Macbook Pro Flexgate discussion [Merged]

[d0nK]

its ridiculous they refuse to replace the cable and need to replace the whole top display

it could theoretically be such a cheap repair fix if not for it being 'apple's way'

Indeed. Apple are very non-environment-friendly. Just look at the keyboard that breaks with specs of dust and needs the entire top section to be replaced for stupid money! Before the crap rivetted-in keyboard you could simply just replace the keyboard for $30.
Locked-down, irreplaceable, irreparable non-modular components are an absolute disgrace.

 

[Painter2002]

You guys experiencing this issue and generally frustrated with Apple should be pissed at Tim Cook and the Apple leadership. It’s been years now since Steve passed, and they’ve basically become complacent and lack passion. They’re now like a car manufacturer. Ignition problems that cause fires and kill people? More expensive to recall everything and just pay lawsuits? Do nothing.

Cook should be fired and a CEO needs to come in that is much different.

And whom do you propose should run Apple? You?

I am sorry but even Steve had his issues when he ran the company (remember, you’re holding it wrong). And yes, perhaps Apple has lost some of the more innovative edge, but let’s be honest, technology in computers and phones is becoming saturated. What other innovations can you think of that should be on a mobile device or laptop that can pretty much do everything?

I do think there are issues with design and pre-production/post-production QA at Apple, but I don’t think it’s because of a lack passion from the company itself. Saying that is insulting to the thousands of employees who work on the technology that many people love. Businesses are not that simple to where you can just blame the CEO for the faults in design of a single product. There are way more heads on the horse that pulls a company along.

Apple simply needs to review their design QA system to find ways to prevent these kind of issues moving forward, which I imagine they are already working on.

 

[rayriceroni00]

And whom do you propose should run Apple? You?

I am sorry but even Steve had his issues when he ran the company (remember, you’re holding it wrong). And yes, perhaps Apple has lost some of the more innovative edge, but let’s be honest, technology in computers and phones is becoming saturated. What other innovations can you think of that should be on a mobile device or laptop that can pretty much do everything?

I do think there are issues with design and pre-production/post-production QA at Apple, but I don’t think it’s because of a lack passion from the company itself. Saying that is insulting to the thousands of employees who work on the technology that many people love. Businesses are not that simple to where you can just blame the CEO for the faults in design of a single product. There are way more heads on the horse that pulls a company along.

Apple simply needs to review their design QA system to find ways to prevent these kind of issues moving forward, which I imagine they are already working on.

Holding the phone wrong vs saving apple, bringing in a Unix based OS that is superior to Windows, changing the mp3 music player market, making tablets mainstream, and revolutionizing the the smart phone world. Hmmm...

Thousands of people at Apple don’t influence innovation. Only a handful at the top are really in charge, and they’re flat on their backs. They’re riding successful products of the past and I still love them, but 1990s Apple is coming again if they keep going this way.
[doublepost=1550157674][/doublepost]You also asked what I would do? Simple. I’d start by saying “small and thin” is an outdated philosophy. We no longer want tiny phones. So why do we want half inch think laptops? Reintroduce the 17 inch MBP with a 15+ hour battery and the power user world would wipe the inventory. Change the 15 so it’s a bit beefier and get rid of that stupid as hell Touch Bar that serves no purpose.

 

[Plutonius]

Apple simply needs to review their design QA system to find ways to prevent these kind of issues moving forward, which I imagine they are already working on.

It's more of a design issue then a QA issue.

If the laptop was able to be cheaply and easily repaired, I think that people would not be as concerned.

As it is now, it's cost prohibitive for any repair after the warranty runs out.

 

[Painter2002]

Holding the phone wrong vs saving apple, bringing in a Unix based OS that is superior to Windows, changing the mp3 music player market, making tablets mainstream, and revolutionizing the the smart phone world. Hmmm...

