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Ugh.. After 30 years of owning Apple devices I am really starting to hate Apple... If I only knew they were going to launch these models... but I just got a MacBook Pro 2017 from an online retailer four weeks ago and now I am not elegible for an exchange!
Ask for a full refund from Apple.
 
more obsolescence? was it that difficult for apple to come up with a gen 3 keyboard for the 2017 or even 2016 macbook pro's?
 
Apple are stupid. Why are they fixing a keyboard that has no problems. People who complained about the keyboard were just old and uncomfortable with change. All changes are always for the better.

Steel is a terrible metal for an iPhone body. They were so smart to switch to softer aluminum with the iPhone 5. Nailed it. Why have they switched back to steel again for the iPhone X?
I can’t tell if your post is sarcastic. I hope it is. Surely you’re not being serious.
 
You're right. As it was written, I did represent it as fact instead of what it was; my opinion. I edited my comment to clarify. So to be clear, it's my opinion that the defect is in the design and any replacement using that same keyboard is replacing a damaged defective keyboard with a defective keyboard with the potential for the same damage. I think it's one of the reasons we've seen anecdotes of people having multiple replacements.
This is what Marco Armet believes though he seems to be passing it off as absolute vs just his opinion/theory. Even if we assume for the sake of argument that he’s right and it’s the butterfly design itself that’s the problem I’m not surprised Apple tweaked the design vs coming up with something entirely new. Their case redesigns are usually on a 4-5 year schedule. Who knows how long it takes to get new tooling/fixtures and manufacturing lines up and running. And who knows what’s on Apple’s future roadmap. Also it seems like specific issues causing failure are being lumped in with other things like shallower key travel. Marco Arment’s logic is I don’t like this keyboard therefore it’s a flawed design. That’s wrong. Some might prefer more key travel but that doesn’t mean this design is flawed because it doesn’t have it.
 
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That increase is largely meaningless in terms of assessing whether there's an actual flaw or not. AppleInsider can't supply the overall percentage of customers that needed keyboard service or a breakdown of what the actual types of service consisted of. They also have said they have no idea what the industry standard would be for keyboard related repairs either, which is one of the flimsiest aspects of this controversy. How can you say Apple's increase = unreliability when you have no way of knowing how often other manufacturers have to repair their own keyboards?

Sure, any one piece of evidence could be dismissed, but when you've got: a plethora of anecdotal reports here and elsewhere, third-party repair data, three class-action lawsuits, an official Apple repair program, and a newly modified keyboard (for quietness of course :rolleyes:), it all becomes pretty damning.

Meanwhile, the only thing people with their head in the sand can say is, "everyone is ruining their keyboards on purpose or through negligence," and "Apple says they're fine, so they have to be." Not like Apple has a significant vested interest in downplaying any design or part flaw in these keyboards or anything. :rolleyes:
 
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This is unacceptable and I don’t even have a 2016/2017 MBP. God knows we all like the products Apple puts out, but I feel they have gotten entirely too big. I sincerely hope they have a major setback to humble them because they have achieved the ‘too big to fail’ mentality and their customer service is falling. Everything they sell is way over priced, and their top brass are lame and out of touch. Tim Cook needs to just stick to gay rights activism and stay out of technology. Jony Ive needs to go go away with his form over function designs.
 
Not everyone who is looking to buy a Mac are on any Apple forum. Just last week I was at the Apple store and saw a 2015 MBP on display. If I didn't know any better, they could have sold me or another unsuspecting customer a 2015 model and paid the same price for the current model.
Ehhh I was replying to a guy who was writing on this forum ‍♂️
 
No, it doesn't self destruct, and that would not be planned obsolescence.

A useless system is obsolete! The issue is making sure it's not obsolete prematurely!

If Apple is only replacing the same keyboard which does not get to the heart of the problem then it's not going to make the system run as long as it likely could have hence it becomes obsolete. The real question here is the Gen-3 keyboard the solution? And what if as Apple states is not the correction then will it to need its keyboard replaced in a year or sooner?
 
