I see a lot of complaining about this keyboard online but I have yet to meet someone in person that thought it was as terrible as claimed. I love the new MacBook keyboards and Touch Bar but it's possible that I'm a complete outlier.
There are the maintenance issues, but that's not what I'm talking about here. I did have a sticky key (after about a year), and did get it fixed with Apple's free maintenance (edit: so I'm now on the 2018 keyboard), but this feeling I've had from the beginning and still do occasionally.
This contrasts in my mind very starkly with my experience with my very first MacBook keyboard circa 2009. I'd never had a Mac before or any kind of laptop, but when I first used the keyboard I never had to think twice about it. This stuck in my memory because of how much people raved about that keyboard at the time; but I guess it's a property of a good thing that you only notice it when it's gone.
2016-2017s get the 2016-2017 keyboard- without the silicone sheet.
Apple Says Third-Generation Keyboards Exclusive to 2018 MacBook Pro https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/15/third-gen-keyboard-excl...
Yeah I can't quite put my finger on it but it bugs me too. I still have the old one at home, new one at work. It feels wrong, and it's so loud you can't type in a meeting without everybody knowing you're typing. I've put off buying a new one for myself because of this, hoping Jony Ive read everyone involved with this project the riot act.
We've seen butterfly v1 and v1.5. I'm waiting to see what butterfly v2 looks like before I buy another one.
... I also hope that whichever people in the universe he accepts advice from have intimated to him in the strongest of possible terms that he should be paying attention to Apple's industrial design, and leave building design to architects (ex: walls you can't see really?)
Aside from simply being defective at a high rate, it's also physically unpleasant, but that's more a matter of opinion.
I'm also a dev but I'm on the other side. I think it's ridiculous that devs continue to rely on function keys to do that kind of thing. Not only do you have to remember what the F9/F10/F11 keys do for each IDE but it's not consistent in any way between IDEs so you're kinda stuck. I much prefer the Touch Bar, especially where it's actually supported by the IDE, and, where it's not, I'm using Better Touch Tool to set it up exactly how I want it. Now I have dedicated buttons for each of those things that show up in context or that stay at all times, if I choose.
It took a while to get used to using it every day. Now I'm OK with it, except for the arrow keys.
My biggest problems are that there are no landmarks for your fingers. I swivel between two or three or four computers when I work, and coming back to the MBP, it's hard to re-center my hands without looking. On earlier MacBooks, I think my brain used the inverted T arrows, because my fingers seem to go there first.
I like the touch bar, but it needs more support, and more consistent support. Even from Apple, itself. Sometimes I can authenticate with a fingerprint. Sometimes not. Sometimes confirmations are on the touchbar. Sometimes not. It's an inconsistent experience.
All of these problems will become moot in a few weeks anyway, since I ordered a proper full-sized Apple Bluetooth keyboard, trackpad, and riser. I miss my F13-F19 keys more than I like the touchbar.
I haven't met you in person, but I will tell you that it's even worse. I have a supply of cans of compressed air at home to clean out my MacBook Pro's keyboard on a regular basis lest the keys get stuck. I have never had to do this with any of my previous Mac laptops over the past 17 years.
No need to produce a lot of waste by buying canned air. Unless you pressurise them yourself of course.
One day I've pressed it, and it did click, and then it popped out. By then Apple had free servicing action in effect, so I've went to local store and they replaced my top body with new one (also replacing battery, touchpad and speakers).
Touchbar is completely useless for me. If anything, it freaks me out because there's absolutely zero feedback to finger when I accidentally touch it.
I am unhappy about the increased sound, but can live with it.
But the regular problems with repeating keys is an insane regression in functionality. I have this problem with a different key almost every day (today it's my 'i' key), but most days one of the keys repeats itself every time I activate iti, such that—see, that "iti" was a perfect example (I corrected the others)—and the repeat happens usually after the following letter. Drives. me. crazy.
https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-m...
It seems so very uncharacteristic for Apple to ship a product that you need to use in a clean room for it to work properly. I don't like to baby my products, they will develop dings and scratches over time.
But then they are outnumbered in my circles by people who've either deferred new MB Pro purchases, desperately hoping Apple will relent on the Touch Bar, or (like myself) have moved to other platforms & given up on Apple.
I have heard countless people wishing to have the old keyboard back and absolutely loathe the new butterfly keyboard. And they refuse to even buy a new one.
I just recently sold a new MBP and got a 2nd hand MBP 2015 instead. As a matter of fact the 2nd hand price of MBP has been holding up better than expected all thanks to TouchBar MBP.
Re: touch bar, I suppose it really depends on what apps people use. Finder, Calendar.app, Mail.app, iTunes all work really nicely with the touchbar. It provides negative value to someone who isn't using an app that supports it unfortunately.
If I want Apple to replace the keyboard, I have to risk that they will destroy the SSD. Their best solution for me to is to buy another Macbook, clone the system, have them do the repair, then return the spare Macbook. Really frustrating.
FWIW, I also prefer a mechanical keyboard but that's not specific to my MacBooks. I prefer to them to any laptop keyboard or normal keyboard out there.
EDIT: That said I find the touchbar to be a gimmick and not something I really like using. It's not much of a downgrade as compared to function keys, however.
Weirdly I have two 2016 MacBooks: a 13” base and a spec’ed up 15”. The keyboard on the 13” feels substantially more tactile.
I'm actually with Apple on this one - I think it needs revision, but I actually have gotten used to the flat typing. It makes the other keyboards I've tried feel really, really mushy. I can actually type over 90WPM on this thing at typeracer.com.
Overall, I wish it was quieter and didn't have sticky keys, but otherwise, the shallowness is no problem for me.