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Why I’m returning my 2018 MacBook Pro

L

Lewisb86

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 3, 2013
18
5
Hi everyone

Thought I’d let you all know the reasons why I’m returning my MacBook Pro. My maxed out 15-inch MacBook Pro arrived a few days ago.

I purchased it primarily for 4K editing. Nothing crazy, just normal 4K holiday editing etc

First of all, the machine gets waaaaaay too hot when playing back 4K footage. After a few minutes, the fans kick in at full speed and the playback becomes choppy. This also happens when watching YouTube 4K videos. When viewing the same content on my iPad or my iPhone, playback is constantly smooth.

I’ve got sticky keys, the return button sounds really sticky and I have to press the caps lock button a few times for it to register I’ve pressed it.

Closing windows etc, it’s just not responsive to what I imagine it should be.

For a $5,507 AUD machine, it’s highly disappointing - I guess I’ll wait to see if it improves or venture to the dark side and get a Windows machine.
 
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Looks like everybody and their mom are returning these new MBP's lol.

I'm on a 13'' nTB 2016 base model and pretty happy with it. Seeing all this bad PR for the new MBP's will make me stick out for either 2019 or 2020 MBP's most likely. Unless Apple will can fix something via Software/ macOS update when Mojave is out.
 
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fokmik said:
"I’ve got sticky keys, the return button sounds really sticky and I have to press the caps lock button a few times for it to register I’ve pressed it. "
this sound like 2016-2017 MBP or trolling about 2018?
Click to expand...

I’ve got a 2018 MacBook Pro.
 
Have you even let it "index" before stress-testing your new machine? You should not judge it that quickly. New machines need to settle before they can perform at their best.

I tell you, these newbies don't know what they're doing sometimes, and they're quick to assume their machines are defective.
 
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It's a question of whether it's worth what you pay for it. I'm not a power user, and my 15" MacBook Pro cost me a total of $3,000, including tax and Apple care. That's fine, but I have no need to pay $7,500 for a laptop.
 
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I got the 13inch 2018 MBP. I got it for graduate school so not using it for anything fancy. I got it almost two weeks ago and I love it. The keyboard is great and quiet. It’s smooth. I haven’t had any issues with my keyboard. I’m happy I kept on waiting for them to come out with a new one. Literally got it two days before my program started.
 
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MBX said:
Looks like everybody and their mom are returning these new MBP's lol.

I'm on a 13'' nTB 2016 base model and pretty happy with it. Seeing all this bad PR for the new MBP's will make me stick out for either 2019 or 2020 MBP's most likely. Unless Apple will can fix something via Software/ macOS update when Mojave is out.
Click to expand...

I have a 2017 nTB and it gets pretty damn hot and laggy when I'm outputting to an external 1080p and multi-tasking. I thought these were supposed to be able to handle 4K - but I think my MBP would combust under that load.
 
I’m going to pamper my MacBookair 2010 and click my heels while farting “I’m a Mac!” All night long
Sorry to hear about your fan not being a fan of the MacBook pro 2018.
[doublepost=1532462930][/doublepost]Did not the Romans make a MacBook Pro in 18AD?
[doublepost=1532462963][/doublepost]
mr.anthonyramos said:
What a waste of forum bandwidth.
Click to expand...
Dont worry, There is plenty, I just checked!
 
nyy13251 said:
I got the 13inch 2018 MBP. I got it for graduate school so not using it for anything fancy. I got it almost two weeks ago and I love it. The keyboard is great and quiet. It’s smooth. I haven’t had any issues with my keyboard. I’m happy I kept on waiting for them to come out with a new one. Literally got it two days before my program started.
Click to expand...

Wife and I got our 2017 MBP 13' TB models. We absolutely love them. We specifically purchased these laptops now because my wife starts her graduate school next week (we got them 2 months ago). We have nothing but good to say about them. Mine is used every day and my wife uses hers every day all day long. Great machines.
 
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BigMcGuire said:
Wife and I got our 2017 MBP 13' TB models. We absolutely love them. We specifically upgraded now because my wife starts her graduate school next week. We have nothing but good to say about them. Mine is used every day and my wife uses hers every day all day long. Great machines.
Click to expand...

