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MBA 2018–NOOO! Keyboard failed...
- Thread starter Scriabin
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- keyboard 2018
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The bold is a huge problem and probably one of the reasons Apple has gone ahead and preemptively added all MacBooks to the keyboard maintenance program.
So, if you buy a new MBA;
get here, but now that they have finally arrived, this might be sufficient for me to upgrade to the latest MBA when my 2014 MBA needs to be replaced.
Also, every laptop brand and model has some weakness. At least Apple has an established program to address their issue. Maybe, keyboard 3.5 will finally be the fix....only time will tell.
- The keyboard has a 4 year warranty
- If Apple needs to replace the keyboard you will get the latest version....3.5
- If you have incurred prior keyboard repair cost, Apple will refund your money
- Apple has expedited the keyboard repair process with in store service.
get here, but now that they have finally arrived, this might be sufficient for me to upgrade to the latest MBA when my 2014 MBA needs to be replaced.
Also, every laptop brand and model has some weakness. At least Apple has an established program to address their issue. Maybe, keyboard 3.5 will finally be the fix....only time will tell.
For the MBA particularly there was never a time where you had the butterfly keyboard and the fix wasn't 100% covered.
Sounds like a false equivalency that minimizes the impact that this defect has on customers.
A keyboard that is defective in its design is not "some weakness". Apple continues to ship devices that they know and admit have a defect. How is this acceptable?
The problem is so ingrained in the design that it has taken them multiple attempts to address the problem and there is still no evidence that is has finally been resolved.Since you claim that EVERY laptop brand AND model has some weakness, what Lenovo laptops (for example) have an issue that is this pervasive? I want to make sure that I avoid those models when I need a Windows laptop.
Windows laptops are faulty because they run WindowsSounds like a false equivalency that minimizes the impact that this defect has on customers.
A keyboard that is defective in its design is not "some weakness". Apple continues to ship devices that they know and admit have a defect. How is this acceptable?
Since you claim that EVERY laptop brand AND model has some weakness, what Lenovo laptops (for example) have an issue that is this pervasive? I want to make sure that I avoid those models when I need a Windows laptop.
That's your opinion and you are entitled to it, but it doesn't answer the question that I asked.
Sounds like a false equivalency that minimizes the impact that this defect has on customers.
A keyboard that is defective in its design is not "some weakness". Apple continues to ship devices that they know and admit have a defect. How is this acceptable?
Since you claim that EVERY laptop brand AND model has some weakness, what Lenovo laptops (for example) have an issue that is this pervasive? I want to make sure that I avoid those models when I need a Windows laptop.
To be clear, I am not arguing that this keyboard mechanism has been acceptable. It appears to have been a real turkey. We will see if the fourth time is the charm with this latest version.
I am saying that Apple does now appear to be finally (long overdue) stepping up to this thing with respect to the 2018 Keyboard fiasco. To repeat;
- 4 year warrantee
- Keyboard replacement with latest keyboard “3.5”, which Apple believes finally fixes the damn thing....TBD
- Refund for prior cost incurred
- More convenient in store repairs
Is it a perfect solution? Nope. But, it is probably good enough to make the 2018 MBA viable again as a purchase. If you think there is a perfect flawless laptop out there, buy it. I don’t think so. Laptops are hard to do. You are going to find something annoying about every make and model. I am not saying all Windows alternatives have issues as pervasive as the problems Apple has had with this butterfly mechanism......but, with the above list of mitigations, I will probably stick with MacOS and replace my old MBA with the newer Model if the time comes. Right now, I am getting by just fine with just my iPad Air 3 and a shared desktop Mac.
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Your belief aside, do you have any data to show that this HAS happened with ANY laptop to any extent that is happening with the new MBA? Your personal experience may and should form your opinions and decisions, but that doesn't transfer over to generalizations. In other words, anecdotes are not data.
Expecting a laptop keyboard to not fail (certainly not within the first year) is a high expectation?
When was the last time that an issue with an Apple product (that was widely reported in the media) turned out to be a non-issue?
I think it highly depends on the user as well. Very rarely do I get a problem with any keyboard pc or Mac. I am not a heavy user of course. I think people eat at their keyboard take it all kinds of places where it’s probably not the cleanest. Nothing last forever and definitely depends on the level of abuse it gets.
