Is the keyboard issue, with respect to 2017 models, being blown way out of proportion?

[Pangalactic]

It's not really the keyboard issue but rather how ridiculously expensive and complicated the replacement process is.

For example, if my Dell XPS keyboard fails, I can buy a new one from ebay for $20 and replace it in around five minutes.

But if a Macbook keyboard fails, pray to God you have Applecare, otherwise you'll be spending at least $300 to replace the whole top part. Oh, and it's also entirely non user-fixable. Because, you know, Apple cares so much about your experience they would never allow you to repair it yourself.

 

[elppa]

Length of ownership and all day usage stack the odds and increase the chance of failure. If it does fail then the best Apple can do is replace with another keyboard which is equally likely to fail. In other words, no, it is not overblown.

It doesn't have anything to do with crumbs either, specs of domestic house dust are perfectly sufficient to send it haywire. It is just a badly designed mechanism which should not have been released.

Keyboards are very much a known quantity and a solved designed problem. Apple has been shipping laptops for nearly three decades, in fact Sony and Apple combined to design and build one the first devices that we would recognise as a laptop today - the PowerBook 100.

This issue must be a huge source of embarrassment for Apple. I'm embarrassed for them.

 

[tubeexperience]

Length of ownership and all day usage stack the odds and increase the chance of failure. If it does fail then the best Apple can do is replace with another keyboard which is equally likely to fail. In other words, no, it is not overblown.

It doesn't have anything to do with crumbs either, specs of domestic house dust are perfectly sufficient to send it haywire. it is just a badly designed mechanism which should not have been released.

Keyboards are very much a known quantity and a solved designed problem. Apple has been shipping laptops for nearly three decades, in fact Sony and Apple combined to design and build one the first devices that we would recognise as a laptop today - the PowerBook 100.

This issue must be a huge source of embarrassment for Apple. I'm embarrassed for them.

The perfect place to use your 2016/2017 MacBook Pro

 

[elppa]

The perfect place to use your 2016/2017 MacBook Pro

Very droll. I almost feel bad laughing given the eye-wateringly expensive repair costs of many affected users, however sometimes humour is the best tonic.

 

[sotorious]

You know what screw it im getting one. I am going to run it hard leave it open won’t lean the areas around it. And I am going to document to see how long it takes to break.

That’s how I am justifying this one year old flaws laptop purchase it’s going against every bone in my body but I’ll do it for science.

 

[BigMcGuire]

You know what screw it im getting one. I am going to run it hard leave it open won’t lean the areas around it. And I am going to document to see how long it takes to break.

That’s how I am justifying this year s purchase it’s going against every bone in my body but I’ll do it for science.

Looking forward to your results! Please feel free include me in your notifications (@BigMcGuire ) when you do.

 

[Loge]

Very curious as a 2017 owner - what do you do to restore them? I'm spraying my laptop with a can of air every few days. What do you do when you get a stuck key? I've read that popping off the keys is a very bad idea.

When I got stuck keys on my 2016 MBP I used a "flossing" technique, tear off a small corner of paper and wiggle the corner of it under the key. This always worked for me. Since then I've had the keyboard replaced under AC (I also had a trackpad that came loose); no issues yet with the replacement.

 

[SteveJUAE]

We own 2 rMB 2015 1st Gen new KB's, my wifes one looks like she rolls pastry on it and my eldest who uses my old one treats it well

We have had no issues and consider ourselves lucky and I got my son to buy AC on his educational discount as a lecturer for good measure

I have no doubt there is justifiable cause for concern with these new KB designs even though we have had no issues

 

[turbineseaplane]

The mere fact that John Gruber and Rene Ritchie (especially the latter) have talked about this and in Rene's case actually experienced it, tells us all we need to know.

Rene is so far in the bag for Apple he can't even see daylight - love the guys work, but it is what it is.

If Rene is having these issues and making videos about it - there is 100% a serious problem there.

 

[tram]

Lol, is there a design problem, of course there is. Is Apple working behind the curtain, of course they are. I have a 2015 and 2017. I actually like the keyboard on the 2017 better, but dont want issues either. They wilperfect the current one and keep it. The short stroke is easier to type with.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The short stroke is easier to type with.

eww
Strong disagree on that point..

In any case - fix the reliability Apple.