2016 MacBook Pro keyboard - how bad is it?

[DennisdeWit]

I type a lot; I am writing my PhD thesis and do a lot of coding. I have developed pain in my fingertips and joints after about 1 month of use. It has become so unpleasant that I feel forced to use an external keyboard as often as I can.

An another note, the keyboard has started to fail and some keys are unresponsive or register inputs twice (seem to be jammed). I will have to send it in for repair and be without a computer to work with for almost a week.
Here is a video of the keyboard issues:

(On another note, I really like the machine otherwise, especially the form factor. But the Touchbar is absolute junk - it slows me incredibly down and I have yet to find a single use case for me.)

I have this problem too. The topcase has to be replaced and it will cost at least a month to do so. Apple is slowly losing its magic.

 

[dgoulian]

Hey everyone,

How bad or good is the keyboard on the 2016? I've ready a lot of reviews that say it's loud and difficult to type in.

Lisa from mobile tech reviews says you'll get fatigue from the short key travel after an hour. Can anyone tell me their short term and long term experiences with the new keyboard please.

[doublepost=1519667380][/doublepost]SO, after 8 months with a new 2016 13" MacBook Pro, and two keyboard replacements, I have thrown in the towel and purchased a used 2015 model. Apparently dust can bring this keyboard to its knees. Yeah, dust. Sure, Apple fixed the keyboard both times but I do not expect to have ANY issues with hardware when I pay $2600 for a laptop. I am also tired of hunting around for the right dongle to connect my USB 2.0 devices, SD card, and thunderbird external monitor. I found myself hunting for functions on the Touch Bar that I used to do quickly with the now-gone function keys. Also, a bump to the corner of the case knocked out the touch bar so its now in for its third repair under warranty. Warranty ran out this month so I will sell it on eBay (I'll be lucky to get half what I paid). I think Apple is so fixated on making laptops thinner that it has made unacceptable compromises in quality & usability. NO, I'll never go back to a PC. Mac is still a much better laptop. But I'll stick to the older model until they come to their senses.

Update: Apple Repair refused to fix the Touch Bar under warranty due to the bump on the corner of the case. My only choice is to pay $860 or have them return the unit. Yeah, its coming back unrepaired. I'm done jumping to upgrade to the "latest greatest" MacBooks in the future. I'm officially resigning from the Apple Fan Boy Club.

Final Update: Well, Apple Corporate does not seem to care about my 10 years of loyalty to Apple products, but my local Apple Store sure does. They called me to say they would cover the cost of my MacBook repairs even though it was out of warranty. Kudos to the managers at Scottsdale Quarter, thanks to them my MacBook Pro is like new again.

 

[project_2501]

[doublepost=1519667380][/doublepost]SO, after 8 months with a new 2016 13" MacBook Pro, and two keyboard replacements, I have thrown in the towel and purchased a used 2015 model. Apparently dust can bring this keyboard to its knees. Yeah, dust. Sure, Apple fixed the keyboard both times but I do not expect to have ANY issues with hardware when I pay $2600 for a laptop. I am also tired of hunting around for the right dongle to connect my USB 2.0 devices, SD card, and thunderbird external monitor. I found myself hunting for functions on the Touch Bar that I used to do quickly with the now-gone function keys. Also, a bump to the corner of the case knocked out the touch bar so its now in for its third repair under warranty. Warranty ran out this month so I will sell it on eBay (I'll be lucky to get half what I paid). I think Apple is so fixated on making laptops thinner that it has made unacceptable compromises in quality & usability. NO, I'll never go back to a PC. Mac is still a much better laptop. But I'll stick to the older model until they come to their senses.

see my thread - months and months of painful Apple support, broken promises, wasted journeys, hundreds of minutes on calls ... and I bought a 2015 and am taking Apple to court for a full refund on the 2017 model.

So many people here trying to downplay apple's design faults.

Apple is deep trouble. This is a warranty time bomb. Nobody wants to pay £700 every few months for a full top-case replacement for keyboard failures.
[doublepost=1519681947][/doublepost]

[doublepost=1519667380][/doublepost]SO, after 8 months with a new 2016 13" MacBook Pro, and two keyboard replacements, I have thrown in the towel and purchased a used 2015 model. Apparently dust can bring this keyboard to its knees. Yeah, dust. Sure, Apple fixed the keyboard both times but I do not expect to have ANY issues with hardware when I pay $2600 for a laptop. I am also tired of hunting around for the right dongle to connect my USB 2.0 devices, SD card, and thunderbird external monitor. I found myself hunting for functions on the Touch Bar that I used to do quickly with the now-gone function keys. Also, a bump to the corner of the case knocked out the touch bar so its now in for its third repair under warranty. Warranty ran out this month so I will sell it on eBay (I'll be lucky to get half what I paid). I think Apple is so fixated on making laptops thinner that it has made unacceptable compromises in quality & usability. NO, I'll never go back to a PC. Mac is still a much better laptop. But I'll stick to the older model until they come to their senses.

I may go back to Thinkpad for reliability and robustness .. and a portable mouse because I still haven't found a non-mac trackpad that works well.

 

[tivoboy]

[doublepost=1519667380][/doublepost]SO, after 8 months with a new 2016 13" MacBook Pro, and two keyboard replacements, I have thrown in the towel and purchased a used 2015 model. Apparently dust can bring this keyboard to its knees. Yeah, dust. Sure, Apple fixed the keyboard both times but I do not expect to have ANY issues with hardware when I pay $2600 for a laptop.

dust issues plagued the original updated macbook (slick model) so it's no wonder really that it continues to be a problem. I'm REALLY hoping that keyboard is a focus of any new MBP 15" model going forward (can coffeelake) before I buy one. I too am rocking a AUG2016 build 2015" model 1TB/16GB/higpowerradeon model I picked up brand new with AC for 2250$ back in 2016

 

[Hekil]

Hello guys
i bought my macbook pro 2017 13 inc without touchbar like 1,5 weeks ago
unfortunately, ENTER got stuck. I tried to fix it myself by removing it. Well it seems i broke left hinges.I guess my warranty wont help me, in service shops im told to pay for topcase which costs like 1/3 price of the whole mac.
so i wonder if there is any other choice by replacing just one key?
what if i buy this one and just take its ENTER key?
https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/a1706-A1707-a1708/32853778672.html?spm=a2g0v.search0204.3.53.73e02bc2eIyULy&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0%2Csearchweb201602_4_10152_10151_10065_10344_10068_10342_10343_10340_10341_10543_10084_10083_10618_10307_10301_5711215_10313_10059_10534_100031_521_10103_10627_10626_10624_10623_10622_5711315_10621_10620_5722415_10125%2Csearchweb201603_25%2CppcSwitch_5_ppcChannel&algo_expid=848abc14-de68-4c59-98d7-147a8d19878b-8&algo_pvid=848abc14-de68-4c59-98d7-147a8d19878b&transAbTest=ae803_3&priceBeautifyAB=0&dp=fa54e31c0af19b3cbc32962eda462275&af=139947&cv=47843&afref=&mall_affr=pr3&aff_platform=aaf&cpt=1519931777199&sk=VnYZvQVf&aff_trace_key=3103370084534c8d967a8511b567f872-1519931777199-03363-VnYZvQVf&terminal_id=83381c289bd540e481601908d74bdbba

 

[Koh Phi Phi]

Same here. After 16 months using the 2016 MBP 15", my "b" letter broke. Now I need to punch it at tripple strenght for it to click