2018 MBP - Am I screwed?

[ls1dreams]

Here's what I'd do:

- Buy a used 2015 to save some cost.
- Wait until 2018 model starts appearing in apple outlet so you can buy for 15% off
- Sell 2015 model and buy 2018 model at that point.

If you buy and sell used you won't lose too much money.

 

[galactic orange]

Here's what I'd do:

- Buy a used 2015 to save some cost.
- Wait until 2018 model starts appearing in apple outlet so you can buy for 15% off
- Sell 2015 model and buy 2018 model at that point.

If you buy and sell used you won't lose too much money.

This is the best strategy IMO. My dream machine for audio is a 6-core 32GB MBP, but we might be waiting until next year for those. If a 6-core 15" or a 4-core 13" had been released today I would have bought one whether the keyboard was improved or not. But as it stands, I would rather get one of two things to get by: the 2017 MBA maxed out, or the 2015 MBP with 512 SSD. Both options are overpriced, but the MacBook Air costs less overall. Could you get by with a MBA for college? There are refurbished ones in the store all the time.

 

[libertysat]

Refurb best deals

 

[smallcoffee]

This is the best strategy IMO. My dream machine for audio is a 6-core 32GB MBP, but we might be waiting until next year for those. If a 6-core 15" or a 4-core 13" had been released today I would have bought one whether the keyboard was improved or not. But as it stands, I would rather get one of two things to get by: the 2017 MBA maxed out, or the 2015 MBP with 512 SSD. Both options are overpriced, but the MacBook Air costs less overall. Could you get by with a MBA for college? There are refurbished ones in the store all the time.

Best strategy if you want to pay a premium. Better to wait.

 

[galactic orange]

Best strategy if you want to pay a premium. Better to wait.

Is there a strategy that doesn't involve paying a premium with Apple? If there is, I'd like to know.

 

[kcrossley]

I would wait for the 2018 model, But, if you do purchase a 2016 or 2017 MBP it's warranty will likely be extended due to the keyboard problems. However, is it worth the frustration? I for one have very little patience and I could easily see myself being driven mad by a faulty keyboard.

All wrk ad n ply mkes Jck a dull by.
All wrk ad n ply mkes Jck a dull by.
All wrk ad n ply mkes Jck a dull by.

See what I mean? LOL

 

[MichaelDT]

Buy a 2017. Don’t eat over your laptop or hammer keys. It’ll be fine.

 

[Spytap]

So we got no new MBP updates today and I'm in desperate need for a new machine for college this fall (as my current mid 2012 rMBP is dead) what do I do? Do I bite the bullet and take the 2017 15" with it's potential keyboard issues, or continue to wait and wait with no end in sight? I need a computer by the fall and with no 100% guarantee they'll come out in early fall I'm a little concerned.

Wait until just before school to purchase the newest apple available.

 

[Kevinfinity]

Come on people, the 2017 machines are not as bad as you make it sound. The problem is that most of the people with problems report it on the forum while the vastly superior number of people with no issues usually don't say anything. They are just happily using their machines. That's not to say that the problem does not exist, but the extent of the problem is not as big as some are trying to make it look.

If you ask me I would say go for the 2017 machine and get extended Apple Care warranty. Should the worst happen you will be covered. But that's just me.

If we buy their failure design, means that we don't care whatever Apple gave to us. Then Apple could just keep doing this way, disappoint us and set the bar lower and lower. And it's not a cheap machine... Now Apple is facing third class-action lawsuit over MBP keyboard. I still don't see a positive response from Apple to show that they are taking action to fix these problems. Seems like they just don't give a ****.

The Vote is in the Pocket of the Consumer. Hold the money and waiting for Apple to admit their mistake and provide a real pro product to us.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

LOL, your OCD is WAY out of control. There's an app for that.

Anyway, to get back on topic, touchbar is irrelevant and obselete. And by way of association so is the TB MBP. People buy it for it's boutique value to show off at starbucks, not because it has any useful new features.
[doublepost=1528156808][/doublepost]If Apple actually gave a rat's rear end about the mbp (and that's the topic of the thread even though some clowns attempt to derail), they wouldn't have eliminated the magsafe, usb, hdmi, and sd card slot. Not to mention a keyboard which actually worked. This is not to mention the superior battery life of the preceding model.

Ives failed and publicly admitted his failure without hesitation. The 16/17 mbp is horse dung in a smelly old sock and you bought it.

In your opinion I love the new MBP's they are exactly what I would have designed myself.

 

[Val-kyrie]

You really have very limited options, like the rest of us:
(1) Purchase a Windows laptop and transition away from Mac. This is something you do not want to do, is costly, time consuming and difficult.
(2) Purchase a pre-2016 MBP. You already have a 2012 and at this point, I doubt you will find any 2015 MBPs for which you would be able to purchase AppleCare. Personally, I have purchased second-hand Macs, but not unless it had AppleCare or was still within the time period to purchase AppleCare. 2015 MBPs, as much as I like them, are probably not your best choice.
(3) Repair your 2012 MBP. For $300, this is your best solution, You can run Mojave (the latest macOS) and you have all the ports and power you should need for college, unless you have specific engineering requirements not met by your MBP.
(4) Wait. You might be rewarded for your patience, even if you get a new Mac after school starts. Still you might need a chromebook or Windows ultrabook to get by until then, in which case, you might as well repair your MBP while you wait for a new MBP.
(5) Buy a MBA. It will not be the same experience as your 2012 MBP, but again, they are cost effective, offer a wide variety of ports (but only have TB2), provide excellent battery life (much better than current MBPs), and should be sufficient for your needs. Should you decide to upgrade, you could always sell it later--just as you could if you repaired your 2012 MBP and then upgraded to a newer MBP later.
(6) *Not Advised* Buy a 2017 MBP and gamble with your education. Before you do this, ask yourself: how long does it take Apple to fix the keyboard issue if a problem developed? (Answer: ~1week) How will I function in college without my MBP if a keyboard repair is needed? Please understand that replacing a keyboard takes more time than other repairs. My advice: Do yourself a favor and don't buy a product with a known critical problem. Without your keyboard, a MBP is useless, especially in college. The last thing you need is to have to be without your MBP for a week when papers are due so that Apple can repair it.

