M1 MacBook Air Keyboard

[Zazoh]

Just finished setting up my M1 Base MBA. Ahhh, the keyboard has travel! Reminds me of keyboards before the fiasco of a side trip down butterfly keyboard road.

Also: Zoom and VM Ware Horizon both work well running in Rosetta 2.

 

[saulinpa]

But still less travel than pre-butterfly. Feels like I am typing on a dead cat in comparison.

 

[OriginalClone]

I‘m loving this M1 Air keyboard. It’s way better than my 15” 2018. I like the physical function keys too.

 

[jacmacattack]

I‘m loving this M1 Air keyboard. It’s way better than my 15” 2018. I like the physical function keys too.

Way nicer than my MacBook Pro 16" 2019 too. There seems to be a bit more depth to each keypress for me on the M1 Air.

And the new Air made me realize what a useless waste of space the Touch Bar was for me...

 

[RigSatMe]

But still less travel than pre-butterfly. Feels like I am typing on a dead cat in comparison.

Don’t kick too hard!

 

[souko]

It is good for me. But the keyboard is slightly noisier than on my MBP 16" 2019. I am in minority but I miss the touchbar.

I like it much more than 2015 13" MBP keyboard though.

 

[James_C]

My favourite keyboard on an Apple laptop was the one that came with the original 2012 retina MacBook Pro 15". The worst by far was the one that shipped with the Late 2016 MBP, the first MBP with the new 'Butterfly' keyboard. The travel was very shallow and it almost felt like typing on an iPad screen. Also the keys were prone to get dust under them causing them to work intermittently. The one that I had had already been to the Apple Store once to remove dust under the keys.

The Magic Keyboard ( draft name IMO) in the M1 Air and Pro, after using it for a week feels much better to type on. Not as good as the 2012 15" Retina MBP, but infinitely better than the late 2016 MBP.

The Air also due to its tapered design makes typing more ergonomically comfortable, particularly on the wrists. This is one advantage the Air has over the M1 Pro.

 

[darkharbour]

My favourite keyboard on an Apple laptop was the one that came with the original 2012 retina MacBook Pro 15". The worst by far was the one that shipped with the Late 2016 MBP, the first MBP with the new 'Butterfly' keyboard. The travel was very shallow and it almost felt like typing on an iPad screen. Also the keys were prone to get dust under them causing them to work intermittently. The one that I had had already been to the Apple Store once to remove dust under the keys.

The Magic Keyboard ( draft name IMO) in the M1 Air and Pro, after using it for a week feel much better to type on. Not as good as the 2012 15" Retina MBP, but infinitely better than the late 2016 MBP.

The Air also due to its tapered design makes typing more ergonomically comfortable, particularly on the wrists. This is one advantage the Air has over the M1 Pro.

View attachment 1680037

I was honestly going to order the Pro but the Air’s typing angle and physical function keys were too important to me to pass up based on how much I have to write for work.

 

[RigSatMe]

But still less travel than pre-butterfly. Feels like I am typing on a dead cat in comparison.

Well, keyboard is just personal. As for me, Butterly is the best : Less travel, less press, fingers have a rest. Had great experience with 3 butterfly keyboard generation: MacBook 12" first generation, MacBook 12" second generation. Now use MBPro 15 (2019). Each butterfly keyboard generation worked and continue working without any known issues. Tried latest magic keyboard, meh: you have to press harder where fingers afterwards get tired way faster.

 

[acidfast7_redux]

My favourite keyboard on an Apple laptop was the one that came with the original 2012 retina MacBook Pro 15". The worst by far was the one that shipped with the Late 2016 MBP, the first MBP with the new 'Butterfly' keyboard. The travel was very shallow and it almost felt like typing on an iPad screen. Also the keys were prone to get dust under them causing them to work intermittently. The one that I had had already been to the Apple Store once to remove dust under the keys.

The Magic Keyboard ( draft name IMO) in the M1 Air and Pro, after using it for a week feels much better to type on. Not as good as the 2012 15" Retina MBP, but infinitely better than the late 2016 MBP.

The Air also due to its tapered design makes typing more ergonomically comfortable, particularly on the wrists. This is one advantage the Air has over the M1 Pro.

View attachment 1680037

agree 100%.