I can ask you the same question back regarding data. Do you have any data on how many macs actually have a genuine repair and not down to users fault?
I think I would agree that they are probably should be more robust and that’s why Apple brought out a new version with the new MacBook Pro’s.
Either way if you have a problem take it to Apple simple as that.
Long time ‘ghoster’, but first time poster this evening...treated myself to a 2018 MacBook Air to replace my mid-2012 version...went for refurbished again as it’s a nice and easy way to save some cash, c.15% in this case which makes AppleCare+ effectively free.
It arrived eleven days ago. Trying to log into a website today and it’s not working. Took a while to work out what was happening...the bloody keyboard is failing!
Booked into the Apple Store tomorrow, but have a feeling I’ll be simply returning it for a refund and hope they fix it with the rumoured refresh later this year.
So disappointed!
It arrived eleven days ago. Trying to log into a website today and it’s not working. Took a while to work out what was happening...the bloody keyboard is failing!
Booked into the Apple Store tomorrow, but have a feeling I’ll be simply returning it for a refund and hope they fix it with the rumoured refresh later this year.
So disappointed!
You know as well as everyone else that the problem is not with the MBA in particular but with the Butterfly keyboard in general.
How many pages on that?
... and this is why I'm staying away from the current Apple laptops until they can fix their "butterfly style" keyboard issues. As nice as the current gen laptops are, including the refreshed AIR, I'm not about to shell out premium dollars only to experience what Tony has experienced above. It's better to stay with the older gen laptops using the scissor style keyboard which have proven highly reliable.
So I guess your time costs nothing eh?
Apple could have a 10 year warranty on the keyboards for all I care, it is rendered inefficient if they are shipping out defective keyboards to begin with.
While the keyboard repair might be free, my time to drive down to the store to hand over the laptop for servicing, figure out an alternative computer in the meanwhile and set that machine up to spec, drive down to the store again to receive the laptop and then spend time to re-install (or recover from backup). What a waste of life!
Would you be willing to do this every so often because the keyboard is failing? It is "free" after all!
And let me not even get started in the environmental harm in all this!
Apple under Tim Cook is an arrogant company just relying on past laurels and momentum. So unfortunate.
I am waiting for a refresh of Apple's top management more than a refresh of their damn keyboard.
I agree with you. This is the reason I bought my son a 2017 MBA, since he is going to college and the downtime with a faulty computer could kill his grades.
I am a bit of a different story. I am retired and do some family real estate business, but can handle most of it with my iPad, so the downtime is not as consequential.
Got my MBA from Apple service. It took literally three freakin' weeks of waiting. It worked for several days without a problem and now I have issues with O key very often and occasionally with A, I and R. I went to the service and asked them to blow my keyboard >), but it didn't do anything. While writing this post, I needed to fix my O three times. I will keep pushing them to replace my keyboard until it works perfectly, which is how any keyboard has been always supposed to work!
"Small number of users" my ass.
>), but it didn't do anything. While writing this post, I needed to fix my O three times. I will keep pushing them to replace my keyboard until it works perfectly, which is how any keyboard has been always supposed to work!"Small number of users" my ass.
When was the last time you used Windows? Windows 10 is legit.
I use it literally every day and I struggle to understand why anyone outside the Enterprise would go with Windows.
I mean, if you need a DNS server, sure. But for a personal laptop Windows is just a complete mess.
Define total mess. I prefer macOS in most aspects, but calling Windows 10 a total mess is too much.
Windows 10 has a LOT of design inconsistencies.
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u might be in that small usersGot my MBA from Apple service. It took literally three freakin' weeks of waiting. It worked for several days without a problem and now I have issues with O key very often and occasionally with A, I and R. I went to the service and asked them to blow my keyboard
"Small number of users" my ass.
And everybody else I know with these keyboardsu might be in that small users
Not to mention viruses, ads on the start menu, poor networking tools...Windows 10 has a LOT of design inconsistencies.
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u might be in that small users
...all of this is not even mentioning that most Windows machines are substandard hardware
It wasn’t an insult. I’m just saying that you need to check your facts, because Windows 10 is just damn good piece of software, in several areas better than macOS, including file management and of course games support. I still prefer macOS on daily though.
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