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This is what Marco Armet believes though he seems to be passing it off as absolute vs just his opinion/theory. Even if we assume for the sake of argument that he’s right and it’s the butterfly design itself that’s the problem I’m not surprised Apple tweaked the design vs coming up with something entirely new. Their case redesigns are usually on a 4-5 year schedule. Who knows how long it takes to get new tooling/fixtures and manufacturing lines up and running. And who knows what’s on Apple’s future roadmap. Also it seems like specific issues causing failure are being lumped in with other things like shallower key travel. Marco Arment’s logic is I don’t like this keyboard therefore it’s a flawed design. That’s wrong. Some might prefer more key travel but that doesn’t mean this design is flawed because it doesn’t have it.
Well, fortunately or unfortunately (depending on your bent), I don't follow Arment. So I have no idea what his opinions are. His issues are not mine. Same with Richie. I don't follow him either. The available evidence says to me that Apple knows the older design is defective. They know the membrane in the new keyboard helps mitigate the issue (patented). They aren't going to admit that cuz liability. Hence the feint of "quieter keys". Opinion of course.

No matter what the truth, Apple doesn't look good in this because they are being evasive instead of forthcoming. Whether the reasons be legal or not, they don't look good in this.
 
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A useless system is obsolete! The issue is making sure it's not obsolete prematurely!

If Apple is only replacing the same keyboard which does not get to the heart of the problem then it's not going to make the system run as long as it likely could have hence it becomes obsolete. The real question here is the Gen-3 keyboard the solution? And what if as Apple states is not the correction then will it to need its keyboard replaced in a year or sooner?

Even a broken keyboard is not “obsolete”.

Do you know what “obsolete” means?

It’s not programmed, it’s not obsolescence, and it’s not programmed obsolescence.

Stop trying to attach buzzwords.
 
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Not all of them are defective so I would expect them to swap it for a non defective keyboard of the same design rather than giving out a free upgrade.

Actually, the design of the old keyboard is fundamentally flawed, so all of them are defective. Apple would not have changed the design of the 2018 model keyboard if it wasn’t an issue. Apple would not have a quality program if there wasn’t an issue with the keyboard.

The problem with the older keyboards is not that a few have manufacturing defects. The issue is the basic design of the keyboard. So, Apple screwed up and sold their customers a laptop with a crappy keyboard. They need to offer these customers a permanent fix.....not just replace a flawed keyboard with the same faulty keyboard that is likely to fail again.

Apple is making a common corporate mistake. They are looking at spreadsheets and making the cost minimizing decision to replace the old faulty keyboards with the same faulty keyboards in hopes that they will wear their customers down into buying a new MBP. This strategy seems a penny wise and a pound foolish. It’s an approach that will do permant damage to their brand and customer loyalty. But, this is what happens when the finance guys make the call rather than the product guys.
 
I am not sure if this is a skewed angle of perspetion, but I had a very good experience with Apple products. They have been very sturdy for me, but maybe the newer generation and Tim Cook era moved into a different direction. Historically, Macs last a very long time.

Gross. Hopefully Apple gets destroyed in court.

With the kind of money they have, they can just buy the court
 
Exactly. The only thing that doesn't work well on my 2012 cMBP is the ethernet port- it cuts in and out. Understandable, in my opinion. The keyboard works as flawlessly now as it did when I got it six years ago, as it should.

Lol. Why do you think it makes more sense for an electronic part not to work and for a mechanical part to work after six years? That is pretty much the opposite reality of manufacturing in general.
 
