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What will you do if you need to replace your MBP but Apple is not releasing a new one at WWDC?

  • Continue to wait

    Votes: 185 47.6%
  • Just buy what they have right now even the keyboard has issue and they are one year old machines

    Votes: 49 12.6%
  • Go for a Windows laptop

    Votes: 75 19.3%
  • Turn to Hackintosh

    Votes: 11 2.8%
  • Others

    Votes: 9 2.3%
  • Others

    Votes: 4 1.0%
  • Go to a temple and become a monk for a year. Then, come back and check.

    Votes: 56 14.4%

  • Total voters
    389

hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,715
1,212
I have waited for 2.5 years already. All work are behind as my current MBP 2010 is dying (e.g. fan sounds like a vacuum clearer even immediately after a fresh restart and sometimes crazy lags as I type). I need to think what to do if Apple does not release a new MBP with improved keyboard in June. What do you plan to do if you need to replace your machine but Apple will not release it at WWDC this year?
 
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Saturn1217

macrumors 65816
Apr 28, 2008
1,260
830
I personally will wait until October as I’m sure Apple will release by the fall if they don’t release at WWDC. However, if I was in your position and needed a computer for business I would have bought a 2015 ages ago. I will not buy until there is strong evidence that Apple has recognized and fixed the reliability issues with the current keyboard.
 
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Schranke

macrumors 6502a
Apr 3, 2010
974
1,072
Copenhagen, Denmark
since you need it for work, you should have got one long ago. And what do you mean with having waited 2.5 years? there have been updates in that time frame

But if you are set on waiting, so some maintenance on your 2010.
These are options depending on how handy you feel.
1. remove bottom and clean dust from fans and heatsink grills. This can be done by everyone with a can of compressed air.
2. if you feel good around tech and computer, replace the thermal past as what is in it will be dry now.
 
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hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,715
1,212
I'm in the same situation. I seriously don't think that apple will do much about design/keyboard. Probably will just reduce failures a bit. In that case, I'll just buy a 2015 15" MBP.

I think this is one of Apple's dirty tricks to make us buy old products at high price.
[doublepost=1526810396][/doublepost]
If you have a 2014, 2015, keep waiting.
If you have a 2011 to 2013, buy the 2017 now and stick with it for a while.
If you have the 2016, 2017 enjoy what you have.

Unfortunately I have 2010 MBP. It cannot even connect to my 4K TV at any resolutions. Tried it with Moshi mindisplayport to HMDI adapter yesterday.
[doublepost=1526810431][/doublepost]
I have a 2015 15" MBP. I can wait until Apple produces something with more power, and a reliable keyboard

Lucky you.
 

hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,715
1,212
I think this is one of Apple's dirty tricks to make us buy old products at high price.
[doublepost=1526810396][/doublepost]

Unfortunately I have 2010 MBP. It cannot even connect to my 4K TV at any resolutions. Tried it with Moshi mindisplayport to HMDI adapter yesterday.
[doublepost=1526810431][/doublepost]

Lucky you.

I should have been sleeping but I cannot sleep due to Apple.

I bought the MBP 2017 13" last week. Tried it for two hours but still do not like the keyboard nor the touch bar. The whole thing feels very cheap and it is like a toy. Wanted to return it within two days but when my 49" 4K TV arrived and I plugged it in, I fell in love with 4K. Can't leave it. Apple sold me the wrong adapter that cannot generate 4K@60Hz. With a correct adapter, the image quality would be even better. I can continue to use the computer for a few more days before I return it for a refund. An external keyboard is on the way but with that internal keyboard, I am not going to keep it. I am typing on my MBP 2010 now as the keyboard is just excellent. The fan is so loud each day that I want to throw the computer against the wall each day. Still about two more weeks to go until WWDC. After I return the MBP 2017 13", will Apple allow me to get another one, use it until WWDC and return? What suggestion do you have during this two week wait period?
[doublepost=1526811120][/doublepost]
I guess so, however I'd buy it refurb ($,1,699) Or on eBay for less than that.

Under TC's leadership, Apple is a jerk.
[doublepost=1526811722][/doublepost]
since you need it for work, you should have got one long ago. And what do you mean with having waited 2.5 years? there have been updates in that time frame

But if you are set on waiting, so some maintenance on your 2010.
These are options depending on how handy you feel.
1. remove bottom and clean dust from fans and heatsink grills. This can be done by everyone with a can of compressed air.
2. if you feel good around tech and computer, replace the thermal past as what is in it will be dry now.

