Have you ever noticed how reliably most computer keyboards work these days? We‘ve gotten so used to typing away without issues that when problems do occur – like keys feeling stiff or becoming unresponsive – it can feel jarring. This was the messy situation Apple faced with their butterfly keyboard mechanism starting in 2015. Hailed as an engineering marvel allowing impossibly thin laptop designs, the butterfly keyboard soon became a nightmare for Apple to troubleshoot and consumers to tolerate.
After trying everything to perfect their butterfly keyboard through multiple revisions, Apple switched back to the proven technology of scissor switch keyboards in 2020. Enter the Magic Keyboard – essentially an improved take on the scissor mechanism keyboard used in older MacBooks. This guide will compare the good and bad of Apple‘s butterfly keyboard versus the current magic keyboard to assess:
- How these keyboard mechanisms differ
- Their pros and cons for real-world use
- Which keyboard most buyers should choose today
After analyzing the butterfly keyboard‘s promise versus its eventual demise, while evaluating how the Magic Keyboard design avoids predecessor pitfalls, you‘ll know exactly which Apple keyboard suits your needs.
The Ups and Downs of Apple‘s Radical Butterfly Keyboard Experiment
When Apple unveiled new 12-inch MacBooks in early 2015, the tech world hyper-focused on one especially buzzy innovation: the MacBook‘s uniquely thin "butterfly mechanism" keyboard. By developing butterfly switches just 0.7mm tall, with support wings that collapsed inward when keys pressed, Apple crafted a keyboard assembly a whopping 40% thinner than conventional scissor switch designs. This allowed Apple to achieve laptop thinness and lightness previously unfathomable, with the 2015 MacBook debuting as their slimmest ever at just 13.1mm thick.
Reviewers raved about the responsive, clicky typing experience on these impossibly sleek new MacBooks with their aptly named butterfly keyboards. But it didn’t take long for the first signs of trouble to surface…
Butterfly switches flounder amid reliability complaints
By late 2015, some MacBook owners reported keys becoming unresponsive, sticking, or double-typing random letters. In each case, the culprit was tiny particles like dust and sand accumulating inside butterfly keyboards. Unlike past MacBook keyboards, Apple’s reengineered butterfly mechanism had such tight clearances between keys that the tiniest debris could readily disable keys. Online forums soon swelled with complaints about butterfly keyboard issues from frustrated consumers suddenly facing expensive repair bills to replace entire keyboard components just to regain typed-word reliability.
Apple attempts quick keyboard redesigns to squash bugs
It’s exceedingly rare for Apple to publicly acknowledge product flaws soon after release, but the butterfly keyboard debacle forced their hand. After two years of blown keyboards, Apple relented, announcing an extended repair program while secretly working on the first of several supposed butterfly keyboard fixes that would prove largely ineffectual. From 2017-2019, Apple quietly introduced three generations of slight butterfly keyboard revisions attempting to seal up internals from specks, use new materials to prevent stuck keys, and modify the tweezers-like design. Yet reliability complaints persisted from users and tech reviewers disenchanted by the butterfly concept that looked nifty but didn’t fulfill the core purpose of typing words without frustration.
|| Butterfly Keyboard Versions ||
|:-:|:-|:-:|
|v1|2015 original release|Frequent stuck keys|
|v2|Early 2018 revision
unannounced by Apple|Some improvement|
|v3|Mid 2019 tweak| Problems remain|
Magic Keyboard signals a keyboard mechanism comeback
By 2020, rather than issue a fourth and likely similar keyboard bandage, Apple decided to start fresh (and some may say wisely looked backwards). They developed the Magic Keyboard – essentially an enhanced version of the tried-and-true scissor switch keyboard prevalent on older Macs. This marked the end of the often nightmarish butterfly era just five years in, and a return to proven fundamentals. Early reviews glowed about the Magic Keyboard‘s 1mm key travel depth (deeper than 0.7mm butterfly presses) and its durable, spill-resistant design avoiding past pitfalls. Paired with capable Apple silicon powering new MacBook Airs and Pros from 2020 forward, Apple has won back trust through keyboard dependability and delightful responsiveness. The butterfly keyboard may have strong theoretical engineering behind it, but practice reveals scissor switch success stands the test of time.
Butterfly Switch Keyboard vs. Magic Scissor Switch – What‘s the Difference?
The key factor (no pun intended) determining a keyboard‘s viability lies in its underlying switch mechanism. Let‘s break down how the butterfly system conceptually differs from scissor switches to understand why one thrived for years while the other floundered:
Mechanism Comparison
Butterfly switch: Features a single plastic butterfly-shaped component under each key, with vertical wing structures joined by a central pivot hinge. When pressed, the wings collapse downwards in a v-shape to register a keystroke. Relies on precisely thin, flat engineering to achieve compact form.
Scissor switch: Utilizes two separate plastic pieces jointed in the middle to form X-shaped pairs beneath each key. During key presses, the scissor halves intersect further allowing the keycap to descend then rebound. Proven durable design with room to minimize and protect interior parts from debris interference.
Keyboard Construction Difference
Butterfly: Often rendered unusable if minute particles enter housing – sticks keys completely. Delicate, proprietary parts make repairs extremely challenging for average users.
Scissor: Keys still register evenly even if some dust accumulates internally, and individual switches can be readily swapped out if needed. Significantly easier and more economical to self-service.
Butterfly vs. Magic keyboards – Which Should You Buy?
Considering butterfly switches couldn‘t ultimately overcome chronic defects while magic scissor boards build on decades of typing service simply eclipsing butterfly functionality, the Magic Keyboard easily proves the wiser choice today for shoppers seeking a new MacBook keyboard. Here‘s a quick rundown of metrics comparing butterfly vs. magic options:
| Comparison Criteria | Butterfly Keyboard | Magic Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Key feel | Stiff, shallow press | Pleasant, responsive feedback |
| Travel distance (press depth) | 0.7mm | 1mm |
| Durability | Extremely fragile; specks disable keys | Resilient against normal wear, debris entry |
| Repairability | Entire module must be replaced | Individual keys can be swapped |
| Availability | Deprecated – only still exists on 2015-2019 Macs no longer sold | Current model keyboard |
For those still using an older 2015-2019 MacBook with a butterfly keyboard: enjoy trained typing agility while it lasts! And for anyone buying a new MacBook today who wonders whether to splurge on AppleCare extended warranty, just know that the Magic Keyboard makes that extra peace of mind far less necessary.
While you can‘t deny the visual elegance and engineering audacity behind Apple‘s butterfly keyboard concept that enabled featherlight laptops, it came at the cost of real-world functionality. Maybe someday when nanotechnology allows microparticle-immune computer innards, Apple will revisit butterfly-style designs. But for now in the real world where dust exists, Magic scissor keyboards typed up a happy ending after a few difficult chapters.
I hope breaking down the butterfly keyboard vs. magic keyboard comparison helps anyone shopping for a new MacBook or upgrading from an older butterfly model! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions.
