How is typing experience on MacBooks

By Wahid Raza, 30 December, 2022

Forum
Apple Hardware and Compatible Accessories

Hi all, i need suggestions and guidance for mac book air.

As a Blind user. Does we can type comfortably on Mac book air? Since its a compact note book, does you guys face any typing issues? Since keys have very little space between the two.
Next, can we connect any third party full size blu tooth key board with Mac book Air?
How is the experience of typing lot of mails or documents on Macbook air M1 and M2
For basic use net surfing, reading text and MS word and pdf and media consumption
All are accessible? With VO?
And reading and typing creating pages ms word or pdf is fully supports to VO
For typing perpous should i go with Imac m1? I know, if i go with Imac i have to forget portability. Which comes with MBA
I have lot of doubts and confusion to mac of its useing and typing, i knew mac is accessible, but how much and far compare to Windows.
Another doubt that, if i use mac for lot of typing. Does its keyboard got damaged if i use too much for typing?
I heard that if useing laptop for lot of too much typing, laptop’s keyboard got damaged or it need repair or replace with in a year or after 2 or 3 years.
Thats why always recommend use third party external keyboard for typing purpose.
Does it go same for MacBook Air and Pro users?
I dont want it got damaged after in a year or after 3 4 years, we all know that Apple charges higher too much as a repairing and replacing parts cost.
Sorry for long post..
Thanks

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Comments

By Tyler on Saturday, December 24, 2022 - 12:36

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

As a totally blind Mac user, I find the keys on the MacBook Air's keyboard to be well spaced and easily distinguished from each other. If you wish, you can connect a Bluetooth keyboard and use that instead of the internal keyboard.
For my word processing needs, which are primarily personal, I find Pages to be sufficient and easy to use. However, if you're coming from Windows, macOS may take some getting used to, as there are certain concepts that don't have a Windows equivalent.

By Maldalain on Saturday, December 24, 2022 - 12:36

It is superior to everything I have had before. Keys have good travel, feedback, well-spaced and durable overtime.

By Alan on Saturday, December 24, 2022 - 12:36

Unpopular opinion: typing experience is... acceptable, no more. You probably would preffer a full sized bluetooth keyboard. Specially after trying a mechanical one.
Aside from that: ms word, and text editing in general, :s not the best. Doable, yes, almost anything you asked for is doable. Fast and reliable? Nope. Coming from a windows computer, even knowing how to use a mac, is somewhat painful. Net surfing as well, we still have the amazing busy busy busy thing on safari,etc.
Unless you need a specific mac feature, aka x Code, you can get much more for the same price buying a windows laptop. M1 and m2 offer a lot of power... but not for voiceover users, unless you want to renderize videos or similar tasks. For everyday uses, it is the same as always but more expensive. Try it by yourself before buying one, if possible.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 12:36

The keyboards are okay. People seem to like them. Personally, I do not, however I dislike laptop keyboards in general.

Far more concerning will be the software. You mentioned documents and web browsing. If you can, I'd stick to Windows for most things. Voiceover on Mac just isn't that great.

By Justin Philips on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 12:36

Has anybody used tactile buttons/bumps on or around the macbook air keys? Is it advisable?

By Siobhan on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 12:36

You can use lock dots, or anything to differentiate what keys are what. I'd use keyboard help to know what key does what. You also are going from the shallow end, knowing windows, to deep end, Mac. Don't swim back to windows, just jump in and swim. It will be ok.

By Ekaj on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 12:36

Hi. I went from using a Silicon-based MacBook Air to an M1 which is what I'm using to type this. At first I had absolutely no trouble with the built-in keyboard on my previous Mac, but then for some reason QuickNav started being temperamental and eventually stopped working altogether. That is primarily why I got rid of that machine. My M1 has a slightly different built-in keyboard, but I like it. The keys seem to have just a bit more of a bounce to them, but the change is barely noticeable in my opinion. In terms of overall performance on these things, I can't complain. Like I've mentioned previously, everything has bugs and nothing is perfect. But I've been very pleased with the Mac. The only issue I've had is that a certain person who always comes over to work with me plugs in my Mac even when it is sufficiently charged. He's gotten a bit better about not doing that though.

By Sebby on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 12:36

It had slightly deeper key travel and the trackpad wasn't so large that you'd keep brushing the top of it if you weren't careful. But still, I do enjoy my M2 MacBook Air, and typing on it is fine, with practice.