I was considering to get the Surface Pro as I wanted a tablet-laptop hybrid. Then, changed my mine to wait for the Surface Book 2 since it has a Nvidia GPU. When SB 2 arrived, I found that MS had not fixed the issue of loosing hinge. Moreover, the SB 2 has throttling and power issues. Then, I decided to give up the Surface line and stay with Apple. At the same time, Apple put those stupid butterfly keyboards in 2016-17 MBP. If I end up with MBP 2018, I will have to buy eGPU as well.
 
Last edited:

haydn!

macrumors 65816
Nov 10, 2008
1,268
1,785
UK
Even if Apple does release MacBooks at WWDC, I may be tempted to switch to an alternative. Unless Apple:
  • Address reliability issues with the keyboard, key travel doesn't both me, but reliability on a £2500 laptop does. Buying AppleCare has become the norm, which is unacceptable.
  • Reduce the price inline with currency improvements.
Considering you have machines like the Dell XPS offering comparable performance for around £1000 less, Apple really need to get their **** together. The MacBook does still beat the Dell overall, but by £1000 worth? Nope.

I really regret not upgrading in 2015 now.
 

hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,715
1,212
Even if Apple does release MacBooks at WWDC, I may be tempted to switch to an alternative. Unless Apple:
  • Address reliability issues with the keyboard, key travel doesn't both me, but reliability on a £2500 laptop does. Buying AppleCare has become the norm, which is unacceptable.
  • Reduce the price inline with currency improvements.
Considering you have machines like the Dell XPS offering comparable performance for around £1000 less, Apple really need to get their **** together. The MacBook does still beat the Dell overall, but by £1000 worth? Nope.

This is also another Apple's dirty trick to get people to buy AppleCare.
 

bluecoast

macrumors 68020
Nov 7, 2017
2,202
2,625
WWDC is going to be interesting. Apple doesn’t like talking about their product roadmaps but I think that they’re going to need to this year:

For those needing a MBP:
  • will we get a processor upgrade but the same keyboard?
  • Will the keyboards be redesigned in a later model?
  • When do machines that support 32GB turn up?
  • What’s going to happen when ARM Macs appear?
For those that need light productively machines ie a MB or Air?
  • What’s happening to the current MB 12? Intel doesn’t seem to be that interested in its Y processors too much?
  • Is the rumoured 13 MB/Air true?
  • Again, what happens when ARM turns up?
Until we get clarification from Apple, 2018 seems like a year when the buying advice seems to be:

‘Don’t buy a new machine unless you absolutely have to’.
 
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Mr. Dee

macrumors 603
Dec 4, 2003
5,990
12,825
Jamaica
WWDC is going to be interesting. Apple doesn’t like talking about their product roadmaps but I think that they’re going to need to this year:

For those needing a MBP:
  • will we get a processor upgrade but the same keyboard?
  • Will the keyboards be redesigned in a later model?
  • When do machines that support 32GB turn up?
  • What’s going to happen when ARM Macs appear?
For those that need light productively machines ie a MB or Air?
  • What’s happening to the current MB 12? Intel doesn’t seem to be that interested in its Y processors too much?
  • Is the rumoured 13 MB/Air true?
  • Again, what happens when ARM turns up?
Until we get clarification from Apple, 2018 seems like a year when the buying advice seems to be:

‘Don’t buy a new machine unless you absolutely have to’.
32 GBs of RAM is not coming until 2019 when Canonlake is available in the appropriate yields and wattage required by the MacBook Pro. They need LPDDR4 and right now, Intel has only been able to get those with Core i3 10 NM Canonlake. So, maybe by the latest March 2019, we will see 'MacBooks' with Core i5 Canonlake. Look at how Apple now launches new models, that likely won't be until June 2019 the latest.

Its giving you a better understanding of why the company might itching to switch ARM.
 

leman

macrumors Core
Oct 14, 2008
19,117
18,811
  • will we get a processor upgrade but the same keyboard?
  • Will the keyboards be redesigned in a later model?

As a business customer, I don't give a damn about this. We always get 3 years warranty extension anyway (its only 5% added cost per unit) and 1-2% increased chance of hardware failure doesn't have any substantial impact on the normal operation. Our of the twenty or so laptops we have purchased since late 2016, only one showed symptoms of keyboard failure (a key would sometimes not trigger) which has been promptly replaced by Apple no questions asked within two hours.

Frankly, I'd rather buy another twenty of these "terrible keyboard" laptops than another single Lenovo, where we have to spend hours on telephone support with different service employers just to arrange it getting accepted for repair (which then takes over four weeks).

  • When do machines that support 32GB turn up?

When Intel releases CPUs that support LPDDR4

  • What’s going to happen when ARM Macs appear?

Developers will have years in advance to prepare to such a transition. The fact that Apple hasn't announced anything yet about this, means that we still have easily 4 years before such a Mac might appear.
 
