keep a can of compressed air handy, spray the keyboard out every few days. Takes ten seconds and works wonders for the responsiveness/reliability of the keyboard. I even do this with my 2015 MBP.
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2017 MacBook Pro 13 non-TB Review
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keep a can of compressed air handy, spray the keyboard out every few days. Takes ten seconds and works wonders for the responsiveness/reliability of the keyboard. I even do this with my 2015 MBP.
Update 8
- MacOS High Sierra introduces new and serious bugs:
- Regular OS crashes, losing anything you're working on. "Restarted due to a problem". Happens about every 3 days now. Haven't had this happen so badly since Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 ! Made me discover Linux ...
- Desktop freezes and everything including keybaord shortcuts and pointer is unresponsive. This lasts for about 10 seconds. Almost every day.
- UI glitches - eg window decorations not drawn properly. Maybe Metal2, maybe poor Intel GPU driver?
I've been on the High Sierra beta and am now on the official High Sierra release since launch and have had none of the above issues. At all. My 2016 nTB still runs very smoothly with over 8 hours of use per day. No crashes, freezes, or any other problems. It really is too bad you have these issues, but maybe you unfortunately have a lemon?
I went into the Apple store for them to look at the device. They ran some diagnostics.
They found no problems and refuse to agree with my experience, suggesting people online are exaggerating the issues.
Update 9
And Apple are playing silly buggers. They've sent me to two different service centres which did nothing more than run basic diagnostics which I can run from home (boot up press D). I am extremely unhappy with Apple. Their Customer Service Rep is useless and bureaucratic.
I drove to another service centre which I have used before and was happy with. They actually have a clue and equipment on site. They told me that over the years Apple quality has fallen drastically.
[doublepost=1507381768][/doublepost]..
on overheating .. I did a fresh install (reformat disk and install using USB) .. even that causes the fans to go crazy!
- In clamshell mode, the overheating at the top right of the keyboard has started to loosen the glue around the display panel at the bottom right.
And Apple are playing silly buggers. They've sent me to two different service centres which did nothing more than run basic diagnostics which I can run from home (boot up press D). I am extremely unhappy with Apple. Their Customer Service Rep is useless and bureaucratic.
I drove to another service centre which I have used before and was happy with. They actually have a clue and equipment on site. They told me that over the years Apple quality has fallen drastically.
[doublepost=1507381768][/doublepost]..
on overheating .. I did a fresh install (reformat disk and install using USB) .. even that causes the fans to go crazy!
Update 10
- Apple online support sent me to Covent Garden for a genius appointment. All they did was push the keys and run a software diagnostic test (boot up and press D) which I could have done myself, (and did). Disappointing.
- Apple Customer Service Rep in Ireland then sent me to Wimbledon to get it looked at properly. I wanted assurances that they were going to do more than just poke the keys and run the same diagnostic test. I was very adamant. They couldn't give me any reassurances. I trusted them and wen on the long inconvenient and costly journey. Guess what - they pressed the buttons and ran the same boot-press-D test and nothing more. This is despite me emailing them before hand to check they could do meaningful tests. No reply. They did apologise in written afterwards. They are Stormfront and they say that Apple often mistakenly sends people to them assuming their Service Centre is as resources as their Retail function (it's not).
- I have tried my best to follow Apple's processes and it's been a waste of time and money, and aggravation too. The practically useless Customer Service Rep can't offer useful suggestion, not assurances. I suggested I video the problem when it occurs (I have recordings) and asked her to confirm that this would be enough to prove the fault. She said she couldn't do that in writing. So I'm trying to help .. but they're being extremely knuckle headed.
- I had suggested Analogic in Kingston. They are an approved Repair Centre and I have use them before. They actually have a lab and equipment and do tests and repairs. They told me that over the years they have seen Apple device quality fall sharply and also cutbacks on the quality of support staff so it has become a purely bureaucratic process for managing demand.
Update 11
- Really poor service again. Last Friday on call with. Apple Customer Service. Got cut off. They didn't ring back. Emailed CSR to arrange a call today. No reply. Rang her. She knew about my email but didn't reply. Got cut off AGAIN. She did promise to ring back of that happened. An hour later... No ring back and I can't get through. Tim Cook, are you aware this is what Apple feels like to customers?
- Will post videos of fans going crazy soon...
I really feel sorry that you’ve had to go through all of this. Like I said before, I’ve had none of these issues with my 2016 nTB MBP. It’s been a great machine for 11 months now. I’ve also dealt with Apple for service issues in three countries and never had such problems. I hope you can get your issues resolved!
sharing the pain man
all £1800 worth of pain
and yet my £500 cheapo lenovo doen't do this
my smartphone can play youtube at HD with no problems...
video evidence of overheating and fans going crazy
watching BBC iplayer, browsing the web:
even fresh install of OS causes overheating and fans to go crazy
I'm documenting this as I want Apple to acknowledge design fault and refund my laptop.
watching BBC iplayer, browsing the web:
even fresh install of OS causes overheating and fans to go crazy
I'm documenting this as I want Apple to acknowledge design fault and refund my laptop.
I'm not sure a loud fan is reason enough for them to refund you. If you want a fast processor in a small laptop it will need a fan, it's that simple really. You can't compare it with a smartphone, they are two completely different machines (try running Logic on your phone.) Yes a loud fan is annoying, but so is a loud kettle, but you can't boil water without noise either.
I respectfully disagree. This is about efficiency and design.