Thousands of people at Apple don’t influence innovation. Only a handful at the top are really in charge, and they’re flat on their backs. They’re riding successful products of the past and I still love them, but 1990s Apple is coming again if they keep going this way.
[doublepost=1550157674][/doublepost]You also asked what I would do? Simple. I’d start by saying “small and thin” is an outdated philosophy. We no longer want tiny phones. So why do we want half inch think laptops? Reintroduce the 17 inch MBP with a 15+ hour battery and the power user world would wipe the inventory. Change the 15 so it’s a bit beefier and get rid of that stupid as hell Touch Bar that serves no purpose.

While I still don’t agree that we can compare the Steve Jobs era to the Tim Cook era (technology has changed so much and become so saturated with innovation already), I do agree with the thickness obsession. I’d happily give back an extra 1/2-1 inch on my MacBook Pro if it meant I could gain an extra 5-7 hours of battery life. The average power user is going to use their computer more than 8 hours in a day, and a 15 hour life battery would be so fantastic.

Touchbar was a novel idea that some have liked, and was an attempt by Apple to add distinctive innovation to MacBooks, but backfired unfortunately. Again that kind of points to the fact that innovation is saturated in technology to the point that a lot of new ideas are more of a solution in search for a problem, as other users have commented.

I think in general we are going to see a lull in the general tech industry. Right now the focus on many cutting edge tech companies is VR and AR, but that’s in its infancy, and it’s going to be years before that technology is truly useful and used on a broad scale by the public.

 

[rayriceroni00]

I think it’s pretty easy to compare Jobs to Cook. Look at all the new products Jobs brought to the world. What has Cook done? 17 inch MacBook discontinued under him. iPad mini discontinued under him now rumored to be coming back. It’s like Cook either has no big ideas or only wants to play it safe with tiny changes. He should take a job at any other company that thrives on mediocrity and not rocking the boat.

 

[Painter2002]

It's more of a design issue then a QA issue.

If the laptop was able to be cheaply and easily repaired, I think that people would not be as concerned.

As it is now, it's cost prohibitive for any repair after the warranty runs out.

True, it is, but a properly setup pre-production QA would be able to identify the issue and get the design department to correct the issue before release. When designing these products, drawing board designers and the engineers may miss something in their designs, which QA is supposed to catch and fix before the design hits the production lines for consumers. Something like the flex cable being too short/brittle could easily have been caught by a thorough QA department.

My point is there will always be design flaws that don’t get realized by those at the drawing board, but a good QA a good identify those issues.

 

[rayriceroni00]

True, it is, but a properly setup pre-production QA would be able to identify the issue and get the design department to correct the issue before release. When designing these products, drawing board designers and the engineers may miss something in their designs, which QA is supposed to catch and fix before the design hits the production lines for consumers. Something like the flex cable being too short/brittle could easily have been caught by a thorough QA department.

My point is there will always be design flaws that don’t get realized by those at the drawing board, but a good QA a good identify those issues.

Quality should have caught the finger over the phone antenna issue, but catching something that takes years to break isn’t so easy. Car companies miss those kinds daily.

 

[Painter2002]

I think it’s pretty easy to compare Jobs to Cook. Look at all the new products Jobs brought to the world. What has Cook done? 17 inch MacBook discontinued under him. iPad mini discontinued under him now rumored to be coming back. It’s like Cook either has no big ideas or only wants to play it safe with tiny changes. He should take a job at any other company that thrives on mediocrity and not rocking the boat.

So I understand what you are saying, but I am trying to simply say to look at the larger picture. The technology industry is much different now than it was 10 years ago. It’s not the same environment, and with more intense competition for new ideas to be the next big thing.

And iPad mini has been ignored because you have ginormous iPhones that are almost iPad minis that fit in a pocket, and 17” laptops have been a relatively slow market for the last 10 years, only now gaining more traction as gaming laptops become more powerful.

And yes Steve Jobs was well-documented to be a hard-driving CEO, who demanded the biggest ideas possible from his people, and Tim Cook is likely not that same personality, but that is something that is different with every CEO you get.

But having said that, I respect your opinion, there are plenty of others who hold that view. I’m just trying to give a different view.

