of the MBA for typing.

But that screen and those speakers...

Ultimately you'll get used to whatever one you have and will forget about the other.

 

[rebelo]

Interesting. I can't compare since I don't have the MBA, but now I am curious to try it out. The next time I am at the Apple Store, I will give it a shot.

That said, coming from a ThinkPad (X1C6) with its classic ALPS keyboard, I have been spoilt. I do find the MBP KB quite different in feel but I attribute that to what I am used to. I don't seem to be making mistakes while typing, and I think while the sound of the MBP KB is different as compared to the ThinkPad, it is also a bit more silent.

Cheers!

@kristalsoldier You are spoiled indeed. ThinkPads historically have had the best keyboards known to human when it comes to laptops. This is true since the good old IBM times and fortunately Lenovo kept the ergonomics, but unfortunately only on the ThinkPad line. The other lines/series of Lenovo laptops have only average and subpar keyboards, which is a shame. I once had an old ThinkPad only for long sessions of writing and a Dell XPS for everything else. This was 15-16 years ago, before I "transitioned" to the Apple's ecosystem. The Intel's Macbook Pros had an almost perfect keyboard as well, pretty close to ThinkPads, almost there. But Apple gave up on keyboard ergonomics since the disaster called 'butterfly keyboard' and even after that their current keyboards are only average. Macbook Air's keyboard is good indeed, Macbook Pro's keyboard is really average. You should keep your ThinkPad! Cheers.

 

[kp98077]

i MUCH prefer the keyboardon the Pro to me its perfect! Love the clicky sound, mushiness and all!

 

[zenmacx]

I spend a lot of time writing on each of my laptops. An M3 13” MacBook Air and my 16” M4 MacBook Pro. I find the keyboards feel identical.

Perhaps there could be a slight difference on some due to normal manufacturing tolerances but I would expect it to be minimal.

On mine I just don’t notice any difference.

 

[TechRunner]

I have an M4 MBP and have some limited experience with the Air's keyboard (M3) but I didn't notice a major difference between them.

 

[kristalsoldier]

@kristalsoldier You are spoiled indeed. ThinkPads historically have had the best keyboards known to human when it comes to laptops. This is true since the good old IBM times and fortunately Lenovo kept the ergonomics, but unfortunately only on the ThinkPad line. The other lines/series of Lenovo laptops have only average and subpar keyboards, which is a shame. I once had an old ThinkPad only for long sessions of writing and a Dell XPS for everything else. This was 15-16 years ago, before I "transitioned" to the Apple's ecosystem. The Intel's Macbook Pros had an almost perfect keyboard as well, pretty close to ThinkPads, almost there. But Apple gave up on keyboard ergonomics since the disaster called 'butterfly keyboard' and even after that their current keyboards are only average. Macbook Air's keyboard is good indeed, Macbook Pro's keyboard is really average. You should keep your ThinkPad! Cheers.

Thanks! And, you bet! I really like the X1C6. It is just the 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD were showing their age. And, having never used an MBP before, I thought - why not! So, here I am! But that ThinkPad is staying with me!

PS: I have to read up about this "butterfly keyboard" thing that you referred to. I have have see this referenced previously, but don't know anything about it.