 

[Serban55]

the pre-butterfly keyboard had 1.4mm travel, the butterfly keyboard had 0.8mm travel, the current M1 macbooks has 1mm travel
My 2019 dell is lacking behind too far in every work..and the heat and battery life are also a crusher now comparing to my M1
Arm is the future, so embrace it or stay on legacy...i always love to have a choice and try both platforms, even linux
But arm is for servers also the future

 

[Serban55]

lets see how arm goes in the next 6-7 years...and if everything goes well..even console im expecting to go arm

 

[Herbert123]

My keyboard stopped working a few months ago. All stores were closed, and I had work to finish! So I recalled I still had an old (I mean OLD) Olivetti PC XT keyboard from the eighties stowed away in a dark cobwebbed corner in the attic. Twice as heavy as most notebooks.

Hooked it up. Expected to get a new keyboard the next day.

...I am still using it. SHEER BLISS. Lovely feel. Deep mechanical travel. Noisy as hell. I love it. A workhorse of a keyboard. Over 30 years old!

I had forgotten about the greatness of those classic well-constructed typing monsters. Butterfly keyboards? Never again.

 

[darkharbour]

My keyboard stopped working a few months ago. All stores were closed, and I had work to finish! So I recalled I still had an old (I mean OLD) Olivetti PC XT keyboard from the eighties stowed away in a dark cobwebbed corner in the attic. Twice as heavy as most notebooks.

Hooked it up. Expected to get a new keyboard the next day.

...I am still using it. SHEER BLISS. Lovely feel. Deep mechanical travel. Noisy as hell. I love it. A workhorse of a keyboard. Over 30 years old!

I had forgotten about the greatness of those classic well-constructed typing monsters. Butterfly keyboards? Never again.

Wow that’s a blast from the past - that same Olivetti keyboard was what I learned to type on as a kid in the late 80s/early 90s. Kind of wish it was still around to try out as you did, I’d love to type down memory lane.

 

[Populus]

Hey! Is this the thread to talk about the M1 MacBooks keyboard?

I just purchased the M1 MacBook Air, and the feeling is a bit weird. A bit of context: I've been using a 2010 MacBook Pro for many, many years. I also used my old Apple Keyboard (the one with replaceable batteries) for many years as well. Recently, a year ago, I got an 11" iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard Folio, and I quickly became used to that small keyboard. I actually type better -I think- and faster on that small keyboard.

And now, trying this new keyboard... I tried the Butterfly keyboard during a trial period of a 2017MBP, and I kinda liked it. But this feels different. It is not that clicky as the Butterfly one, but it is not as mushy as the old ones... And I honestly find myself making more typos with it.

So, will I get used to it like I got used to the Smart Folio Keyboard or even to the old 2010 MacBook Pro keyboard (my first chiclet keyboard, I was using a regular Genius/Logitech one before that)? Or will feel this keyboard more uncomfortable to type? My problem is that I notice the keys too big and too far away from each other. I would appreciate smaller keys (and a smaller keyboard overall).

Oh, and after a year of "iPad Pro as a laptop replacement" I still see myself reaching to the screen of the Air to touch it and use it like a touchscreen lol

 

[Chairman.Jobbie]

I currently have 2 M1 MacBook Airs in my possession and im due to return one .... on 512 SSD and one 256 SSD - I dont need the extra SSD so got the base model.

My M1 buying is a mess - I hate this buying & returning - but just when I had settled on the base model Air I've noticed there is a difference in keyboards. The one i'm suppose to return has a beautiful keyboard - I love it, the feedback is perfect. And coming from a terrible butterfly keyboard I REALLY love it. I LOVE typing on it.

The new Base Air MacBook that I was as planning to keep the keyboard is not bad but it is definitely less firm than the good one.

Unfortunate that this difference exists - and it does exist - not sure why this is as they come out of the same factory using the same build & components. Other people have mentioned the Air keyboard is not as good as the Pro (me included) but it seems even between Airs there can be a difference.

I might end up keeping the more expensive MBA just for the keyboard. Damn.

 

[Chairman.Jobbie]

I was honestly going to order the Pro but the Air’s typing angle and physical function keys were too important to me to pass up based on how much I have to write for work.

The typing angle of the Air is underrated. Ive tried both pro and air and the angle of the air makes a difference for me. I easily dismissed the small extras of the pro (battery screen etc) once I had a day or so with the air.