 

[Garage Battle]

And whom do you propose should run Apple? You?

no I should run Apple - at least its PC division. You know how I would make it work - by giving the people exactly what they want.

What Apple is doing right:
*building lower end products for the masses

What Apple isn't doing right:
*building products that professionals love to own

you have to build what people want. good example is the auto industry - every manufacturer for years kept increasing the size of their models to claim they had "more interior space" than the pervious model - every year until the smaller car was as big as the next size model was and they no longer resembled the product people loved.

Step 1: get rid of the MB Air line completely. its now either MacBooks or MacBook Pros.
Step 2: MacBook line would be a 13" and 15"
*MacBooks would be slightly thicker than the current MBP - with more serviceable parts and an improved keyboard with better reliability. Only as thick as needed. Why? Normies want slim laptops.
*Add a single USB-A port because its 2019, keep the pair of TB3 ports.

Step 3: The MacBook Pro line would be a 13", 15", or 17".
*The 13 and 15 would have the same dimension length/across as the MacBook but they would be thicker.
*thicker to accommodate cooling - products that never throttle
*premium quality keyboards that are a dream to type on
*most components are serviceable / upgradeable
*because the case would be larger to accommodate service there would be room for a larger battery
*the extra thickness would allow for a TB3 port on the rear of the machine
*id also add a USB-A port

Next Id have the MacBook team work with the iPad team for tighter iPad integration. I want the iPad to be usable as a drawing tablet for the MacBook with native TB3 support. I also want it to natively double as a second screen for the MacBook.

Then Id work on a MacBook Pro convertible 15" with Apple Pencil and an in body silo to store/charge the pencil. iPad/iPhone could then act as a shortcut controller for your drawing / editing programs. the iPad could also double as a keyboard as well (typing while the MBP is in tent mode).

The MacBook line should be portable as the Macbook is now. The MacBook Pro should be destination machines.

 

[ywliow]

My MacBook Pro purchased in mid 2017. I have same issue and my screen turn off entirely when its opens beyond a 40-degree angle.
If it a design fault, the company should bare the responsiblity. I checked with Apple care, servicing cost is about 30% of my purchase cost and i think this is ridiculous.

 

[W1cH099]

My MacBook Pro purchased in mid 2017. I have same issue and my screen turn off entirely when its opens beyond a 40-degree angle.
If it a design fault, the company should bare the responsiblity. I checked with Apple care, servicing cost is about 30% of my purchase cost and i think this is ridiculous.

Wait how much did they want to charge you even with apple care for the screen replacement?

 

[Plutonius]

Wait how much did they want to charge you even with apple care for the screen replacement?

I don't believe that Apple will give you a cost if it's covered by AppleCare.

The OP said it's a 2017 MacBook Pro and I was assuming that it didn't have AppleCare.

 

[Painter2002]

The OP said it's a 2017 MacBook Pro and I was assuming that it didn't have AppleCare.

OP needs to clarify if it is in fact the 2017 MBP model year that he/she has, as the post indicates that OP bought the effected MBP in mid 2017. It could be a 2016 model that was purchased mid 2017.
[doublepost=1550623163][/doublepost]

no I should run Apple - at least its PC division. You know how I would make it work - by giving the people exactly what they want.

What Apple is doing right:
*building lower end products for the masses

What Apple isn't doing right:
*building products that professionals love to own

you have to build what people want. good example is the auto industry - every manufacturer for years kept increasing the size of their models to claim they had "more interior space" than the pervious model - every year until the smaller car was as big as the next size model was and they no longer resembled the product people loved.

Step 1: get rid of the MB Air line completely. its now either MacBooks or MacBook Pros.
Step 2: MacBook line would be a 13" and 15"
*MacBooks would be slightly thicker than the current MBP - with more serviceable parts and an improved keyboard with better reliability. Only as thick as needed. Why? Normies want slim laptops.
*Add a single USB-A port because its 2019, keep the pair of TB3 ports.