You are upgrading from the 2017?
 
Lewisb86 said:
Hi everyone

Thought I’d let you all know the reasons why I’m returning my MacBook Pro. My maxed out 15-inch MacBook Pro arrived a few days ago.

I purchased it primarily for 4K editing. Nothing crazy, just normal 4K holiday editing etc

First of all, the machine gets waaaaaay too hot when playing back 4K footage. After a few minutes, the fans kick in at full speed and the playback becomes choppy. This also happens when watching YouTube 4K videos. When viewing the same content on my iPad or my iPhone, playback is constantly smooth.

I’ve got sticky keys, the return button sounds really sticky and I have to press the caps lock button a few times for it to register I’ve pressed it.

Closing windows etc, it’s just not responsive to what I imagine it should be.

For a $5,507 AUD machine, it’s highly disappointing - I guess I’ll wait to see if it improves or venture to the dark side and get a Windows machine.
Click to expand...
There's a patch. Go buy it again.
 
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My late 2016 MacBook Pro touch screen is being replaced by AppleCare due to the dreaded black screen. Its key board was replaced last year and it had another sticky key now. The replacement MacBook will be the latest so that is good news.
 
I honestly don't understand the obsession with 4k. I own a 2018 MBP and a 55inch 4k TV. 1080p looks fine to me and I'm very picky about video quality. And tbh I really wouldn't even bother shooting and editing 4K, unless I was being paid large sums to do so. I mentioned in a previous thread that people are exporting far more data than actually necessary, hence the overheating. Anyone agree??
 
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Lewisb86 said:
For a $5,507 AUD machine, it’s highly disappointing - I guess I’ll wait to see if it improves or venture to the dark side and get a Windows machine.
Click to expand...
I've often said get the best tool to meet your needs, and its clear that current MBP is not meeting your needs, Kind of sad that my 2.2Ghz is beating out the next model up (2.6Ghz) in benchmarks. I'm happy with my MBP but my needs are not as high as yours

MBX said:
Looks like everybody and their mom are returning these new MBP's lol.
Click to expand...
I think many people are but mostly tech types that we see here at MR, most consumers probably are unaware of the issue by and large

Lobwedgephil said:
It's not crappy hardware.
Click to expand...
Apple's hardware track record is not all that stellar. People, bloggers, vloggers highly tout build quality and how great the hardware is. I too think its a well engineered system, but their hardware is failing more then it should.

Here's some recent history with the MBP
2008 - 2011 - dGPU failures, the 2011 was probably the worst where it was reported that all at some point or another will fail, though this number is probably too high
2012 - 2015 - screengate, where the coating was flaking off on many units. Apple had to institute a repair program
2017 - 2017 (2018 too?) keyboard failures.
2018 - Throttling issues. While this is being solved in software its a hardware design failure where it seems the lack of proper thermal evacuation is causing the VRM to over heat.

I don't know of another computer maker that has had as many repair programs, so many issues for the last 10 years, yet is considered the pinnacle of computer design and quality.

Let me finish up, and say I feel my 2012 rMBP was the best laptop I've ever owned, and I also have an iMac and I'm now an owner of the 2018 machine, so I'm not hating on them, but clearly its not all unicorns and rainbows with Apple
[/rant]
 
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maflynn said:
I've often said get the best tool to meet your needs, and its clear that current MBP is not meeting your needs, Kind of sad that my 2.2Ghz is beating out the next model up (2.6Ghz) in benchmarks. I'm happy with my MBP but my needs are not as high as yours


I think many people are but mostly tech types that we see here at MR, most consumers probably are unaware of the issue by and large


Apple's hardware track record is not all that stellar. People, bloggers, vloggers highly tout build quality and how great the hardware is. I too think its a well engineered system, but their hardware is failing more then it should.

Here's some recent history with the MBP
2008 - 2011 - dGPU failures, the 2011 was probably the worst where it was reported that all at some point or another will fail, though this number is probably too high
2012 - 2015 - screengate, where the coating was flaking off on many units. Apple had to institute a repair program
2017 - 2017 (2018 too?) keyboard failures.
2018 - Throttling issues. While this is being solved in software its a hardware design failure where it seems the lack of proper thermal evacuation is causing the VRM to over heat.

