Apple introduced a 16-inch MacBook Pro on Wednesday, marking a new screen size as well as a departure from the problematic “butterfly” keyboard that triggered customer complaints and drove the company to offer an extended repair program.
The issue at the center of the keyboard debacle was the mechanism under the keys. In 2015, Apple began using a butterfly mechanism to replace the previous “scissor” mechanism, which is an industry standard. This enabled a thinner laptop design, though reliability problems — including duplicate or missed key presses — continued for years… Multiple lawsuits were filed against Apple over keyboard defects, which were among several recent hardware missteps that tarnished Apple’s reputation.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro has a new scissor-mechanism keyboard that Apple says is based on designs found on older MacBook keyboards and the Magic Keyboard bundled with current iMacs… In a side-by-side comparison with the butterfly keyboard, the new keyboard is noticeably quieter and more cushioned. As a fairly violent typist, I find the new keyboard to cushion the blows more ably. Compared with that earlier scissor-style keyboard, the new keys feel steadier, but definitely less squishy.
By: Wilson Rothman for The Wall Street Journal
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