Why are MacBook Air/Pro keyboards the way they are, flat and tightly packed? What drives these design choices?
Could it be because it makes them easier to type on?
Do they result in fewer typos?
Could it reduce stress on your wrist?
Or is there another reason?
Well, it’s not about you or me. The keyboards have to fold away (for obvious reasons) and include as few moving parts as possible (to reduce cost).
The result? As the years go by, Apple and its peers are training us to type on sheets of ever more lifeless plastic.
Why would anyone care? Well, for example, modern keyboards provide less feedback, so your brain takes longer to detect when a key is pressed. It often uses more force than is necessary.
Over a period of time, this can put extra strain on your wrist and hand. There are several conditions such as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome that might be worsened. Have a look at this article from the Cleveland Clinic.
For that and other reasons, in the rush for smaller and lighter computers, we’ve sacrificed some of the quality of our computing experience.
That became clearer to me after my interest was piqued when I watched YouTube videos and read Medium articles, praising mechanical keyboards. I got curious.