It is still better than the stupid Dell keyboard that I am forced to type on at work.
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RIP Butterfly Keyboard: Apple Finally Completes Transition to Magic Keyboard
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It is still better than the stupid Dell keyboard that I am forced to type on at work.
I had one of these keyboards (less than a year old) fail on me two weeks before I was supposed to take a bar exam (and the software that we take the test with does not allow for external keyboards). So not only was it a concern about having my computer to study with, I also knew I couldn't reliably use it for the exam.
I took it in, but because this was near the beginning of when Apple finally started acknowledging issues, there were people ahead of me, that had been waiting for the top case parts that were supposed to have resolved the issue (we'll call it Butterfly keyboard v1.5), that had not been delivered yet. When they finally got to me, it was at the end of the second week before the week of the exam. I got a call that Saturday morning letting me know that they had started working on my computer and would keep me posted. I got a call on Sunday to let me know some bad news. In attempting to replace the top-case, they damaged another component (I think it was the WiFi antenna)... and they didn't have that part in stock.
Also, the license that you have to purchase to take the bar exam, is not so much of a single license to use the software as it is a single license to an instance of the software. Meaning, I had to pay another $50 – 100 for a new license, but I had to get it before the end of the week because the software company (for whatever reason) goes into a black-out period, and won't sell the software for about a week or so before the week of the exam.
In the meantime, Apple announced computers that had version 2.0 of the Butterfly keyboard, which was supposed to be less susceptible to failure. I'm glad Apple was acknowledging a problem, but that wasn't going to do my computer much good.
On Monday, they called me to let me know that they had ordered the new part from Apple, and that it should arrive later in the week... that wasn't going to work. They told me that they would expedite the shipping and try to have the computer ready by Wednesday, but they still needed to take care of the peoples' computers that had been dropped off before me.
I said that I understood the situation they were in — in today's day and age, not having a working computer will put just about everyone into crisis mode, but I was begging for empathy — pleading that this one time, if I could get just a little bit of special treatment so that I could have a computer for this monumental, 2-day exam I was about to take (it only happens twice a year).
I went in that Wednesday, and bad news. They were not able to fix my computer, and they did not have another one of my computer model with my specs that they could just swap out (I had already talked to them about it). I am appreciative of what they did next: they provided me a new computer with a spec bump. I was ecstatic! Knowing that Apple had just announced the new computers about a week ago, I inquired if what they were giving me was the newest model (I really did not want to have to deal with these keyboard worries again). The answer was "yes," this was the newest model out.
Relieved and immensely grateful, I rushed home to begin copying the backup of my files onto this new computer so that I could get back to studying. From what I can vaguely remember, the rest of the week went on without a hitch (after paying another sum of money to the software company, I was able to obtain another license to the exam software). So the night before the exam, I went down to the hotel that was across the street from the convention center where the exam would be held.
At about 9:45 p.m., just as I was about to settle into bed, I remembered that in the case of an issue with the WiFi on our (the test-takers) computers, a USB drive could be used to extract our exam answers and responses. I couldn't remember if we were supposed to bring one, or if we weren't allowed to bring one, and the test administrators would have to provide one (honestly, I could convince myself of both reasons). So I went onto the website for the company that makes the exam software to try to find an answer.
What do I find? A notice on the website that said that "something, something about an exploit" available in the TouchBars in the newest Macs. Anyone with the newest version of the MacBook Pro, would be unable to use their computer for the exam.
So at 10 p.m., the night before the biggest test of my life, I was racing through possible solutions in my head, but kept coming up short: it didn't matter if I could meet up with a friend or family member and borrow their computer for two days because the exam software was no longer available for sale (again, I don't understand the reasoning). After all the work and all of the stress that went into getting my computer fixed, it appears that it was all for nought.
Strangely — or perhaps wonderfully — there was a sense of peace and serenity in that moment. There was nothing I could do at that point; whether I was able to use my computer over the next two days on the most significant test of my life, was entirely out of my control. I made sure I knew where my pack of Pilot G2 pens were, and I went to bed.
The next day, I made sure to take my pack of pens, and I took my computer with me, hoping against all hope that somehow, my computer would work with the software, but all the while mentally preparing myself for the massive hand cramp I expected to have, and would have to work through.
Once I had entered the room and sat in my assigned seat for the test, I opened my fresh pack of pens, pulled one out, and then opened my computer. It came on. And I was able to open the software without a hitch or an error message. But surely, once the exam began, my computer would lock me out.
"You may begin."
Still expecting something to happen that would require me to write out all six essays that day, I pulled my pen closer, and then went to the computer. I began to type, and it worked..? And it continued to work? What was happening? Would the software wait until the end to tell me that I had used a computer with a TouchBar that possessed an exploit (in the end, I think it allowed you to display emoji or something), and my answers could not be accepted? Unsure, I tried taking clear, detailed notes on my scraps of paper, so that in the worst case scenario, where my typed answers were rejected, maybe I could submit those notes my responses. Fortunately, I did not have to do that. Everything worked fine.
For the first time in my life, I was delighted to learn that the folks at the Genius Bar had the wrong answer. As it turns out, they had not provided me with the newest model announced by Apple, but rather, the newest model made available by Apple.
To go back to where this all started: Apple's Butterfly Keyboard took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions.
