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Buying a 15" MBP With Butterfly Keyboard & Touchbar - Really Need Kind Help & Advice!!

B

Bazzy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 8, 2009
302
10
Hi All,

I Need some kind advice on buying a used 15” MacBook Pro with the dreaded Butterfly keyboards & Touch Bar. I would want one with 16GB Ram & 1TB SSD. I am very nervous about any of these regardless of year just because of the horrendous keyboard issues - it seems that sooner later, they are guaranteed to occur.

I am really not a fan of that Touchbar either - it is just a gimmick to me & another thing that will cost a fortune to fix/repair if it goes wrong.

I know Apple has a recall programme out for 4 years from date of purchase but that will last only so long & afterwards I guess if one has any keyboard/touchbar issues then they are basically screwed in the sense they will have an expensive & unusable unit or face an insanely high repair bill with high chances that the same thing will happen again & again as it will still have the same flawed keyboard fitted each time.

Obviously then it is better to buy as late a year as possible but funds are limited - I do not see any point buying 2016 model as the 4 year recall programme is already nearly over for those models so would like to ask, is it worth the risk/gamble buying a 2017 model?

My thinking is that within the 4 years recall programme at least Apple should hopefully keep repairing it whether the issue happens once or multiple times & after that just keep my fingers crossed that one of the keyboards will actually be OK long term.

Say I get a 2017 model bought in the middle of the year, then at least I will have just over a years recourse via the recall programme if the keyboard starts playing up - it will be a pain & hassle to take it to the Apple Store & be without it for a while each time but at least it is something - I don’t think I can stretch to a 2018 model.

Has anyone here bought a used MBP with the butterfly keyboards & what would you advise on what to get & ensure? I would also welcome general opinions from others as I am very, very nervous about getting one & am a little naive generally about these things so would like advice on how best to act & ensure I can do all the right things beforehand.

Will Apple just keep repairing it till the end of the recall programme & then just simply say you are out of luck if it happens afterwards?

Many Kind Thanks!
 
Bazzy said:
Will Apple just keep repairing it till the end of the recall programme & then just simply say you are out of luck if it happens afterwards?
Click to expand...
Yes of course.
Half of my friends having issue with keyboards on their 2017 MBPs. Maybe you should buy 2020 MBP 13, or opt in for using used MBP 2017 until warranty expires and sell it. But anyway, with latter you are losing money.
 
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Either buy a 2015 "pre-butterfly" 15"
or
Buy a 16" model.

Buying ANY MBP with the butterfly keyboard is just too risky a proposition.
If that keyboard fails -- even just one key -- and the replacement program won't cover it, it's gonna cost you $700 to get it working again...
 
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Hi All,

Thanks for the reply so far - much appreciated! It is good that Apple finally addressed the keyboard issue after such a long time with the recall programme but in addition, I am in the UK & I wish they would have offered a reduced repair cost option after the recall ends - say something like £200 - that would have at least been somewhat palatable in case anything should go wrong afterwards but £700 is extreme considering the same underlying issue still remains.

Problem is funds are limited & there is no way I can stretch currently to a 2020 model - in my dreams!

I was just wondering since here in the UK on places like ebay etc - these butterfly keyboard models still have quite high asking prices tbh so I just wondered if things might have gotten better somehow.

If a keyboard keeps failing - is there a number of times when Apple will repair it before considering replacing it with a new or refurbished one - even if it is the same model/spec etc?

Many Kind Thanks!
 
i've heard 2019 models don't have as bad failure rate as 2016 to 2018 butterfly keyboards, but ya if you can just wait for 2020 model to have scissor switch. Or, buy a 16'' if you're rich... or your workplace can comp for some/most/all the price.
 
The 16" MBP is definitely a better buy compared to the much pricier 15" versions...

Better bang for the buck !
 
Hi All,

Sadly, I just cannot stretch to the new 16" models so will have to bear that cross!

I am just wondering, here in the UK, an item is covered under law for 6 years against manufacturing defects - whereby if it can be proven (which I would think the butterfly keyboards do?) then the seller is obligated to replace or refund within that time.

The only caveat is that it is the seller that is responsible - not the manufacturer I believe - so I am wondering if anyone can shed light on this - if I was to be able to secure a unit that was purchased from Apple themselves & suffered keyboard issues after the 4 year recall ended, would one still have some recourse for Apple to repair/replace etc under the 6 year Consumer Protection Laws?

It is only something I am considering & asking about at the moment so I can learn & get educated about so I can fully know what future options would be available before I even remotely consider getting one.

Of course, I would rather not have any issues at all or have to deal with any protracted & complicated repair/returns process & all the hassles & frustrations that can cause but I also do not want an expensive & unusable brick of a laptop afterwards!

Many Thanks!
 
