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Besides the keyboard, are the 2017 MBP reliable?
- Thread starter hajime
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not that I have heard...Other issues have come up but not anywhere near the frequency of the keyboard
From what I've read, it's just the keyboard. Which is unfortunate as the keyboard is arguably the most important part of a laptop. It is a shame because I actually prefer the feel of the newer keyboard to the previous gen. A bit of refinement and I'll definitely be upgrading next year.
Still a beautiful machine, though.
Still a beautiful machine, though.
I've had my 2017 15" MBP since last October and all has been good minus a few occasional hiccups.
- I once had one of the speakers go completely ape on me playing a YouTube video. Blasted out white noise at top volume (had to force re-start). Likely a software issue
- Touch Bar occasionally freezes up in apps. Again, likely a software issue.
- Keyboard DOES get occasional stuck keys. Easily fixed by jabbing in the key and moving it around in a circular motion to displace whatever is trapped underneath it. Likely doing more harm than good in the long term but hey nothings broken yet!
- The USB-C ports get scratched up pretty quickly through normal use.
- You need to keep the screen & topcase (especially speaker grills) impeccably clean if you plan on transporting the laptop in anything that's going to apply any pressure to both sides of it, like a backpack with laptop sleeve. There is virtually no gap between the screen and topcase when it's shut, so if there's a speck of dirt say on top of a key or stuck in the speaker grill, it can badly scratch up the coating on the screen when pressure is applied.
Overall, I would class the laptop as perfectly reliable hardware wise as all prior Macbook Pro's were. Every years model has had it's issues and the 2017 is no different. The positives for me are the increased performance so I rarely hear the fans spinning at full blast, nor does it ever get super hot. The screen renders colours beautifully and very bright. Speakers and trackpad are the best on any laptop I've ever used.
I've used mine everyday as my main machine since day of purchase (hasn't been powered off once!) and I've had less issues with it than any previous Mac I've used in that timeframe. Handles everything from heavy Photoshop work to playing 4K content like a champ!
- I once had one of the speakers go completely ape on me playing a YouTube video. Blasted out white noise at top volume (had to force re-start). Likely a software issue
- Touch Bar occasionally freezes up in apps. Again, likely a software issue.
- Keyboard DOES get occasional stuck keys. Easily fixed by jabbing in the key and moving it around in a circular motion to displace whatever is trapped underneath it. Likely doing more harm than good in the long term but hey nothings broken yet!
- The USB-C ports get scratched up pretty quickly through normal use.
- You need to keep the screen & topcase (especially speaker grills) impeccably clean if you plan on transporting the laptop in anything that's going to apply any pressure to both sides of it, like a backpack with laptop sleeve. There is virtually no gap between the screen and topcase when it's shut, so if there's a speck of dirt say on top of a key or stuck in the speaker grill, it can badly scratch up the coating on the screen when pressure is applied.
Overall, I would class the laptop as perfectly reliable hardware wise as all prior Macbook Pro's were. Every years model has had it's issues and the 2017 is no different. The positives for me are the increased performance so I rarely hear the fans spinning at full blast, nor does it ever get super hot. The screen renders colours beautifully and very bright. Speakers and trackpad are the best on any laptop I've ever used.
I've used mine everyday as my main machine since day of purchase (hasn't been powered off once!) and I've had less issues with it than any previous Mac I've used in that timeframe. Handles everything from heavy Photoshop work to playing 4K content like a champ!
I guess thats something we just have to live with. Are you waiting for a refresh to upgrade?
Yes, I bought and returned a 2016. The 2017 hasn't convinced me, so I'll see what the refresh holds, otherwise its permanantly to Windows.
2.9ghz / 512gb / 560radeon
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I was feeling the same around the time I upgraded. I’ve been using macs since 2007, and my last laptop was a 2011 MBP before moving to the 2017. Had to upgrade because the graphics card in the 2011 failed (twice infact despite Apple replacing the board for free).
I felt a bit underwhelmed by the new 2016/2017 redesigns. But ultimately, I really don’t care how much more powerful a Windows based laptop can be...I just can’t get comfortable with Win 10. To me at least, it feels so clunky and lacks the elegance of Mac OS
Title made me laugh a little - I'll admit it..
Felt like reading: "Besides the steering wheel that breaks and the uncomfortable seats - is the rest of car ok?"
Felt like reading: "Besides the steering wheel that breaks and the uncomfortable seats - is the rest of car ok?"
I was going to ask: "Aside from blowing up, is the Ford Pinto a good car?"
The SSDs should last for many years, the keyboard was my problem. I am hoping that Apple is not so stubborn that they do not change it. I would not care if the laptop was a bit thicker, just give me the keyboard that I remember Apple having!
I don't know about the 2017 model but my 2016 before had the keyboard repair, they changed it to the 2017 model. Had the laptop for a bout 10 months before this happens. I saw the invoice and it costs $475 to replace it because you need to replace the entire top case. Without AppleCare, it will be painful. If I were to buy any of the 2016 or 2016 MacBook Pro now, AppleCare is a must.
Attachments
I wouldn't be surprised if this class action against Apple results in free repair support for broken keyboards beyond the lifespan of the warranty. Similar to the graphics issue with the 2011 Macbook Pro's, it wasn't a case of if, but when the component fails. Judging by the number of people who post on tech forums about faults with their keyboards, imagine the greater number of regular users with the same issues!
"Besides the keyboard, are the 2017 MBP reliable?"
"Aside from the other things that happened, Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?"
"Aside from the other things that happened, Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?"
But now Apple has a new management. If Steve were around, sure.
BTW, if you aren't American, he's referencing the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
I’m sorry. New management? Are you talking about Tim Cook? First of all, he was brought on board in 1997. So he wasn’t even new management when he became CEO. Second, he has been the CEO for almost 7 years now. At what point are we going to drop the “new management” bs?
I have a Late 2016 15" Pro and other than the speaker issue you had that virtually mirrors my experience. I've had Apple send me boxes two separate times to ship the laptop off for a stuck key only to clean it furiously and the key ends up getting unstuck. My issues with the Touch Bar freezing up usually happens in Safari so I would think it's a software issue as well.
I love my MacBook Pro ❤️ I do wish it had been a tad cheaper though.
Right?
Drives me crazy. And Cook was running much of the company in Jobs' last years even - more like 10 years he's been running things, during which Apple has become the most successful company on planet Earth... Give the guy some credit.
I don't think the concern with a soldered SSD is the drive itself, it's being unable to recover your data in the event another component fails, rendering the machine inoperable.
Sorry to be blunt, but it's foolish to count on being able to remove a drive to recover data.
If you're not performing adequate backups, solve that issue first. There are way too many scenarios where you can lose your data even from a perfectly functioning system. It's irrelevant whether the storage is soldered or removable.