Is Apple replacing the defective MBP keyboards (recently announced) with the same defective keyboards or have they updated the defective keyboards. Does anyone know? I'm wondering what the point of replacing a defective keyboard with another defective keyboard. Isn't it just a matter of time and your keyboard will not work properly?
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Do MBP Replacement Keyboards Have the Same Problem?
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They don't replace them with "defective" keyboards. They replace them with working keyboards.
Using made up numbers, suppose the keyboards have a 10% failure rate. Yours fails. Too bad. The chances of your replacement going bad is 1 in 10. Overall, the odds are in your favor.
I know analogies suck, but what do you do when a lightbulb burns out? You replace it with a working lightbulb even though you know that one will eventually burn out too.
As of february 2018 (my last replacement) - YES, they replace them with the same, error prone, defective keyboards. The new keyboard failed again after a few months.
But it is true, it was replaced by a "working" keyboard. Which worked for a few months. Something that is to be expected from a keyboard on a €3000 laptop, right? Great analogy with the lightbulb. Totally same ballpark.
But it is true, it was replaced by a "working" keyboard. Which worked for a few months. Something that is to be expected from a keyboard on a €3000 laptop, right? Great analogy with the lightbulb. Totally same ballpark.
The difference between a lightbulb and the keyboard is that lightbulb is "consumable" in that after x amount of hours its beyond its expected lifespan. Where as the keyboard failure is due to a design and its potentially being replaced with the same defect.
To use your analogy, you put one of those fancy LED lightbulbs into a lamp, a day later it burns out. You go back to the store to complain and they say yeah the design is such that a percentage fails quickly. They then give you the same type of bulb that is defective and they tell you if it happens again just replace it.
I don't believe there's any difference between the "replacement" keyboards/topcases and the ones that fail.
Apple is just swapping out "as-yet still working" keyboards/topcases for failed ones.
Remember "RadeonGate"?
The "new" motherboard replacements were the same as the old ones -- and as such, susceptible to the same failure later on.
The only way to "fix" the butterfly keyboard is to throw the design into the trash bin and go back to the older, proven one!
Apple is just swapping out "as-yet still working" keyboards/topcases for failed ones.
Remember "RadeonGate"?
The "new" motherboard replacements were the same as the old ones -- and as such, susceptible to the same failure later on.
The only way to "fix" the butterfly keyboard is to throw the design into the trash bin and go back to the older, proven one!
2 days before the announcement of the apple replacement program, I went to an Apple store asking for the saleperson's honest opinion about the keyboard problem as I was thinking if I should buy the 2015 or 2017 macbook pro.
He told me that, "under the hood" Apple is using "slightly improved" keyboard for every new macbook pro, but they can't make it official. When I asked him whether I should just get the refurbished or the new one, he even said the chance of having "old" keyboard from the refurbished one is higher.
I am not a die hard Apple Fans, and of course there is a chance that this salesperson is trying to make a sale even though that will be pretty sick to make false statement like this. I am just reporting what I have heard.
He told me that, "under the hood" Apple is using "slightly improved" keyboard for every new macbook pro, but they can't make it official. When I asked him whether I should just get the refurbished or the new one, he even said the chance of having "old" keyboard from the refurbished one is higher.
I am not a die hard Apple Fans, and of course there is a chance that this salesperson is trying to make a sale even though that will be pretty sick to make false statement like this. I am just reporting what I have heard.
I don't think Apple has designed anything better than the 2017 keyboard, which was an improvement from the 2016 keyboard. And perhaps they cannot given the space constraints.
The new program is like the Radeongate and Staingate programs. Programs that cover the cost, but do not deal with the underlying cause.
The new program is like the Radeongate and Staingate programs. Programs that cover the cost, but do not deal with the underlying cause.
It may be that the geniuses that work on the laptops noticed a difference and in talking with their coworkers mentioned something in passing. I do doubt that the higher ups sent a communication to the low level sales staff detailing an unofficial update.
People had postulated that the there was a small update in the 2017 models when they rolled out those new MBPs and its conceivable that they are still tweaking that design, so I'm not saying they didn't do it but rather the sales staff was told.
I just received my 2017 15" Space Gray Macbook Pro back from repair.
The actual repair was done on June 26, so just after the announcement.
The Top Case was replaced with 605-02939, which I can't find any evidence of that part by google -- so perhaps it is actually a new retrofit.
It seems this was the part that was used up until recently:
http://www.powerbookmedic.com/parts/661-06377/Top-Case-w--Battery-Space-Gray.html
The actual repair was done on June 26, so just after the announcement.
The Top Case was replaced with 605-02939, which I can't find any evidence of that part by google -- so perhaps it is actually a new retrofit.
It seems this was the part that was used up until recently:
http://www.powerbookmedic.com/parts/661-06377/Top-Case-w--Battery-Space-Gray.html
I asked two Apple employees (from different stores) if they use the same defective keyboard for repair. They said that they have no idea. Can't they just check the serial number? There should be an indication on whether the replacement is the same old defective keyboard or a rev.3.
This 100%, would have been leaked all over. No internal comms are private anymore in Apple except maybe between executive staff.
Would you be OK with them opening your computer and popping the back off it. Pulling the batteries, main board, and terminating your warranty to get those numbers for you?
They work in a store, not in assembly or production engineering.
Given Apple's history with the MBP NO same defective design of keyboard will be used, like for like...
Q-6
Q-6
How would someone at an Apple store know? They barely get a heads up when a new model is going to be introduced. The communication of some parts upgrade in an existing product is very minimal, if at all.
And the repair work is being performed by a central service depot, not in the store so they may never even see the parts. Per the article on the MacRumors main page:
- Be prepared to go a week-plus without your MacBook. Apple quotes a turnaround time of five to seven business days for service to be completed at Apple's off-site repair centers, but wait times may increase as an influx of customers take advantage of the program.
Even if improvements were slipstreamed into the production line, there's a fair chance no differentiation in part numbers was made. If it was, it may not even been labelled on the part.
As mentioned above, it's also highly improbably that any communications were made to the rank-and-file employees regarding any slipstreamed improvements (if any were made).
Yes. Look at image below.
A single grain of sand (on the bottom right) has blocked the butterfly mechanism from working.
A single grain of sand (on the bottom right) has blocked the butterfly mechanism from working.
Yes. Look at image below.
A single grain of sand (on the bottom right) has blocked the butterfly mechanism from working.
WOW. I would have killed the keyboard the first time I ate a poppy seed muffin at my desk, which is once a week.
I have a 2016 MacBook Pro 15" and got my keyboard replaced because of a sticky key. Got it back this week on Wednesday. After I got home, I noticed that the Arrow Up-Key is making strange noises when pressed. Well, two days later and the key failed... brand new keyboard, two days of light use.
Since I need my device for work, I got a MacBook Pro 2015 now and I'm selling the 2016 when it's repaired again...
Since I need my device for work, I got a MacBook Pro 2015 now and I'm selling the 2016 when it's repaired again...
A lightbulb is designed to be easily replaced - the MBP keyboard is literally riveted in place - trying to remove it trashes the machine. Maybe making the keyboard an end user replaceable slot-in consumable component is the solution Apple have been looking for?
Yes. Look at image below.
A single grain of sand (on the bottom right) has blocked the butterfly mechanism from working.
Source please?
iFixit.
https://ifixit.org/blog/10229/macbook-pro-keyboard/
They did a write up on the keyboard and how easily it can fail