MacBook Pro - Day One

I didn't get to unpack the new Apple MacBook until 6:00 PM last night and was too tired to do much more than get it plugged in and wired up. That was challenge enough: we still haven't fully unpacked from moving so just finding an ethernet cable took half an hour.

But it is up and running. I decided not to use the Migration Assistant: I like a fresh start. It's annoying in some ways because I'll be constantly going back to get things I need, but I won't be cluttering this machine up with tons of junk I do not want and will never miss.

I did make on exeception and scp'd my "work" directory, which is the parent folder for all projects. There's some junk in there too, but it would be far too time consuming to take that stuff "as needed".

The only software I have installed so far is Firefox. That's a PPC app, so it needs to run under Rosetta. Its initial launch from the Dock was very slow; so slow that I thought it had crashed between launch bounces. But subsequent launches aren't noticeably slower than they are n my iBook, and once it is running t seems fine. Safari, on the other hand, snaps to near immediate attention when launched.

I have several projects to work on today, and a dentist appointment at 2:00, so I won't be doing much more with this for now. I'll be using it for the projects, but none of those require adding anything new, so it won't be doing much.

I do notice from typing this up that I need to bang a little harder on the keyboard; I'm missing keystrokes now and then. It doesn't feel any different, but it must be just a little stiffer.

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Tue Feb 28 16:05:06 2006: Subject:   BigDumbDinosaur


I do notice from typing this up that I need to bang a little harder on the keyboard; I'm missing keystrokes now and then. It doesn't feel any different, but it must be just a little stiffer.

Maybe it's your fingers that are getting stiffer. <Grin> I'm convinced that mine have gotten shorter from 40 years of pounding on keyboards (starting with those gawd-awful Teletypes).

Actually, a friend of mine just bought one of these too, and made the same comment about the keyboard. It sounds like tough meat: you have to pound on it for a while to make it tender.



Wed Mar 1 01:07:49 2006: Subject:   bruceg2004


I actually prefer a stiffer keyboard, and one that has feedback. I use the old IBM "click" keyboards, and swear by them.

My G4 powerbook has somewhat stiff keys, but not too bad. I don't recall anything too bad when I tested the MacBook Pro at the Apple store. They look very similar to the old G4 powerbook. The only thing different is that the new MacBook Pro is a little bit thinner. I wonder if the thinness has something to do with the keyboard, but I looking at it, was just like looking at my G4.

- Bruce



Wed Jan 17 13:55:03 2007: Subject:   anonymous




I am having problems with my MacBook keyboard too. I do not think it is a mechanical problem, though. For me, the computer always seems to miss the first key stroke after a long delay between activity. This happens even when I am certain to have hit the key hard and centered. This may be a software/desgin problem.




Fri Mar 9 03:53:59 2007: Subject: Missed Keystrokes   anonymous


My MacBook Pro definitely misses keystrokes - usually first key in a new window field. This seems like a regression to a zx80! Any clues if Apple concedes this?



Wed Mar 21 02:42:01 2007: Subject:   anonymous


My macbook has the same problem with missing the first (sometimes more than one) keystroke. I notice it mostly with iChat and Safari... ww.something.com is a very frequent typo for me because of this issue. Ugh. I haven't been able to determine yet if it's only when switching to a different window, or just after not using the keyboard for a few minutes... maybe it's both.



Mon Apr 16 17:59:40 2007: Subject:   Gerardo


I have an annoying problem with my new Intel macbook dual core. Sometimes when I type on the keyboard (on any application) it misses letter "a". It only happens with the letter "a" althought. It seems that is a software problem because I noticed that sometimes the letters show with a small delay. I just downloaded the latest patches for MacOSX and the problem persists. Anyone with the same problem?
Is this an issue covered under the warranty? Sometimes is very annoying but the machine is great otherwise. Thanks,



Sun Jul 1 10:32:32 2007: Subject:   anonymous


i too have noticed this, only bug i have with this machine.

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Sat Jul 14 01:41:19 2007: Subject:   anonymous


A friend suggested that I try disabling "Ignore accidental track pad input" in system preferences and it fixed it! Now my MacBook doesn't eat the first keystroke anymore.... HOWEVER, now I get messed up typing all the time when my palm brushes the track pad... not sure which one is worse yet. But I'm happy to know that the hardware itself is not defective.



Tue Jul 31 17:50:23 2007: Subject:   anonymous


I notice that I have a problem with the letter "O". If I strike the "O" character on the bottom right hand side of the key more often than not the "O" will not print out. Extremeley frustrating... I just picked this thing (MBP) up last Friday and it's annoying the %$#& out of me. That on top of Apple's really lame shipping support. All in all I think my powerbook G4 felt like it ran faster too. Apple, I really hate to write it but I'm not too thrilled by your showing this year. I also bought a MacBook for my wife recently and hate the keyboard. Feels very cheap. I'm at the point now where I would be embarrassed to recommend Apple to the rest of my family. that sux but is the truth.



Mon Aug 13 23:39:56 2007: Subject: Missing Keystrokes   MMARCO


This problem (missing 'first' keystrokes) has persisted since I first got my MacBook Pro. Even after disabling the "Ignore accidental trackpad input" feature. These keystrokes just seem to get lost, they don't stack up in a keyboard buffer, they just vanish. I've had every mac since the iMac, and only on the MacBook Pro (and my partner's Macbook) has this ever happened.

Will this ever be fixed, I wonder - or do I have a dud MacBook Pro. Interestingly when I use the 'Acquarium' screen saver, the bubbling sound is frequently, but briefly interrupted. Something has the huccups somewhere.



Sat Sep 22 02:58:21 2007: Subject: Can we get an update on your keyboard?   anonymous


Did your keyboard get better over time as far as the stiffness? (Not the bit about losing specific keystrokes, which sounds like a software issue).

I was about to buy a MBP a couple days ago, but the keyboard felt stiff to me. I went to the local Apple Store and tried several, and none of them had the same stiff feel. I'm wondering if it was something odd with this particular keyboard or if they just need a "break-in" period. (?) Thanks!



Sat Sep 22 10:14:39 2007: Subject:   TonyLawrence


I'm not sure if it loosened up or I just got used to it or some patch fixed things, but no, I do not notice the problem now.



Sat Sep 22 20:55:01 2007: Subject:   anonymous


Hmm. The big question for me is whether or not it was a "break-in" effect, or whether you just got used to it. The latter isn't likely to happen for me, since I'm (unfortunately) very picky about my keyboards. But I can see how it might be difficult to know for sure if it's a casual thing that happened over time.

Anyway, thanks for the quick reply! It's appreciated.



Fri Nov 9 22:52:35 2007: Subject:   anonymous


I also have a problem with my week old MB. My "a" key often doesn't type a letter when I'm typing letters in a row. It's starting to really frustrate me! I don't know if I should wait it out or do something about it...

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