2018 MBP Vega 20 Worth It?

[whiteonline]

I have my doubts that dust and debris are as big of an issue as popular belief would have it. My 2016 is due for a topcase replacement soon, but not because of the keyboard. The battery is degrading faster than expected so I'm getting it replaced under AppleCare within the next few months.

Because it's going to be replaced anyway, I thought I'd just go ahead and be a slob around my 2016's keyboard. I'm already not exactly that careful around it. Granted, I don't use it as a dinner plate, but I don't baby it nor wipe it off nearly as often as I should. I started pounding the keys really hard too to see if the keyboard would crumble. It sort of did. I was hitting the keys so hard that the fastening point of one of the keycaps fractured. The switch mechanism was fine though.

After not cleaning my keyboard for months, it was looking pretty gruesome, but it still worked fine. I finally cleaned it because it was getting embarrasing and also the screen was getting really oily.

The keyboards are definitely glitchy, but people calling it a ticking time bomb are just being overly dramatic. I think the ones that have an issue were likely due to inconsistencies in manufacturing and there were just bad batches where the most egregious failures happened. My 2016 is definitely not a time bomb. I had some sticky keys in my first year of owning it, but nothing since.
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He's quoting from the refurbished store:
https://www.apple.com/us_epp_805199...-Intel-Core-i7-with-Retina-display-Space-Gray

If you go down to the footer and click the refurb store link while you're in the Veterans portal, you can then dial up a 2018 MBP w/Vega 20, 32GB, 512GB storage. It'll come out to $2717.

Thanks. I didn’t realize there was military discount. I just picked up a refurbished model today; hopefully I can get credited the $268 difference instead if return/rebuy.

 

[smirking]

I feel they must be having issues with some hardware batches from multiple component suppliers, with some people getting 3-4-5 or 6 repeat faulty machines and others getting perfection?

I think bad batches could explain why some people manage to get faulty units at a rate much higher than you'd expect by random chance. They're exchanging them and asking for a replacement. They're likely dipping back into the same distribution chain that their original unit came from.
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Thanks. I didn’t realize there was military discount. I just picked up a refurbished model today; hopefully I can get credited the $268 difference instead if return/rebuy.

Unless the policy has changed, Apple will refund you the difference if the price on the item you purchased drops within 10 days (I think) of your purchase.

I suppose buying from the wrong portal could be seen as a price drop. In any case, they have a policy to cover you for price drops. I'd presume they would extend that to your situation.

 

[ilikewhey]

The OP is buying it off the refurbished store at $2717, I can tell from the screenshot as I have recently bought on the refurb store (a 2017 model). Confirmed by checking the link. Unfortunately if sold, it will lose a lot of value because it says "refurbished" on the box and also the serial number lookup, when selling it, even though it is still basically like new. It just has a 3 month old logic board, the rest will be new.

My Vega 20 (otherwise standard 2.6 i7 2018) machine has been rock solid with none of the much talked about issues on this forum. And I have been running it very hard for the past four weeks. No (t2) kernel panics ever, even checked console logs in case I missed something. No weird keyboard shenanigans, thermal performance is great, screen is the most perfect MBP screen I've ever seen after having 2016/2017 and base model 2018. No T2 audio weirdness. I feel they must be having issues with some hardware batches from multiple component suppliers, with some people getting 3-4-5 or 6 repeat faulty machines and others getting perfection?

probably a matter of time, my 2016 is working fine so far, but i have a hunch that it will encounter some issues later down the road.

 

[BuCkDoG]

I meant going through the same process in the military storelink , not seeing the same price.

It’s definitely still there, the price I have also does not include Apple Care and also is shipped to a state with no sales tax, in this case New Hampshire for me but make sure you are clicking the correct links and specking it out accordingly. You have to go to the Apple Refurbished Store and make sure your logged into the Military and Veterans Portal as well to get that price.
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The OP is buying it off the refurbished store at $2717, I can tell from the screenshot as I have recently bought on the refurb store (a 2017 model). Confirmed by checking the link. Unfortunately if sold, it will lose a lot of value because it says "refurbished" on the box and also the serial number lookup, when selling it, even though it is still basically like new. It just has a 3 month old logic board, the rest will be new.

Yes it does come with a different box top but you can easily grab the picture box top if you really want to. I don’t think it loses that much value at all since I’m literally $830 dollars under retail right now plus I guess I’m lucky I live in a state with no sales tax so all together I’m saving $1000 off the retail machine that is for all intents and purposes brand new. I can easily offload this machine to break even or lose a little bit years down the road so I’m totally fine with the purchase.

 

[blatantblue]

I had 2 top case replacements on my 2018 13", but when another different problem arose, they just sent me a brand new one. So far so good.

I'm jealous that you're getting a maxed out 15" OP, but it'd be major overkill for ANYTHING I do on my computer. Enjoy it.

 

[BuCkDoG]

I had 2 top case replacements on my 2018 13", but when another different problem arose, they just sent me a brand new one. So far so good.

I'm jealous that you're getting a maxed out 15" OP, but it'd be major overkill for ANYTHING I do on my computer. Enjoy it.

Hopefully it stays nice to me as I was nice to my previous MBP for many years. I know this model is a huge risk as again I’ve been down this road with the two previous years and has issues but hopefully 3rd times a charm. May I ask what happened to warrant your top case being replaced twice? I’m assuming keyboard issues.

 

[blatantblue]

Hopefully it stays nice to me as I was nice to my previous MBP for many years. I know this model is a huge risk as again I’ve been down this road with the two previous years and has issues but hopefully 3rd times a charm. May I ask what happened to warrant your top case being replaced twice? I’m assuming keyboard issues.

Yeah, the first one was keyboard issues.. they sent it back marred to complete crap, almost like they played frisbee with it.. Went back, second one trackpad only worked on half.

Exciting!

 

[BuCkDoG]

Yeah, the first one was keyboard issues.. they sent it back marred to complete crap, almost like they played frisbee with it.. Went back, second one trackpad only worked on half.

Exciting!

Oh boy not cool then. Well I’ve had it for 48 hours so far and haven’t had any issues, (48 hours I know lol) but hopefully I don’t have any issues moving forward. I swear if I get one hiccup with a sticking key it’s getting returned and I’m all done with their laptops