by Dan Moren
iFixit tears down MacBook Pro with function keys
As is their wont, the team at iFixit has torn down the only model of the new MacBook Pro currently available, the throwback 13-inch model with physical function keys.
Speaking of keys, I was particularly interested in iFixit’s appraisal of the new keyboard, which is supposedly an updated version of the 12-inch MacBook’s. I tried the new Escape briefly this weekend, and didn’t love the keyboard–to me it felt indistinguishable from the 12-inch MacBook, but I haven’t spent a particularly long amount of time with either. Here’s what iFixit had to say:
The Butterfly 2.0 keys are indeed updated! … The Pro’s keycaps (first image) are a little taller at the edges, making keys easier to find with your fingers … The dome switch under the butterfly mechanism also appears to be heftier and better mated to the keycap than the ones in the MacBook (second image).
Check the site for a cool rollover comparing the two images. I’m still not sold on the new keyboard, but it’s also not hard to imagine that at some point the physical keyboard will be dismissed for a Force Touch keyboard or something similar. More’s the pity.