I’ve seen anecdotal stories from Rene Ritchie and others that more recent purchases don’t seem to be having issues and Marco Arment claims the 2017 keyboards were tweaked (though I don’t think he has inside information, just speculating). If John Gruber’s rumor about the issue being a bad metal alloy in one of the parts I’m assuming that is something Apple could have fixed without needing a new generation of keyboard. Just swap out the bad metal part for the new one. Having said that Apple is doing itself no favors by being so cagey about this, even if it is for legal reasons.
Ritchie is on apple payroll, whatever ritchie says/writes, needs to be doublechecked...
 
Took my Late 2016 15" MBP in today for the keyboard issue.

Signed a Work Authorization for $895, fully covered by the Service Program, for what was described as "Replace Top Case." The Genius Bar associate said to expect the entire keyboard, touchbar, trackpad and metal casing for the non-display part of the MBP to be replaced. I am thinking they are replacing with the new generation keyboard. Will report back later this week when I receive it back. Got shipped out tonight.
According to mr article, they won’t replace 2018 version.
 
It would be interesting if iFixit would take a look at the keyboard on the 2016/2017 MBP that were replaced under the repair program. My 2016 MBP top cover was replaced on 3 July and it feels and sounds different, at least to me. Maybe wishful thinking ;)

I'd guess the reason they can't put in the 2018 top case is, as someone already mentioned, the battery is larger with the space being provided by some of the 2018 electronic design changes. Therefore the 2018 top case couldn't be put into a 2016/7 design directly. However, I'd bet the 3rd generation keyboard design could be put in the 2016/7 top case. Whether or not they actually did that would be an interesting question for iFixit.
 
It would be interesting if iFixit would take a look at the keyboard on the 2016/2017 MBP that were replaced under the repair program. My 2016 MBP top cover was replaced on 3 July and it feels and sounds different, at least to me. Maybe wishful thinking ;)

I'd guess the reason they can't put in the 2018 top case is, as someone already mentioned, the battery is larger with the space being provided by some of the 2018 electronic design changes. Therefore the 2018 top case couldn't be put into a 2016/7 design directly. However, I'd bet the 3rd generation keyboard design could be put in the 2016/7 top case. Whether or not they actually did that would be an interesting question for iFixit.

I wonder what is taking them so long to do a teardown on this new model.
 
For those who have to send in for keyboard repair, hopefully you won't experience the issue again since it will be another inconvenience. It's too bad Apple won't replace it with the new gen keyboard.
There’s a reason for that.
 
So on today's ATP podcast Marco noted that he has received emails from end-users who have stated they were told by Apple Geniuses when picking up their repaired pre-2018 MBPs that they received a 2018-generation keyboard.
 
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Interesting you say that, friend of ours recently purchased a macbook pro at the apple store, took home the 2015 model because it was more pleasant to the eyes - paid for 3-4 year old technology not knowing. But are very satisfied. Anything I sort of said about models and years went over their head anyway.
Sneaky how Apple doesn’t advertise the specific cpu model. Jsut frequency and core count.
 
Sure, any one piece of evidence could be dismissed, but when you've got: a plethora of anecdotal reports here and elsewhere, third-party repair data, three class-action lawsuits, an official Apple repair program, and a newly modified keyboard (for quietness of course :rolleyes:), it all becomes pretty damning.

Yes, there is evidence that MBP keyboards can require service and repairs. No, there isn't evidence that the service and repairs are the result of a design flaw or general deficiency. As I said before, an increase in service events can't be automatically equated to "unreliability" since too much information is still missing: total number of customers needing service vs. total units sold, break down of what different types of service that consisted of, what a general industry standard for laptop keyboard service might be relative to sales, etc.
 
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But it’s an improvement. Going by that logic you could say that a computer getting a new processor just means it is faster and isn’t an upgrade.
Is it? I have a 2016 MacBook and I have no issues with the sound of the keyboard. One can say it's different but I'm not sure I would call it an upgrade (or improvement).
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Probably protection from dust and debris. Incremental update to the design that might qualify as an upgrade.
From post #88:

"A functional keyboard is an “upgrade”. Okay."
 
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