William Gallagher
Taika Waititi, winner of this year's Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for "Jojo Rabbit," says Apple's keyboards make him want to go back to using a PC.
Film director, actor and writer Taika Waititi, says that Apple's keyboards are "horrendous" and that it's become such an issue that the Writers' Guild of America should intervene. He was speaking after receiving the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for his film "Jojo Rabbit," and was asked what the most pressing concerns for writers are today.
Taika Waititi jokes about what writers should be asking for in the next round of talks with producers: "Apple needs to fix those keyboards. They are impossible to write on. They've gotten worse. It makes me want to go back to PCs" #Oscars pic.twitter.com/vlFTSjCfZm
— Variety (@Variety) February 10, 2020
"Apple needs to fix those keyboards, they are impossible to write on [and] they've gotten worse," he told Variety. "It makes me want to go back to PCs. Because PC keyboards, the bounce-back for your fingers is way better. It's a way better keyboard and those Apple keyboards are horrendous."
New Zealander Waititi, who also directed and starred in "Jojo Rabbit," says that even "the latest one" is poor. He refers to that as an iMac but from context probably means the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
He reported that he has RSI, which is known in New Zealand as Occupational Overuse Syndrome or OOS.
"I've got some shoulder problems, I've got OOS," he continued. "And what happens is you open the laptop and you're like this [hunched over]. we've just got to fix those keyboards. The WGA needs to step in and actually do something."
The Writers' Guild of America (West and East) does mandate standard writing terms that include health-related concerns, but it has yet to take on a keyboard manufacturer.
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61 Comments
Interesting comment but I have to agree, I have literally spent time on several Windows supporting laptops all off which have better keyboard. Some of those at less than half the price of a MBP.
Yeah, The slim keyboards are caught up in the quest for thinness, forgetting ergonomics, and even common sense I'd say. I've had the 2017 MacBook pro since... well... 2017... and it's the first Apple laptop that I can remember that I don't like. I'm using it all the time, but the keyboard simply isn't something that I have bonded with for these years that I've been using it. It's not good. Also the touch bar... I don't find it practical to use.
I've tried the new 16 inch MacBook Pro in stores, and I I like it much better than the previous generation. I think I would grow to love it.
But for a professional writer though.. I would assume you'd have a comfortable writing desk and keyboard. But today, you probably travel around, have meetings, and write in a lot of places, with no practical space for a keyboard... I can see that.
Also, I get a sore hand from writing too much with a pen and paper. They need to fix that.
Then buy a PC and do your word processing on that.
Solved.
I had a 2016 12" MacBook. I mostly adjusted to that keyboard. I sold that after getting my (new at the time) 2018 12.9" iPad Pro with the Apple folio keyboard, as it handled most tasks, and the keyboard was a little better. I now have a 2019 MacBook Pro 13", and it seems the keyboard is improved. Is it the best? No, but it's far from the nightmare some people make it out to be.
As far as the Touch Bar goes, it's growing on me. It's useful with some apps. Personally, I don't have much need for actual function keys, but can see how it would be bothersome for those who rely on them. I still haven't dug into the settings for it to see if they would make it more useful for my uses.