Preventing "shiny keys" on MacBook Pro

[russell_314]

sorry for necroposting this thread, but I can't get one question out of my head after reading the thread:
how is the keycap material in any way relevant when they are made out of transparent plastic that's coated with black paint? in my understanding I have to completely wear off the black paint before the substrate material matters (ABS/vs PBT)?!
yes, the caps are softer, but it's the black paint, not the kind of plastic used!

It could be Apple is using a different coating due to environmental reasons. Most of the environmentally friendly products are less durable.


A big factor is not having oil on your hands. If you like fried foods don’t eat them using your Mac. I’ve seen buttons on car steering wheels melted because of this.

 

[DeepSix]

It could be Apple is using a different coating due to environmental reasons. Most of the environmentally friendly products are less durable.


A big factor is not having oil on your hands. If you like fried foods don’t eat them using your Mac. I’ve seen buttons on car steering wheels melted because of this.

One thing Ive learned is to never apply hand lotion before using the MacBook keyboards. You practically need your hands as dry as possible, dryer than sawdust.

 

[Chancha]

One thing Ive learned is to never apply hand lotion before using the MacBook keyboards. You practically need your hands as dry as possible, dryer than sawdust.

I have extremely dry skin and I never use skin products. Yet I wear out keycaps no more or less than the other average sweaty oily hands. I speculate my finger tips act as sand paper when rubbed against key caps, so literally shining them.

My M3 Max MBP 16 keycaps have started shining as soon as I think the 3rd month of usage, which is much less than the average, judging by my experience with previous MacBooks those would normally take a year or two. So I concur with the above, Apple has switch to some environment friendly BS that is less durable.

 

[Ifti]

I have a Dell laptop that I have been using at work for the past 6 years. All day, every day. Does me fine so I cant be bother to replace and set up a new one - but at the end of each day, before shutting down, I have a microfiber cloth that I use to just run over the keys a few times to 'wipe them off'. This has helped tremendously. The laptop still looks very new and I have no super glossy keys - a slight sheen on some, yes, but no glossy or worn keys........

Granted, I haven't been doing this with my MBA at home a whole lot, because with my work system its become a kind of routine at the end of the day when I'm packing up. With my home system I do not have such a routine, but I have started wiping those keys once a day whenever I remember. It makes a big difference.

 

[smirking]

It could be Apple is using a different coating due to environmental reasons. Most of the environmentally friendly products are less durable.

I went from a M1 MBP to an M4 MBP. I've noticed that the keys on my M4 are shine resistant.

It's also obvious to me that it has a different coating than what was on any of my previous MBPs and I don't like it. It makes the keys feel slippery. Because of that, it's less comfortable for me to type on.

I'd rather have the shine.

 

[jabbr]

@smirking interesting. So the M4 feels more slippery than the broken-in, shiny M1 keyboard? My M1 feels fairly slippery now, at least the most used keys

 

[smirking]

@smirking interesting. So the M4 feels more slippery than the broken-in, shiny M1 keyboard? My M1 feels fairly slippery now, at least the most used keys

It's a different kind of slippery. Worn keys feel smooth, but sometimes a little bit tacky to the skin. This is a powdery slick feel. It's how all the keyboards feel when you take it out of the box for the first time, but it stays that way.

The coating might not even be what I'm having comfort issues with. It's just the only thing that I can identify as being noticeably different because after half a year of ownership, it still looks brand new after I wipe it down with cleaner.

This is a weird thing to complain about... I know. The only reason why I even find it interesting to talk about is because it illustrates how many subtle factors play into a product's performance. There are so many weird variables product designers have to consider and yet there is never any shortage of people who have all the answers.

When I get thrown off by something as minor as this, it makes me realize that anyone can have all the answers when they're not asking enough questions.

I also have to add YMMV about the way these keys feel. I have some unique circumstances and if I use my laptop laid flat on top of a desk, I have no problems. Unfortunately for me, that's not how I use mine most of the time.

 

[DeepSix]

I have extremely dry skin and I never use skin products. Yet I wear out keycaps no more or less than the other average sweaty oily hands. I speculate my finger tips act as sand paper when rubbed against key caps, so literally shining them.

My M3 Max MBP 16 keycaps have started shining as soon as I think the 3rd month of usage, which is much less than the average, judging by my experience with previous MacBooks those would normally take a year or two. So I concur with the above, Apple has switch to some environment friendly BS that is less durable.

I was told that applying a bit baking soda on the keys then spread it out helps with oil stains. Never tried it yet but I can see it working.

 

[DeepSix]

I went from a M1 MBP to an M4 MBP. I've noticed that the keys on my M4 are shine resistant.

It's also obvious to me that it has a different coating than what was on any of my previous MBPs and I don't like it. It makes the keys feel slippery. Because of that, it's less comfortable for me to type on.

I'd rather have the shine.

I think you have it the other way around. The M1 MBP keys have a better coating and are more shine resistant.

 

[smirking]

I think you have it the other way around. The M1 MBP keys have a better coating and are more shine resistant.

I don’t… at least not to my experience. It could also be that there are a lot of supplier variations and I just got a variant I’ve never seen before. Every MBP I’ve had since 2016 began developing marks on the first day that couldn't be wiped off.

 

[Chancha]

In my work we have like a dozen MacBooks across M1 M2 and M3 generations (no M4 yet). My observation is M1 and M2 shine at the same rate, M3 shines twice as fast if not more.

The touchbar gen I remember their rate was similar to M1/M2. Then the 2012-2015 retina gen was much much slower than that. So it has been a straight decline, with the M3 gen getting a sharp dive.