Last edited:

hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,715
1,212
As a business customer, I don't give a damn about this. We always get 3 years warranty extension anyway (its only 5% added cost per unit) and 1-2% increased chance of hardware failure doesn't have any substantial impact on the normal operation. Our of the twenty or so laptops we have purchased since late 2016, only one showed symptoms of keyboard failure (a key would sometimes not trigger) which has been promptly replaced by Apple no questions asked within two hours.

Is it this bad after Lenovo took over the ThinkPad line? I used several Thinkpad 20 years ago. Even I moved to another country, I just sent an email to the sales at IBM store. IBM paid for return shipping costs to exchange a brand new one for me. Excellent services at that time. Don't know about now as IBM stores in the country are gone and Lenovo took over.
 

sputnikBA

macrumors 6502
Jan 2, 2018
289
387
After I return the MBP 2017 13", will Apple allow me to get another one, use it until WWDC and return? What suggestion do you have during this two week wait period?
No. This is known as Return Fraud in the US and is illegal. Other countries may have similar laws and even for the ones that don't, the companies have policies in place to prevent this.

Consumer protections and refund rights only apply for reasonable returns, not to use products as a rental service.
 

leman

macrumors Core
Oct 14, 2008
19,117
18,811
Is it this bad after Lenovo took over the ThinkPad line? I used several Thinkpad 20 years ago. Even I moved to another country, I just sent an email to the sales at IBM store. IBM paid for return shipping costs to exchange a brand new one for me. Excellent services at that time. Don't know about now as IBM stores in the country are gone and Lenovo took over.

My experience is only anecdotal and fragmented, but given what it is, I am really avoiding Windows machines right now. Out of three Lenovo machines we bough in the last few years, two have failed within the first two years and getting them serviced was a major mess. Out of two Dells, one broke down after 2.5 years. We have also two MS Surfacebooks which are doing fine, although one had some initial issues with video output (I don't know how it was resolved and whether we had to have it replaced).

Maybe we've just been unlucky, but after all this I'd rather just stick with Mac laptops where I know that about one or machine in ten will fail within three years from purchase and where our service partner will usually have a solution within 3 days. Of course, having an excellent service partner is a major factor. We don't have that option with Dell or Lenovo.
 
Last edited:

hajime

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
7,715
1,212
Anybody not happy with the current MBP and needing it for work should consider if they can use an iMac instead.

That is a good suggestion to some but for me, I need a portable machine.
[doublepost=1526823475][/doublepost]
No. This is known as Return Fraud in the US and is illegal. Other countries may have similar laws and even for the ones that don't, the companies have policies in place to prevent this.

Consumer protections and refund rights only apply for reasonable returns, not to use products as a rental service.

Even Apple employee at Apple Store suggested me to do it and told me that a new MBP with keyboard issue fixed is coming at WWCC. He did not suggest me to do it twice.
 

bluecoast

macrumors 68020
Nov 7, 2017
2,202
2,625
My experience is only anecdotal and fragmented, but given what it is, I am really avoiding Windows machines right now. Out of three Lenovo machines we bough in the last few years, two have failed within the first two years and getting them serviced was a major mess. Out of two Dells, one broke down after 2.5 years. We have also two MS Surfacebooks which are doing fine, although one had some initial issues with video output (I don't know how it was resolved and whether we had to have it replaced).

Maybe we've just been unlucky, but after all this I'd rather just stick with Mac laptops where I know that about one or machine in ten will fail within three years from purchase and where our service partner will usually have a solution within 3 days. Of course, having an excellent service partner is a major factor. We don't have that option with Dell or Lenovo.
To add to that Windows itself is a real mess right now.

The macOS equivalent would be if the dock was from Yosemite but Finder and other utility apps were from Mavericks with some third party apps looking modern with most looking like they were from the Mountain Lion era.

Windows could look great though. Let’s see what Microsoft do with the next major release in the Fall.
 

sputnikBA

macrumors 6502
Jan 2, 2018
289
387
Even Apple employee at Apple Store suggested me to do it and told me that a new MBP with keyboard issue fixed is coming at WWCC. He did not suggest me to do it twice.
You are entitled to a refund within your return period. Apple will happily accept that because it is within your consumer rights.

However consumer rights don’t entitle anyone to keep buying and returning goods so that you only pay once. Many companies have various methods to prevent people from exploiting their return policies in this way.
 

haydn!

macrumors 65816
Nov 10, 2008
1,268
1,785
UK
Anybody not happy with the current MBP and needing it for work should consider if they can use an iMac instead.

This is a really sensible suggestion. I actually considered it myself. A mid-range iMac, combined with a lower end MacBook Pro 13" for days I need to be mobile. This doesn't come in much more than a top 15" MacBook Pro!
 
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