Realistically, even if Apple announces new hardware in September, it will be Oct/Nov before it is released. You really need to accept the fact that more than likely, you only have the above options. Many of us are in the same boat, whether it is needed for school or work.

 

[c0ppo]

Buy a 2017. Don’t eat over your laptop or hammer keys. It’ll be fine.

And before you close the lid, pray to the Keyboard Gods. After you close the lid, sing to the laptop a nice 'good night' song.

 

[coolX]

the answer is simple: use the school computer lab until a decent mbp is released.

 

[raymanster]

What apps do you use?

I would buy a used Thinkpad x230 or t430 with SSD for $200-250 and run with Windows and/or Linux for the next 3-5 months. Then get the new Macbook when it comes out and sell the Thinkpad or keep it as a secondary/backup laptop.

Thinkpads are cheap and easy to fix, so if you are handy with a screwdriver you could swap in a new keyboard and palmrest to make it feel less like a used PC.

 

[exogeneity]

Who knows the newer version is gonna be like the current ones. If they release a new designed, then maybe i’ll buy again!

 

[maflynn]

For me, its seems pretty obvious, I'll be moving off the MBP platform. I still own an iMac that's great, but for my mobile needs, I think there are products out there now that provide a better value for my budget. I'll not pull the trigger yet, but even if apple does a silent update, that concerns me as a silent update means they'll not publically address the keyboard, saying they beefed it up, or replaced it with the traditional (and sturdy) scissors mechanism.

 

[tomscott1988]

I think the keyboard issues depends on how you use the product.

If you eat at your machine, dont clean it regularly or have hygiene issues....

Ive had my 2015 macbook which is the worst offender, for 3 years not had a single issue but its not heavily used as I have a Mac Pro to do heavy lifting and I dont eat around it when I do.

Still I only paid £750 for it no way I would be putting over £3k into a machine that is more likely to pack in where the repair means replacing half the computer, especially if its your only machine.

 

[smallcoffee]

Is there a strategy that doesn't involve paying a premium with Apple? If there is, I'd like to know.

Well, you can avoid paying an extra premium by not buying two laptops.

 

[chrono1081]

with it's potential keyboard issues

Like any "issue" you see on here, its overblown. If keyboard issues were as widespread as you'd think being on these forums, I'm sure one out of the 50+ machines we have at work would have exhibited them, but they haven't and we use our laptops all the time. I'd grab one of the newest ones.

 

[maflynn]

Like any "issue" you see on here, its overblown. If keyboard issues were as widespread as you'd think being on these forums, I'm sure one out of the 50+ machines we have at work would have exhibited them, but they haven't and we use our laptops all the time. I'd grab one of the newest ones.

Maybe, maybe not, but I will say that sort of argument was used for the GPU issues on the 2011 model and also display coating flaking off. I think the issue is it didn't happen to me, so its not a problem mentality. The fact remains that we're up to three class action suits, even perennial apple fan, Rene Ritchie incurred the keyboard issue. One of his editors was on MacBreak Weekly in place of Rene and she stated its a real issue and she had trouble recommending the MBP with the keyboard because she sees so many people who have the MBP fail.

I go by the notion is there's smoke there's fire and we're not seeing a ton of people complain here at MR, but rather we're seeing a lot of people all over the internet, its not a localized issue.

You may disagree, but it seems as time march on, that assessment is less and less likely.

 

[Ma2k5]

Like any "issue" you see on here, its overblown. If keyboard issues were as widespread as you'd think being on these forums, I'm sure one out of the 50+ machines we have at work would have exhibited them, but they haven't and we use our laptops all the time. I'd grab one of the newest ones.

I actually do find that hard to believe. If I was a betting man I'd bet

a) People have issues but aren't reporting them ( I would do the same in an office setting)
b) People are using external keyboards a lot of the time

My office has tonnes of Surface Pro's, only a fraction of the issues actually get reported with most just us dealing with it - sometimes you care more if it is your own product vs company product.

 

[Naimfan]

We have been through ~12 or so 2016/2017 15" models. Every single one has had the keyboard fail. None of them were from eating over them, or dirt, etc. Our hypothesis is that the heat created by running the CPU/GPU constantly is the cause, something several Apple reps have also suggested.

None of the 2015 or earlier machines have failed under exactly the same working conditions.

 

[impulse462]

Everyone reading this forum should take people's anecdotal evidence with a huge grain of salt.

I know 6 people with the 2016+ design (2 with 13" and 4 with 15") and no one has any had keyboard problems at all. See? I can do the same thing.

 

[hajime]

For me, even the keyboard has no issue, I don’t like the feel and the sound of the keys.

 

[glhiii]

Bought a used 2015 rMBP 2 months ago. No problems, like new, and very fast (and half the price). It's not as sleek and weighs a few ounces more, but it's a workhorse and will last years. Mojave works on all MBP's after early 2012, so the OS on the 2015 should be upgradable for at least 3 more years.