I inadvertently got an Italian MacBook.

"mazda616" (mazda616)
11/29/2019 at 18:55 • Filed to: MacBook

Got myself a refurbished MacBook Air on Amazon for a great price from a reputable seller. I didn’t notice anything amiss with it until I started trying to type messages and the “shift” key wasn’t making the number keys do what I expected. I started to do some research and found that my Mac is Italian.

^ My keyboard.

^^ Italian keyboard.

I find the whole thing amusing, if not slightly inconvenient. The seller offered me a full exchange or a 15% refund. I’m considering just keeping it, though, as it is MINT condition otherwise (not even any scratches or scuffs) and the case I ordered for it came with a U.S. silicone keyboard cover.

What would y’all do?

DISCUSSION (18)

Longtime Lurker > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 19:07

I think you could live with it OR does a replacement US keyboard cost less then 15%

punkgoose17 > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 19:12

Neat

Nom De Plume > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 19:14

I foresee a lot of shopping for rare Italian cars in your future. Strike that, I see a fairly common Italian car and the need to source a lot of apparently rare parts for it from Italy.

Cé hé sin > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 19:16

Interestingly, it’s still a QWERTY keyboard. French for example uses a different layout (AZERTY) and there are others.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 19:17

Careful or it might have an affair on you with your young hot neighbor.

Svend > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 19:27

Can’t you go into settings and change the keyboard region.

I bought a Blackberry phone on eBay several years ago. It turns out to be German, so instead of the top line being QWERTY, it reads QW ERTZ. I can change it (though not the key) but I’m used to it now.

ttyymmnn > Svend
11/29/2019 at 19:32

This

mazda616 > Svend
11/29/2019 at 19:41

I changed it in the settings but the physical layout of the keyboard will always be different. It has keys that a U.S. keyboard doesn’t.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 20:05

Shit, it will break and then be hard to fix.

facw > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 20:27

I’d probably return it. I have a hard enough time with going between my Thinkpad and other computers just because the “FN” key is on the wrong place (coincidentally , the same place as your Italian), I would be non stop annoyed at some of those other choices.

Also, how the hell do they code without easy access to ‘{’ and ‘}’?

For Sweden > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 20:27

You type by waving your hands in front of the screen

boredalways > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 20:38

Full exchange. But if the ad never mentioned the Italian roots, make the seller pay for shipping it back if it's not free for you to begin with.

cberg > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 20:43

I have a british XPS 13 - the upside-down L for the enter key is a big plus IMO - layout took some time to get used to but it’s not really a big deal. OSX & Linux have easy selectors for when you plug it in at a desk with a U.S. kbd.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 21:22

After staring for a while, I think I like the Italian keyboard better. Less logical, but has more of the stuff you want. Appropriate.

facw > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
11/29/2019 at 21:43

I want curly braces damn it!

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > mazda616
11/29/2019 at 22:09

If you can live with it, I would keep it in a heartbeat just for the novelty. Can you make it talk at you in Italian also?

user192 > mazda616
11/30/2019 at 03:38

No problem, s ame as with every foreign laptop: change the country settings and A) put stickers on your keys or B) buy matching keys on ebay or craigslist and replace the italian ones

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > mazda616
11/30/2019 at 11:30

It’s a- me, i Mario!