 

[Aggedor]

I ditched Apple because of the butterfly keyboard (I'm a writer, so a keyboard is basically my entire livelihood!) and went with a ThinkPad X1 Carbon, which has an incredible keyboard - incidentally, in a chassis that it thinner and lighter than the MBA, so the low-profile keys were absolutely a design decision from Apple, nothing to do with function. My previous Mac was a 2013 MBP, which had a nice chiclet keyboard.

Anyway, my wife now has an M1 MBA and I have to say the keyboard is a delight - I'm actually MORE comfortable with it than this ThinkPad! So I'll be selling this and getting my own MBA sometime soon.

 

[Chairman.Jobbie]

Update

When I compare the keyboards I can see the light under the keys on the better keyboard. On the other Air I see no lights coming from under the keys (confirmed by brother). So there is less travel and that's what im noticing. And switching between to try them I can see the the difference.

So I conclude that the keys on the better keyboard are seated alittle higher.

It could be the materials used on the base of the keyboard have minor manufacturing variances? So it has the propensity to flex up when fitted in some. Or maybe when the keyboard is fixed into position it can get ever so slightly bent so it somehow can raise it fractionally - enough to affect the feel of the keyboard...? Im not manufacturing or design expert. I suspect this could be the case for the Pro as well maybe? Or because the Air has an angled design this variance exists.

Maybe the keyboard was designed for the Pro chassis and they haven't allowed for this micro difference in how its fitted in the Air?

If you want a more mechanical type keyboard with good travel and feedback - I conclude from my basic investigation - you want to be able to see the under keyboard lighting around the keys - just slivers of light.

So now I have to decide. Gonna cost me £235 = 25% more cost for the better keyboard because it has 512 SSD + 8gpu vs 256 SSD + 7gpu. Relatively speaking, 25% is a lot. But I do think the keyboard is 25% very noticeable better... Yes.

Got 2 days to decide. Or return both and keep ordering until I get the perfect keyboard combo

 

[darngooddesign]

I might end up keeping the more expensive MBA just for the keyboard. Damn.

You might want to anyway, the larger drive is faster and therefore will work better as swap for virtual RAM.

I hope that my Air, by nature of it being fully loaded, has the better keyboard; I didn't notice much of a difference between it and the bas MBP I tried, but it is a hair under my 2014 MBP's.I figure Ill get used to it just as I have with every Powerbook, MacBook, and MacBook Pro keyboard design Ive used (minus the scissor switch keyboard which I never bought).

 

[Spudlicious]

I'm liking the M1 Air keyboard just fine, and I think the slight angle of it makes a positive difference. My metric is how many mistakes I make, and my reference is my long-mourned ThinkPad T61 that just gets better in my memory as it slips further into the past. If this new design proves to be reliable, then happy days.

 

[macnmac]

I ditched Apple because of the butterfly keyboard (I'm a writer, so a keyboard is basically my entire livelihood!) and went with a ThinkPad X1 Carbon, which has an incredible keyboard - incidentally, in a chassis that it thinner and lighter than the MBA, so the low-profile keys were absolutely a design decision from Apple, nothing to do with function. My previous Mac was a 2013 MBP, which had a nice chiclet keyboard.

Anyway, my wife now has an M1 MBA and I have to say the keyboard is a delight - I'm actually MORE comfortable with it than this ThinkPad! So I'll be selling this and getting my own MBA sometime soon.

get a mechanical keyboard and never look back

 

[Aggedor]

get a mechanical keyboard and never look back

Oh don't worry, I'm a mechanical fan! I have a Ducky Shine 7 on my desktop computer. But I do so much work on my laptop from locations other than my actual desk (which, in the current UK lockdown, means... other rooms around the house!) that the keyboard is pretty important.

But yeah, I love mechanicals! I became a convert about five years ago. Changed my life!

 

[macnmac]

Oh don't worry, I'm a mechanical fan! I have a Ducky Shine 7 on my desktop computer. But I do so much work on my laptop from locations other than my actual desk (which, in the current UK lockdown, means... other rooms around the house!) that the keyboard is pretty important.

But yeah, I love mechanicals! I became a convert about five years ago. Changed my life!

ah... fellow brethren!

 

[Aggedor]

ah... fellow brethren!

Hehheh. I did have Cherry MX Blues for maximum output, but with my wife now sharing the same home office due to lockdown, I had to switch to Cherry MX Silent Reds. Which are surprisingly good!