People with "bad clicks when hot" keyboard problems, did a replacement solve your issue?

[hectorvs]

I just got a 2017 nTB 13" MBP and it has that problem with the bad click keys when it gets hot... I'm just wondering if replacing it will eventually get me a laptop without this issue or if it's pervasive amongst all?

My brightness up key is also not 100%, I can press it and feel the click, but nothing happens. Really need to press it down to get it to activate.

I really don't want to play that "return and replace" game infinitely... did anyone of you who has this issue ever get one with a good keyboard?

As an alternative, I've been going back and forth on returning it and getting a base 12" with the m3 or the upgrade with the i5... but I feel that maybe I would miss the extra power and two TB3 ports.

I plan to use it for some web development, learning how to do iOS dev, light photo editing and maybe some iMovie stuff. 12" base MB might be enough... but not sure.

Sorry for the ramble... has anyone had experience with this issue and returns?

 

[Toraen]

I bought the 2017 13" nTB last weekend. Yesterday I noticed the loud click on my K and S keys. A couple of other keys sounded louder than others but never rose to a click level. I had been installing and running a VM and the fans kicked in. Clicks started. Easily reproduced. Went for a replacement.

Got the replacement tonight and don't even bother to setup much. Copy my VM over since it's an easy way to get it heated up. This one has the 7 key clicking after the fans are on for a bit. The 5 also initially clicked but didn't again after the first time. Right shift key is also louder than other keys but not the loud click.

The replacement takes longer to "click". The first one I could practically turn it on and off quickly managing the heat. The replacement doesn't click till it's been warmer longer. But doesn't take long.

I'm so torn on what to do. The keys "work" fine. And I guess I won't use the 7 key constantly while typing. But this will bug me. This is an expensive computer with clearly some design flaw in the keyboard. 90% sure I will just return it for refund this time and deeply consider if I need a mac laptop.

The ****** thing is money doesn't matter - all these laptops use this new keyboard. Unless I find out the MacBook 12" doesn't have the same issue.

 

[hectorvs]

I bought the 2017 13" nTB last weekend. Yesterday I noticed the loud click on my K and S keys. A couple of other keys sounded louder than others but never rose to a click level. I had been installing and running a VM and the fans kicked in. Clicks started. Easily reproduced. Went for a replacement.

Got the replacement tonight and don't even bother to setup much. Copy my VM over since it's an easy way to get it heated up. This one has the 7 key clicking after the fans are on for a bit. The 5 also initially clicked but didn't again after the first time. Right shift key is also louder than other keys but not the loud click.

The replacement takes longer to "click". The first one I could practically turn it on and off quickly managing the heat. The replacement doesn't click till it's been warmer longer. But doesn't take long.

I'm so torn on what to do. The keys "work" fine. And I guess I won't use the 7 key constantly while typing. But this will bug me. This is an expensive computer with clearly some design flaw in the keyboard. 90% sure I will just return it for refund this time and deeply consider if I need a mac laptop.

The ****** thing is money doesn't matter - all these laptops use this new keyboard. Unless I find out the MacBook 12" doesn't have the same issue.

From what I've read, the 12" MB doesn't have this issue... or at least people aren't talking about it over at their neck of the woods. I think it has to do with the fact that they don't run as hot as the MBPs.

 

[glhughes]

Sorry for the ramble... has anyone had experience with this issue and returns?

I have a 2016 MBP with a replaced top case (for stuck keys) that has this problem. I'm pretty sure the original keyboard had this problem too -- I'd feel / hear the occasional pinging, but I wasn't pushing the machine too hard back then to get it really hot. I have no faith that a replacement would solve the problem as I'd likely just get another random set of bunk keys.

Others have reported multiple replacements (including w/ new machines) that have bad keys. I would guess that pretty much all 2016 / 2017 MBP keyboards are affected to some degree but that most people don't push their machines to heat up enough to where it is obvious.

Replacement of the problematic keys w/ shimmed versions seems like the only thing that has helped people that notice this issue. Last time I was at the Apple Store they did not know about the shims, so YMMV on that one.

FWIW, I recently bought a 2017 rMB for work (i5/8/256) and the keyboard is generally much better (this might be a 2016 vs. 2017 thing though). Haven't noticed any clicking even when it's quite warm. Pretty happy with the rMB so far. Screen is a little small at 1440x900 c.f. the 13".

 

[hectorvs]

I have a 2016 MBP with a replaced top case (for stuck keys) that has this problem. I'm pretty sure the original keyboard had this problem too -- I'd feel / hear the occasional pinging, but I wasn't pushing the machine too hard back then to get it really hot. I have no faith that a replacement would solve the problem as I'd likely just get another random set of bunk keys.

Others have reported multiple replacements (including w/ new machines) that have bad keys. I would guess that pretty much all 2016 / 2017 MBP keyboards are affected to some degree but that most people don't push their machines to heat up enough to where it is obvious.

Replacement of the problematic keys w/ shimmed versions seems like the only thing that has helped people that notice this issue. Last time I was at the Apple Store they did not know about the shims, so YMMV on that one.

FWIW, I recently bought a 2017 rMB for work (i5/8/256) and the keyboard is generally much better (this might be a 2016 vs. 2017 thing though). Haven't noticed any clicking even when it's quite warm. Pretty happy with the rMB so far. Screen is a little small at 1440x900 c.f. the 13".

That's good to hear about the 12". They did actually "update" the keyboard to the newer MBP keyboard, so it's no surprise that it feels better than the 2016.

do you find the performance of the machine good in general?

 

[glhughes]

That's good to hear about the 12". They did actually "update" the keyboard to the newer MBP keyboard, so it's no surprise that it feels better than the 2016.

do you find the performance of the machine good in general?

It's pretty good; no concerns about it so far. I have occasionally noticed a few hiccups compared to the 2016 MBP, but for desktop apps (e.g. Outlook, Safari) it's fine at 1440x900. I mainly use it in meetings to do email and to remote into my dev box to do some programming so I don't really push it that hard.