That's a weak complaint – even if one of their products was not the best, it doesn't prevent the rest from being.
That aside, Apple's keyboards aren't bad IMO. I'm pretty happy with them generally – they have decent durability, enough key travel, and are relatively quiet. Certainly better than the keyboards provided as standard by any other major computer manufacturer.
The first-gen butterfly keyboards were pretty atrocious (although still kind of usable). I actually like the chiclet-key keyboards that Apple sells nowadays.
I'd be willing to bet you haven't looked very hard. Sure the Apple keyboards look nice but the feel and responsiveness of the keys are far from the best.
I respectfully disagree completely. The Apple keyboard is one of the best non-mechanical keyboards I've used. Typing on a cheap Logitech keyboard is the worst thing ever.
I've never seen anything but praise for them. My mac keyboard is the best keyboard I've ever typed on.
The current crop of macbooks also have extremely good keyboards.
On the other hand, almost any keyboard is better than what Apple sells :) their latest mbp is a bit better than the butterfly one but nowhere near the 2015 and earlier models.
It was a general trend of the industry recently to put trash keyboards in all their laptops. I returned two laptops over it a few years ago, then got a lenovo because they were the only consistent choice at the time. That being said, they've gotten a little better, but I tried the apple keyboard recently and its atrocious in my opinion. Can't possibly be good for your fingers. I've never been a fan of Apple, but a few years ago if you asked me whether or not they were solid quality I would have said definitely. Not so much any more.
They keyboard is bad. It may not be atrocious and I've seen some desktop keyboards with much larger key travel which are even more unpleasant. But good it is not. Which is surprising, because Apple created the best chiclet-style keyboards in the past. The older mabooks and the airs are completely acceptable. The Apple "magic" keyboard is actually pleasant to type on and I bought a third party keyboard which mimics it, although cheaper and 'solar' powered.
They made bad compromises. People who actually needed a macbook pro were not asking for a slimmer package. People focusing on size and weight might.
Case in point: I bought a Macbook (not pro, but with second gen butterfly switches) for my wife, she doesn't seem to mind, even when typing essays. She is not a touch typist however.
I'm typing this in a Macbook Pro at work, but using a bluetooth keyboard, so it is a non issue. At home, same deal, except I'm planning to upgrade to a mechanical keyboard.
If I am on the go, then I'll have to use the integrated keyboard. But this is rare for me. If you only use it on the go occasionally, then the keyboard may not be a deal breaker.
Still, my Dell Chromebook has a MUCH better keyboard, and it only cost me a couple hundred bucks. This is seriously wrong.
I'm typing on a current-gen macbook, and the keyboard is fine. Butterfly keyboards were flawed, but I think it's also a bit disingenuous of the parent comment to imply that this is a reflection on overall mac build quality. Those generations of macs were bad products for several reasons, but the general build quality of those machines, and everything in Apple's line is quite high comparing to competitors
I’d rather stick with the Apple butterfly keyboard than many other keyboards, contemporary or historic. I’ve never had problems with it and I honestly prefer the short travel and snappiness.
I thought Apple's laptop keyboards were great prior to the butterfly era. They never felt quite as good as their old desktop keyboards—which were and are my favorite—but more than adequate for a laptop.
I find Apple's keyboards to be mostly inoffensive, but I can't say I really like using them. The one on my MBP is a bit shallow and the key shape doesn't feel right since they're just flat square pieces. I like the oft-vaunted Thinkpad keyboard - even since the advent of their pseudo-chiclets - a lot better.
When it comes to desktop keyboards, they're better than the typical cheapo rubber-domes but it's still not terribly ergonomic.
If it's just chiclet keyboards you like there are no shortage of those. Logitech's MX Keys for example.
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