Apple replaced my keyboard for free (two week turnaround)... but the Apple tech also suggested I purchase the $13 Ghostcover keyboard cover [1] for the new one to prevent future problems. I did and... it's actually amazing and doesn't get in the way of typing <i>at all</i>. Seriously can't even notice it's there in terms of touch, and its texture feels the same as the original keys.<p>Should Apple make a keyboard less prone to problems from debris? Yes, of course. But in the meantime, is a $13 keyboard cover a good idea to fix a $1,300+ machine? Also Yes. A minor inconvenience to have to buy, but at least it fixes it for good... and I've never seen it mentioned on HN before so thought I'd share in case it helps others.<p>[1] <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N20RZXB" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N20RZXB</a>
I'll just refrain from purchasing Apple hardware with this keyboard design. Hopefully they release the new laptops without it, I'm overdue for an upgrade.
<i>Louis Rossmann - "Apple users have no one to blame but themselves."</i>
<a href="https://youtu.be/gi9en4I-tjA" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/gi9en4I-tjA</a><p>^ Actual title of a recently posted video
This is disgusting.<p>We've been able to successfully make keyboards for... 60 years? Typewriters are 140 years old.<p>Now we have a $1300 machine where the form dictates that the functionality will be so hampered that we're using what would have been a supercomputer 30 years ago to... debounce keys?<p>Seriously? And people think this whole charade is acceptable and worth patching around?<p>Jesus wept.
Amusingly enough, Windows has a similar accessibility-related feature:<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FilterKeys" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FilterKeys</a>
Makes me think of having to debounce button input reads on Arduino.<p>Also, can't you do the same thing in System Preferences->Keyboard->Delay Until Repeat?
Apple will fix this for free<p><a href="https://support.apple.com/keyboard-service-program-for-mac-notebooks" rel="nofollow">https://support.apple.com/keyboard-service-program-for-mac-n...</a>
Kind of a silly fix.<p>This only addresses part of the issue. If your keyboard is repeating keys, then it is likely not registering keypresses as well.<p>There's no software fix for that.
I am really surprised to find that Apple does not include a Bounce Keys implementation (which is what this is) as an accessibility feature in MacOS as Windows has since forever. My guess is that this is due to the fact that many users find the difference between Bounce Keys, Repeat Keys, and Slow Keys confusing.
I have many complaints about the terrible keyboard in the last few revs of the MBP, but Unshaky has allowed me to ignore them until it's more convenient to deal with them (and thus put off having to replace my laptop/be without it/spend a bunch of time and money dealing with that).
Just ran across this article about another computer with the same issue... the TRS-80<p><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90326271/in-macbook-keyboard-woes-a-weird-echo-of-the-trs-80-circa-1978" rel="nofollow">https://www.fastcompany.com/90326271/in-macbook-keyboard-woe...</a>
This is a much more primitive/bare bones one I have used with some success: <a href="https://github.com/toothbrush/debounce-mac" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/toothbrush/debounce-mac</a>
I don’t recall having this issue on my butterfly keyboard.<p>Is it due to a ‘faulty/lemon’ state that these keyboards get into?<p>I guess it could also be related to typing style? I’m not a home row user and I don’t do any gaming.
I think there is something to this. I also suspect Apple is doing something similar behind the scenes. Since going to the Catalina betas, I've had fewer keystrokes go wonky.