One of many worst issues in regards to the MacBook Air and MacBook Professional is the shiny key challenge. If you happen to’re unfamiliar, the picture above demonstrates the start levels of the shiny key growth on my in any other case lovely six month outdated MacBook Air, seen totally on the shift key, however “A” and “S” are additionally starting to show the hallmark worn key shine.
The shiny keys are unmistakable, and the wear and tear happens after routine use of MacBook keyboards. For some customers they develop inside weeks(!) and for others it could take a yr or extra to seem, however evidently just about each MacBook consumer who varieties on their built-in keyboard will ultimately expertise the shiny keys challenge.
Many customers assume the shiny key look is brought on by pores and skin oils or grime staining the keys, after which attempt unsuccessfully to scrub them. However after digging into this a bit myself, it seems the shiny keys are possible the results of bodily put on to the plastic itself, whereby they’re getting polished and worn from continuous utilization. The shiny keys are principally the keys which can be getting used probably the most.
I’ll minimize straight to my opinion; the shiny keys look unhealthy, marring the looks of those in any other case lovely, costly, and premium Apple laptops. I feel it offers the MacBook keyboards an affordable, soiled, generally even grotesque look because it makes it seem like the keyboards are perpetually greasy from french-fry-munching fingers, and this merely shouldn’t be taking place.
Principally Beauty, However Not
Sure that is principally a beauty challenge, for the reason that keys proceed to perform high-quality regardless of wanting like they’re been greased by crisco. Nevertheless it’s not totally beauty both, as a result of there are lots of individuals who hunt-and-peck to sort, who’re studying to sort, or who merely aren’t contact typers, and the shiny keys ultimately put on down much more and ultimately lose the letters and numbers on them, and thereby lose the visible indicators of what keys are what.
It’s not simply you (and I), worn shiny keys are frequent!
Many common Apple and tech bloggers have skilled and griped about shiny keys on the MacBook Professional and MacBook Air, so we’re definitely not alone right here.
MG Siegler, tech blogger turned VC, expresses frustration and resignation to the issue:
That is my single greatest downside with all Apple laptops over the previous a number of years. The black key caps look completely disgusting over time. There isn’t a avoiding it. And no cleansing it. Imagine me, I’ve tried.
(MG Siegler’s shiny key proven prominently on spacebar and worn look creating on the “N” key)
John Gruber @ DaringFireball suggests the shiny key challenge is because of the utilization of chintzy plastics:
Right here’s a gripe. The keys on Apple’s fashionable keyboards all develop a shine over time, beginning with the most-used keys. It appears to be like like oil out of your pores and skin, however it’s not — you possibly can’t clear it off. It’s erosion of the plastic. Lengthy story brief, ABS plastic is extra generally used on keycaps as a result of it’s cheaper; PBT plastic is dearer. ABS plastic keycaps develop a shine the extra they’re used; PBT keycaps don’t. Apple has solved this downside earlier than — the Prolonged Keyboard II I exploit at my desk was manufactured within the twentieth century however the one and solely key with any shine to it’s the area bar. They need to remedy it once more.
To be clear, I do not know what sort of plastic Apple makes use of for its keycaps. I’m simply saying that it’s well-known that cheaping out on the supplies used to supply keycaps ends in keys that get shiny over time. Apple is an organization that prides itself on its supplies engineering and the sturdiness of its merchandise, and they also may repair this in the event that they cared. And they need to care.
(M1 MacBook Professional displaying worn shiny keys with polished greasy look, picture from colleague)
Apple blogger Michael Swengel additionally blames the kind of plastic used, and has not discovered an answer both:
It’s a reality of life for MacBooks that after a brief time frame, their keys begin to put on and get shiny. No, it’s not filth. It’s not oil. It’s brought on by the ABS plastic of the keyboard’s keycaps carrying ever so barely.
That is one thing that Mark Ellis and others have identified, they usually’re proper. It’s a downside, however it shouldn’t be.
I seen mine beginning to exhibit indicators of damage after about two weeks of proudly owning my Mac. Annoyed, I instantly tried to discover a resolution. A keyboard cowl isn’t an awesome concept as a result of that may put stress on the show when the laptop computer is closed — probably leaving marks on the show’s glass and even inflicting the display screen to crack.
(Reader submitted shiny keys showing worn on M2 MacBook Air)
There are additionally tons of discussion board posts and footage about shiny keys, worn keys, polished keys, stained keys, individuals consult with them in another way, however they’re appearing on Apple‘s personal support discussion forums, MacRumors Forums, myriad reddit threads, and elsewhere. And sure, it does occur with some third occasion keyboards and PC keyboards too, however we’re specializing in the world of Apple laptop computer keyboards right here.
(Above shiny key picture of an M2 MacBook Air keyboard through this Apple support thread)
Is there a repair for shiny keys?
Some customers have been capable of efficiently get Apple to exchange their keyboard that reveals shiny keys underneath the AppleCare guarantee, however it’s solely a matter of time earlier than the brand new keys get shiny once more too. Others have tried to exchange the keyboard that reveals the shiny key look and have been rejected from guarantee protection, apparently being instructed it’s anticipated regular put on and tear.
Some customers simply resign themselves to it, with feedback like “shiny keys are simply the way in which of the world relating to these units”, and lots of search options.
Some blame themselves, assuming they have to be typing with soiled fingers, or maybe their explicit pores and skin PH or pores and skin oils are the difficulty, and have borderline neurotic routines earlier than typing on their laptops, to no avail.
You’ll discover some suggestions to make use of key cap stickers, or a keyboard cowl.
Some individuals are even resorting to using sandpaper to buff the shine off the keys (this looks like a really unhealthy concept, I don’t advocate!).
In the end it doesn’t matter how a lot you clean the keyboard itself both, as a result of the keys apparently are literally bodily carrying, reasonably than getting greasy or soiled.
(4 month outdated MacBook Professional 16″ mannequin displaying growth of shiny keys through MacRumorsForums thread on the topic)
No excuses for premium merchandise?
Provided that MacBook Air and MacBook Professional laptops price wherever from $1000 to a whopping $7200, relying in your explicit configuration, are simply worn out shiny keys to be anticipated? The shiny keyboards seem like they belong on low-cost practically disposable $250 PC laptops (although it ought to be famous that some PC laptops should not have the shiny key downside, quoting Mac’O’Clock: “My Dell XPS […] reveals zero indicators of damage on the keycaps”,), that is actually not one thing you’d anticipate on a premium product just like the MacBook line.
In the end the trigger doesn’t matter a lot, as a result of the worn shiny keys on the MacBook Air and MacBook Professional look unhealthy and are unbecoming of premium merchandise, and I feel Apple ought to treatment this downside. Higher plastics? Higher coatings? I don’t know, however Apple had an R&D funds of $30 billion for 2023 so I belief they’ll determine it out! Additionally, contemplating that Apple lately modified the coating on the Midnight colour MacBook Air in order that it reveals fewer fingerprints, why not take an analogous remedy to the keyboards of those in any other case incredible laptops?
Chime in! Do you’ve got shiny worn keys? Do you care?
Have you ever expertise the worn keys or shiny key challenge in your MacBook Air or MacBook Professional? How lengthy did it take on your Mac laptop computer to show shiny keys? Do you care in regards to the beauty facet of your keys sufficient to gripe about this challenge? Am I merely neurotic to dislike the shiny keys?! Share any and your entire ideas, perspective, and experiences within the feedback beneath.