The 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro (2019) is here, and with it comes a brand new keyboard that marks the beginning of the end of Apple’s super-flawed butterfly mechanism.
The new notebook, which replaces the time-tested 15-inch model in the Pro line-up (although it’s only 0.6-inches larger), includes a redesigned keyboard that Apple hopes will end the issues with sticking keys.
Apple calls it a Magic Keyboard, as it does with the standalone desktop keyboards, which Apple is calling the “best typing experience ever in a Mac notebook.”
The redesigned scissor mechanism includes a 1mm travel, which the company says delivers a more satisfying key feel. Roughtly translated, that means you’ll actually feel that you’ve pressed the key down when selecting it.
Sometimes with the butterfly keys, it felt much like tapping the body of the notebook rather than pressing down the keys, and Apple seems to have solved that issue. Early shots of the keyboard show a clear departure from the near-flat keys offered by the butterfly keyboard on MacBook models, which did not show light beneath.
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From early hands-on reviews, it appears that the new keys will also be more serviceable by users because individual keys can easily be removed and replaced. That would return us to the old order of users being able to take off and clean underneath keys without a visit to the Apple Store.
Here’s what Apple has to say about the new keyboard: “The 16-inch MacBook Pro features a new Magic Keyboard with a refined scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm of key travel and a stable key feel, as well as an Apple-designed rubber dome that stores more potential energy for a responsive key press.
“Incorporating extensive research and user studies focused on human factors and key design, the 16-inch MacBook Pro delivers a keyboard with a comfortable, satisfying and quiet typing experience. The new Magic Keyboard also features a physical Escape key and an inverted-“T” arrangement for the arrow keys, along with Touch Bar and Touch ID, for a keyboard that delivers the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook.”
Apple is now expected to replace the butterfly keyboard on all of its MacBook notebooks moving forward.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
