As we wait for our own Cisco Cheng to preview the new MacBook Air, one question struck me -- will the keyboard survive "road warrior" tests?
The Mac market notwithstanding, most notebooks I've seen lugged about by techies either are a Dell Latitude, IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad, or a MacBook. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone complaining about the clunkiness of their keyboard, but I haven't seen too many tote around the sort of high-end, ultralightweight notebook that the MacBook Air promises to be. And as the MacBook Pro is an inch think, the Air trims anywhere from 0.25 inches to just over 0.85 inches off of it.
The problem that ultrathin notebooks can have is that the key travel distance (the distance the key is depressed) can be somewhat limited, although the keys themselves can protrude some distance above the keyboard. There really are two issues here: perceived accuracy, or how well a user can sense that a key has been struck based upon tactile feedback, and comfort. There's definitely a fatigue factor at work when a key is struck over and over with little return; just think of how a new insole can improve your running!
Jobs drew a comparison to the Sony Vaio TZ, whose ultraslim notebook the Air does a good job in making look portly. Although I like Cisco's
review of the Sony Vaio TZ, I thought this
TZ keyboard review by Pocketables was a good read. The site notes that the TZ's stroke distance is 1.7 mm, which less than half the stroke of a typical desktop keyboard:
"This difference makes the initial typing experience feel a bit incomplete, as your fingers naturally expect the keys to press down a bit more than they do. The tactile feedback is so great, though, that it wasn't long before I could actually type faster than my average speed of about 86 words per minute."
Check out the site for some good closeups of the TZ keys. Incidentally, I can't seem to find any link that details the specs of the Air's keyboard. If anyone can find one, please note it in the comments.
As someone who was given a tried-and-true ThinkPad years ago, I have to confess to being partial to the springy ThinkPad keyboards. The MacBooks I've played around feel a tad too rubbery for my taste. On the other hand, I'll be really interested to see how the new Air's keyboard holds up over time.
Random aside: why no Photoshop support for the trackpad, Apple? Or is there?
Random aside #2: Included in the box: a display polishing cloth (good) and a Magsafe airline power adapter, an optional accessory (!) Nice.
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January 15, 2008 5:12 PM
I have to laugh at this.
You're not reviewing the MacBook Air yet you have to opine on the keyboard.
Why don't you wait until you get a chance to use it before your criticize? Or would the facts just get in the way of your John C. Dvorak style contraversy generating?
January 15, 2008 5:34 PM
Hmm. I don't know, it looks a lot like the MacBook keyboard to me, which some people loved and other people hated. I don't think the keyboard will be much of a deal breaker.
At the same time, I have to admit that this notebook fills the huge huge huge gaping market hole left by the 12-inch Powerbook back in the day. Tons of people rued the day when Apple removed it from the product lineup, and went off in search of refurbs and eBay bargains on one. I know a lot of people who held out hope for years that Apple would add an ultraportable back to its product lineup, and have been dissapointed every year since then. I think that this could be a big thing for Apple, especially for students and businesspeople who will take a lighter weight in exchange for fewer features. Besides, the thing's damned tiny and absolutely gorgeous. Given the price point, I totally expect to see them start showing up in classrooms and on airplanes in the very near future. :)
January 15, 2008 7:39 PM
Airplane adapter?
Not listed on the official specs page.
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html
Though VGA and DVI adapters are!
Too bad they don't ship it with install and restore 'DVDs' on a USB stick.
January 15, 2008 9:24 PM
Hmm. Good call Phil! I wonder if the standard magsafe airline adapter will work with the MacBook Air.
And nice burn on the software DVDs. ;) There's a lack of vision there, isn't it? You'll open your shiny new MacBook Air, and take it out of the box with those DVDs that you can't use without an external drive!
January 15, 2008 10:44 PM
Sean,
Can you show me where I actually rendered an opinion on the keyboard? I wasn't opining; I was _hoping for others to do so_.
Actually, this was more of a message/plea to Cisco to answer those questions. And if you read the post carefully, I wanted to raise the fatigue factor. That only comes from long-term use, and I was hoping to solicit opinion on what those rubbery keys would feel like over time. That was also the justification for the link to the Pocketables review.
And please, no one out-Dvoraks Dvorak.
(Correction made on the airline adapter. It's there, but an optional accessory, way down on the bottom.)
February 9, 2008 11:48 AM
I have a MacBook Air for a wee now and I love the keyboard but the "N" key is broken...you can take it down if you're not paying attention when typing. So I have to take this mac in...I hope they;ll be able to fix it. I don't want to type with that fear that my keys will fall down :)
February 28, 2008 3:38 AM
hey guys!
I recently found that apple is gonna to release new macbook and macbook pro,
has anyone already tested it?
I found good article about new laptops on [url=http://macbook.su]macbook news site[/url] ,
and i just love new macbook pro.
But any info how much it will cost and when it will be avaliable to buy?
Cheers :)