Apple patents a crumb-resistant keyboard for MacBooks

The crumby keyboard on MacBooks may soon be replaced with something that actually works.

A patent filing from Apple made public this week suggests the company is working on an upgraded version of its existing keyboards that would better resist crumbs, dirt, and other small particles that frequently jam the keys. 

For anyone who owns a newer MacBook and has frequently had to deal with the headache of having one or many keys jammed by a single piece of dust, the news signals that there may someday be relief.

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The new patent application outlines how the keyboard would use "a guard structure coupled to the key cap operable to direct contaminants away from the movement mechanism." It also explains how the keyboard would use a combination of gaskets, brushes, wipers, and flaps to seal any gaps that let small crumbs into the existing keyboard structure.

Apple is expected to unveil new MacBooks later this year, but if you're holding out for a new computer, don't get too excited. It's important to remember that not all patents turn into real-life products, and even when they do, it often takes years for them to go from concept into an actual device. In this case, if a crumb-resistant keyboard is coming, it certainly wouldn't be later this year. 

So our advice is this: If you're in the market for a new Apple computer, your best bet is to wait until later this year when the company will likely update its entire roster of laptops. You might not get the crumb-repelling keyboard we all so desperately want — but hey, it still beats having a Windows PC.

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