Step 3: The MacBook Pro line would be a 13", 15", or 17".
*The 13 and 15 would have the same dimension length/across as the MacBook but they would be thicker.
*thicker to accommodate cooling - products that never throttle
*premium quality keyboards that are a dream to type on
*most components are serviceable / upgradeable
*because the case would be larger to accommodate service there would be room for a larger battery
*the extra thickness would allow for a TB3 port on the rear of the machine
*id also add a USB-A port

Next Id have the MacBook team work with the iPad team for tighter iPad integration. I want the iPad to be usable as a drawing tablet for the MacBook with native TB3 support. I also want it to natively double as a second screen for the MacBook.

Then Id work on a MacBook Pro convertible 15" with Apple Pencil and an in body silo to store/charge the pencil. iPad/iPhone could then act as a shortcut controller for your drawing / editing programs. the iPad could also double as a keyboard as well (typing while the MBP is in tent mode).

The MacBook line should be portable as the Macbook is now. The MacBook Pro should be destination machines.

While I agree with many points you have made including the thicker design for better cooling/upgradability/repairability, removing either MacBook Air or 12" MacBook lineup, larger batter, possibly a couple legacy ports), I'd have to disagree with your implication that Apple isn't building products that professionals love. There are plenty of professionals who actually do like the current model MacBook Pros, and if there weren't so many issues from the current design mishaps, I think it would have been better received by many in the professional industry. If it weren't for the keyboard issues, T2 panics, flexgate and other things, I think many people would actually agree these computers are actually fully capable. Sure you might have to buy a dongle for your legacy peripherals, but then again even my boss recently had to buy one too with his Lenovo because they are cutting out some of the ports on newer models too.

My point is, while some of your points are true and could very well help Apple gain back Pros who left the apple market due to the "gates" of the current generation MBP, I think it is overlooked that if Apple's design of these machines had gone the way they intended these machines actually would have been quite capable machines. Just look at benchmarks and tests people have done on the 2018 MBPs (after the throttling issue was corrected); these machines are on par with many desktop level machines.

In the end, what is really missing from the professional end of Apple is the Mac Pro. Their lack of a true modular desktop solution is what the Pros REALLY are waiting for.

 

[Yr Blues]

My '16 MBP screen crapped out on the bottom of the screen like everyone else's with the same problem.

It's so prevalent.

 

[Bending Pixels]

Have you contacted the Apple Store?

 

[Yr Blues]

Have you contacted the Apple Store?

Not yet. My screen crapped out after they fixed my keyboard, but it took months to gradually get that way. I don't think they would own that problem.

 

[SDColorado]

Not yet. My screen crapped out after they fixed my keyboard, but it took months to gradually get that way. I don't think they would own that problem.

You never know what they will own until you contact them, but also fill out a feedback form here....

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

 

[Yr Blues]

You never know what they will own until you contact them, but also fill out a feedback form here....

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

I will, thanks.

 

[SDColorado]

I will, thanks.

Hopefully they take care of you. There is no official repair program at this time for it, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t aware of it. They were replacing displays for people who had the “stain gate” issue ahead of the repair program as well. You won’t know until you try. But the Feedback forms do help to make them aware of issues.

 

[JPack]

The usual sequence of events requires a class action to be directed at Apple before they introduce a Repair Extension Program.

 

[vaugha]

The usual sequence of events requires a class action to be directed at Apple before they introduce a Repair Extension Program.

I'd agree w/ this. Unless they're pressured by some sort of litigation, it's pretty hard to budge their stubborn attitudes.

 

[Plutonius]

My '16 MBP screen crapped out on the bottom of the screen like everyone else's with the same problem.

It's so prevalent.

I doubt Apple will do anything until there is a class action lawsuit.

 

[Painter2002]

Short answer, yes.

Long answer, it’s going to take a class action suit for Apple to get enough bad PR and take corrective action by way of some repair program for people with the effected machines. How long that will take is anyone’s guess at this point.

 

[maflynn]

Apple will only address it with a repair program if a class action suit occurs and/or enough public outcry.