You never mentioned previously why you do want exactly 15 inch used 2017? I mean if you can't make it up now, maybe you should consider new base 13 inch for around 1000-1300$. Or just go the windows way with dell g5, those have 1tb hdd + 256 gb ssd with decent graphics card.
My point is that if you need only casualty(youtube, doc, excel) with MacOS - you can be happy with base models. But if you need something to work with - then you need bunch of money to buy decent config.
So maybe go for new 13 inch or windows laptop is option for you?
 
I've had a 2016 15" MBP 2.9 460 1TB CTO unit since pretty much the time they first came out. I had issues with the SSD failing twice (probably just bad luck). I've had no problems since, and my butterfly keyboard has never been serviced and has been 99% trouble-free (very occasional undesired key repeats). Most of the time I keep this MBP parked on an aluminum RainDesign stand on my desk that keeps it elevated and slightly tilted and I use an external Magic Keyboard with that setup. If I used it on the road a lot more, perhaps the keyboard would be more problematic.

Anyway, it comes down to price and need. If the price is right and you need what the machine has to offer (and you need it now), then I'd say go for it. But if the prices are still too high, I'd look for another option. I would definitely get the 15" -- even with butterfly keyboard -- before getting a PC notebook, though. I plan to move to a 16" when I can afford it (late 2020 or 2021). Until then, my current 15" works well for me, butterfly keyboard and all. Even after 4 years of use, it still meets my current requirements for both work and personal use.
 
ctjack said:
You never mentioned previously why you do want exactly 15 inch used 2017? I mean if you can't make it up now, maybe you should consider new base 13 inch for around 1000-1300$. Or just go the windows way with dell g5, those have 1tb hdd + 256 gb ssd with decent graphics card.
My point is that if you need only casualty(youtube, doc, excel) with MacOS - you can be happy with base models. But if you need something to work with - then you need bunch of money to buy decent config.
So maybe go for new 13 inch or windows laptop is option for you?
Click to expand...


Hi,

Thanks for replying! Why the 15" used 2017? Well, I see that the 1st gen 2016 ones had a ton of issues & the 4 year recall programme on them probably has ended or will do soon so I discounted that one completely.

The next factor is my limited affordability - it seems that only the 2017 (at least here in the UK based on 2nd hand sales) would be within my budget as the 2018 & 2019 ones get much more costly. Also with the 2017, at least there will be about a year (maybe more) of the recall programme left so there is that to fall back on.

I come from a massive 17" 2011 MBP so am extremely used to the large screen size & as I tend to keep my laptops for 5-6 years, I was just really hoping I could get a 15" as I feared I would just not get on with a small screen like a 13" - maybe a bit of selfish screen gluttony on my part!

I cannot remember the last time I used a Windows computer & I just do not ever want to go down that route again tbh - had so many expensive Windows laptops fail on me before jumping on the Mac bandwagon many moons ago! I also like the robustness & security of Mac over Windows.

I need to learn about the UK 6 Year Consumer Laws & how they would relate to the Butterfly Keyboard issue after the recall programme ends! If it is positive, only then would I ever consider getting one - was hoping someone knowledgable might be able to shed some light!

Do Apple have any obligation to replace after a certain number of repairs does anyone know? I will definitely be keeping for at least another 5-6 years so am weighing pros/cons at the moment!

Many Thanks!
 
I'd second the motion to look at a 2015 model that had the original scissor keyboard. They are as fast as a 2016 or 2017 (unless you need better GPU), and have stood the test of time. You can even upgrade the internal SSD if needed via a third party kit.


I'm currently using a 2014 13 inch from this generation with no issues. Rock solid build. It even has HDMI output, USBA ports and MagSafe! ❤
 
Hi All,

My apologies for not updating sooner - we all have had much to ponder about recently.

I took all your advice & stuck to the 2015 model - the top one with 2.8/1TB/16GB RAM/AMD R9 Radeon M370X.

Thank you all so much - it may not be the very latest or best but I guess it is still an darn good unit, has all the ports & no keyboard issues.

I was very conflicted as to wanting something newer in the hope that newer might be better but scared of all the issues - that & just silly bragging rights that look, I have a newer, sleeker looking model!

Thank you all again!
 
kitenski said:
@Bazzy would you mind sharing roughly how much that cost and where you got it from? I'm also in the UK
Click to expand...

Hi kitenski,

I paid £1150 for it on a private sale - seems to be just under the going rate for the well maintained ones.

Are you London based or elsewhere?

Many Thanks,
 
What are your usage criteria?

if high end horsepower is required or you MUST HAVE the bigger screen, i'd suggest getting a 16" instead.
If it isn't, i'd go see if a brand new Air will do the job (try one out).

You can get 16GB and 1TB in an air for about 2/3 the price or less.

I can not recommend any butterfly keyboard machine.


edit:
eek. 1150 pounds for a discrete GPU apple laptop that is 2 years beyond applecare!

Good luck. Apple's discrete GPU machines have a well documented history of GPU failure issues. Not the route i would have gone at all.....
 
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