I took it in, but because this was near the beginning of when Apple finally started acknowledging issues, there were people ahead of me, that had been waiting for the top case parts that were supposed to have resolved the issue (we'll call it Butterfly keyboard v1.5), that had not been delivered yet. When they finally got to me, it was at the end of the second week before the week of the exam. I got a call that Saturday morning letting me know that they had started working on my computer and would keep me posted. I got a call on Sunday to let me know some bad news. In attempting to replace the top-case, they damaged another component (I think it was the WiFi antenna)... and they didn't have that part in stock.
Also, the license that you have to purchase to take the bar exam, is not so much of a single license to use the software as it is a single license to an instance of the software. Meaning, I had to pay another $50 – 100 for a new license, but I had to get it before the end of the week because the software company (for whatever reason) goes into a black-out period, and won't sell the software for about a week or so before the week of the exam.
In the meantime, Apple announced computers that had version 2.0 of the Butterfly keyboard, which was supposed to be less susceptible to failure. I'm glad Apple was acknowledging a problem, but that wasn't going to do my computer much good.
On Monday, they called me to let me know that they had ordered the new part from Apple, and that it should arrive later in the week... that wasn't going to work. They told me that they would expedite the shipping and try to have the computer ready by Wednesday, but they still needed to take care of the peoples' computers that had been dropped off before me.
I said that I understood the situation they were in — in today's day and age, not having a working computer will put just about everyone into crisis mode, but I was begging for empathy — pleading that this one time, if I could get just a little bit of special treatment so that I could have a computer for this monumental, 2-day exam I was about to take (it only happens twice a year).
I went in that Wednesday, and bad news. They were not able to fix my computer, and they did not have another one of my computer model with my specs that they could just swap out (I had already talked to them about it). I am appreciative of what they did next: they provided me a new computer with a spec bump. I was ecstatic! Knowing that Apple had just announced the new computers about a week ago, I inquired if what they were giving me was the newest model (I really did not want to have to deal with these keyboard worries again). The answer was "yes," this was the newest model out.
Relieved and immensely grateful, I rushed home to begin copying the backup of my files onto this new computer so that I could get back to studying. From what I can vaguely remember, the rest of the week went on without a hitch (after paying another sum of money to the software company, I was able to obtain another license to the exam software). So the night before the exam, I went down to the hotel that was across the street from the convention center where the exam would be held.
At about 9:45 p.m., just as I was about to settle into bed, I remembered that in the case of an issue with the WiFi on our (the test-takers) computers, a USB drive could be used to extract our exam answers and responses. I couldn't remember if we were supposed to bring one, or if we weren't allowed to bring one, and the test administrators would have to provide one (honestly, I could convince myself of both reasons). So I went onto the website for the company that makes the exam software to try to find an answer.
What do I find? A notice on the website that said that "something, something about an exploit" available in the TouchBars in the newest Macs. Anyone with the newest version of the MacBook Pro, would be unable to use their computer for the exam.
So at 10 p.m., the night before the biggest test of my life, I was racing through possible solutions in my head, but kept coming up short: it didn't matter if I could meet up with a friend or family member and borrow their computer for two days because the exam software was no longer available for sale (again, I don't understand the reasoning). After all the work and all of the stress that went into getting my computer fixed, it appears that it was all for nought.
Strangely — or perhaps wonderfully — there was a sense of peace and serenity in that moment. There was nothing I could do at that point; whether I was able to use my computer over the next two days on the most significant test of my life, was entirely out of my control. I made sure I knew where my pack of Pilot G2 pens were, and I went to bed.
The next day, I made sure to take my pack of pens, and I took my computer with me, hoping against all hope that somehow, my computer would work with the software, but all the while mentally preparing myself for the massive hand cramp I expected to have, and would have to work through.
Once I had entered the room and sat in my assigned seat for the test, I opened my fresh pack of pens, pulled one out, and then opened my computer. It came on. And I was able to open the software without a hitch or an error message. But surely, once the exam began, my computer would lock me out.
"You may begin."
Still expecting something to happen that would require me to write out all six essays that day, I pulled my pen closer, and then went to the computer. I began to type, and it worked..? And it continued to work? What was happening? Would the software wait until the end to tell me that I had used a computer with a TouchBar that possessed an exploit (in the end, I think it allowed you to display emoji or something), and my answers could not be accepted? Unsure, I tried taking clear, detailed notes on my scraps of paper, so that in the worst case scenario, where my typed answers were rejected, maybe I could submit those notes my responses. Fortunately, I did not have to do that. Everything worked fine.
For the first time in my life, I was delighted to learn that the folks at the Genius Bar had the wrong answer. As it turns out, they had not provided me with the newest model announced by Apple, but rather, the newest model made available by Apple.
To go back to where this all started: Apple's Butterfly Keyboard took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions.
Is it possible to replace my MacBook Pro 2018 keyboard with scissor switch? I find it outrageous to buy a new 2500 Euro MacBook Pro just to finally have a good keyboard...
good riddance, hopefully apple has learned some lessons regarding practicality and user experience vs. form factor tradeoffs and repairability.
this whole 4 year repair program with high failure rate machines that are so damn difficult to repair should give them something to think about.
[automerge]1588738030[/automerge]
Nope, the keyboard is a drill-rivets-out removal process (or replace entire top case) and replacement is worth about 50% of the MacBook.
this whole 4 year repair program with high failure rate machines that are so damn difficult to repair should give them something to think about.
[automerge]1588738030[/automerge]
Nope, the keyboard is a drill-rivets-out removal process (or replace entire top case) and replacement is worth about 50% of the MacBook.