A modern CPU should be able to play youtube through a browser without overheating. Efficiency means the CPU can do the same task with less electricity and less waste (heat). Every processor improvement improves this. Why can my 5 year old Lenovo do this with no problem? How can my 10 year old Dell do this with no problem? How can my 2015 MBP13 do this with no problem?
The problem is that Apple screwed up the design. They wanted to make it super thin, with poor thermal design, and a single fan that is a downgrade from previous higher quality fans.
If the laptop was running extremely strenuous tasks like indexing Gb of text data in memory and with lots of IO, maybe. But its not. It's youtube.
We're not running Logic. We're running a web browser to show youtube or iplayer or netflix.
Overheating is also causing the glue around the display panel to fail when used in clamshell mode.
I respectfully disagree, with a degree in physics and 20 years working in tech to give me some confidence I'm right!
I've been a software developer for 15 years and a Mac user for nearer 20, not a novice myself.
Again your comparisons are meaningless. Your Lenovo (like mine at work that I'm using right now) is probably four times the size and weight of the Macbook Pro, of course it has different thermal properties. Mobile phones don't have fans, that's why they don't make noise. They also play video using completely different codecs from computers that are optimised for low power mobile processors.
I feel your pain about most of the other points, and you have every right to dislike the noisy fan, but your claim it's not necessary is not based on any substance.
Again your comparisons are meaningless. Your Lenovo (like mine at work that I'm using right now) is probably four times the size and weight of the Macbook Pro, of course it has different thermal properties. Mobile phones don't have fans, that's why they don't make noise. They also play video using completely different codecs from computers that are optimised for low power mobile processors.
I feel your pain about most of the other points, and you have every right to dislike the noisy fan, but your claim it's not necessary is not based on any substance.
Incorrect assumption. My Lenovo is not four times bigger or heavier.
Any simple question - why did the 2015 have no problems?
[doublepost=1507639101][/doublepost]And melting glue is not acceptable.
Any simple question - why did the 2015 have no problems?
[doublepost=1507639101][/doublepost]And melting glue is not acceptable.
The 2015 is bigger and heavier, it uses a different generation of processor, it has a different GPU, the internal layout is completely different, need I go on? Sorry but surely you can see this is a ridiculous question.
If the fan really bothers you there are programs like SMC Fan Control to limit the speed and sensitivity, but of course that introduces risk.
If the fan really bothers you there are programs like SMC Fan Control to limit the speed and sensitivity, but of course that introduces risk.
So the 2015 has older CPU and GPU and internal layout that works better than the 2017? And doesn't melt the glue.
Hmmmm..
Hmmmm..
Your definition of better seems to be quieter, to most people it would be more powerful. A 1983 calculator is quieter than a new Macbook Pro too, does that make it better?
It's a shame that what started as a great thread (which I was following with great interest having recently decided to buy a Macbook Pro) has descended in to bitter moaning, if you don't like it just take it back or sell it.
It's a shame that what started as a great thread (which I was following with great interest having recently decided to buy a Macbook Pro) has descended in to bitter moaning, if you don't like it just take it back or sell it.
Again with the greatest of respect, good design is a combination of power and sustainability, like cooling. That's why we don't have server-class Xeons in laptops. They would be powerful for about 3 seconds then blow.
I have been trying to return it to Apple for weeks with little success. But thank for the helpful suggestion.
I have been trying to return it to Apple for weeks with little success. But thank for the helpful suggestion.
Just a thought, have you tried watching videos in iTunes instead of iPlayer, and browsing with Safari instead of Chrome? At least that would tell you if it was badly written software rather than the hardware at fault. Flash always used to make my old MBP's fan go mad, it wasn't because the laptop was crap, it was because Adobe's Mac port of Flash was crap.
Good suggestion but the problems occur with Safari too. Safari for iplayer, youtube and Netflix.
From the video it seems you are using a plastic hard shell case on your Mac. Does the fan rev up high even when it is out of the case? For example, taking it out of the case and leaving it off for a few hours to cool down, then using it without a case. Does it exhibit the same problem?
My 2016 nTB MBP is so quiet, the fans are at 0 RPM with regular office and internet browsing and even when they do pick up it’s never that bad. Even running with my eGPU the machine never really gets beyond 1600 RPM that often.
My 2016 nTB MBP is so quiet, the fans are at 0 RPM with regular office and internet browsing and even when they do pick up it’s never that bad. Even running with my eGPU the machine never really gets beyond 1600 RPM that often.
Great question. This is in fact what I asked the very first Genius at the appointment. He checked the vents and said that it was fine, and that the hardcore was not causing any problem. He did ask me to take it off for a week which I did ... nd it had no effect. Sadly for me. I'm keeping it on as I'd like to avoid scratches and dirty cafe tables.
PS - what eGPU do you use, I'd like to consider it to drive my 4K display when watching movies and TV programmes.
Hmmm, that is really curious then. From your description it seems there is definitely something wrong with the machine. Mine never gets like that from just watching videos, though I use Safari 90% of the time (not sure it makes a difference). I’ve been impressed with how quiet the 2016 nTB is since I’ve got it. I hope you can resolve the issue by being able to return or sell it. Maybe give a 2016 model a try just to see if there’s any difference? Perhaps the 2017 models don’t have adequate cooling, though I’ve never used one.
As for my eGPU, I’m using Apple’s developer setup, which is a Sonnet Breakaway with an AMD Radeon RX 580. After years of running eGPU boxes unofficially (not sanctioned by Apple or thunderbolt enclosure manufacturers) High Sierra has made using an eGPU nearly effortless. Works very well on my 2016 nTB MBP and 2012 and 2014 minis, though not as fast on the minis due to thunderbolt 1 and 2 limitations.