I don't know of another computer maker that has had as many repair programs, so many issues for the last 10 years, yet is considered the pinnacle of computer design and quality.

Let me finish up, and say I feel my 2012 rMBP was the best laptop I've ever owned, and I also have an iMac and I'm now an owner of the 2018 machine, so I'm not hating on them, but clearly its not all unicorns and rainbows with Apple
[/rant]
Click to expand...

I am not arguing that there aren't issues, and there clearly have been more issues then there should be. But I still don't think it is "crappy" hardware. Even with the issues, the build quality is the best there is when compared to the competition, though I think Microsoft Surface Books have excellent build quality also, as well as issues there also.
 
maflynn said:
Apple's hardware track record is not all that stellar. People, bloggers, vloggers highly tout build quality and how great the hardware is. I too think its a well engineered system, but their hardware is failing more then it should.
Click to expand...
From https://www.consumerreports.org/products/laptop/brand-reliability/:

Estimated breakage rate by the end of the 2nd year of ownership:

Apple: 10%
Samsung: 16%
Acer: 18%
HP: 20%
Asus: 20%
Lenovo: 21%
Dell: 22%
Toshiba: 24%
Microsoft: 25%
 
Lewisb86 said:
Hi everyone

Thought I’d let you all know the reasons why I’m returning my MacBook Pro. My maxed out 15-inch MacBook Pro arrived a few days ago.

I purchased it primarily for 4K editing. Nothing crazy, just normal 4K holiday editing etc

First of all, the machine gets waaaaaay too hot when playing back 4K footage. After a few minutes, the fans kick in at full speed and the playback becomes choppy. This also happens when watching YouTube 4K videos. When viewing the same content on my iPad or my iPhone, playback is constantly smooth.

I’ve got sticky keys, the return button sounds really sticky and I have to press the caps lock button a few times for it to register I’ve pressed it.

Closing windows etc, it’s just not responsive to what I imagine it should be.

For a $5,507 AUD machine, it’s highly disappointing - I guess I’ll wait to see if it improves or venture to the dark side and get a Windows machine.
Click to expand...

I did not get the fully maxed out CPU thinking it would affect heat and battery life. Got the base i7 CPU. Even that one heats up quite a bit. I booked it up to a 38” ultrawide LG monitor and it got hot. Don’t know if it was very hot or just hot but it was not warm. I opened up 3 different windows on the LG monitor side by side. Websites were basic websites. No YouTube or anything while connected to the LG monitor and laptop was hot! When I ordered I had thought that the i7 in the 15” would run cooler compared to the i7 in the 13”.

What I had next to it was a new 2018 X1 Carbon which I planned on returning today. That also ran hot and often had fans running trying to keep things cool when connected to LG Ultrawide monitor (38”).

I will try MacBook Pro this morning without being connected to ultrawide monitor to play a YouTube video to see if it heats up. If an iPad Pro or iPhone can play a YouTube video without any fans and without heating up then you would figure that a 15” MacBook Pro which has so much more space inside could do it more efficiently and run cooler.
[doublepost=1532530817][/doublepost]
poorcody said:
From https://www.consumerreports.org/products/laptop/brand-reliability/:

Estimated breakage rate by the end of the 2nd year of ownership:

Apple: 10%
Samsung: 16%
Acer: 18%
HP: 20%
Asus: 20%
Lenovo: 21%
Dell: 22%
Toshiba: 24%
Microsoft: 25%
Click to expand...

Those numbers all seem pretty high I thought they were much less and lower. I remember the X1 Carbon actually having good numbers for reliability
[doublepost=1532530945][/doublepost]
BlankStar said:
Apparently it's crappy software. Same deal. Hurl some of that cash towards the testing of stuff before releasing it.
Click to expand...
I am quite surprised because Apple is usually well know to test for a long time before releasing new items. Samsung is well known to to just release new items more often and test for shorter periods of time
 
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