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lambertjohn

macrumors 68000
Jun 17, 2012
1,651
1,717
just out of curiousity if these MacBook Pro models 2016/2017 are having serious defects (in relation to the keyboard)as everyone is making them out to be... why do people still buy them?

Hate to break it to you OP, but we "complainers" are in the minority when it comes to the latest MBP. Go out to the Best Buy website and read the reviews posted for any new 2017 MBP. The ordinary people of the world love the thing. And that's just the BB website. I'm sure Apple has sold millions of them all around the world through other vendors, and will continue to do so in the future.
 

Samuelsan2001

macrumors 604
Oct 24, 2013
7,729
2,153
You can, vote with your wallets. Do not buy it and share your concerns.

Precisely what happened with the trashcan MP, the result was the promised U-turn for Pro descktops.

See the post above most people love the new MacBook pros complainers and haters are in a serious minority.
 
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person s

macrumors regular
Mar 3, 2005
107
40
I bought a 2016 13 inch mb pro early this year to replace my 2012 mb air after it was stolen
my daughter has the newer version in 15 inch
no problems with either - we both like the touch bar
I’ve certainly had worse keyboards
 

Samuelsan2001

macrumors 604
Oct 24, 2013
7,729
2,153
The posts above are as useful as the posts of the haters...anecdotal evidences.

Well they are ridiculously more numerous than the haters on tech site forums, they cover a far wider range of users, so while no definitive answer they are at least slightly more reliable and at least have a statistically valid number of data points. I’m a scientist and I think they are a hell of a lot more representative of how people generally feel about the new mbp. Also Apple themselves say that their, industry trend bucking, huge sales bump in macs is down to these machines. It all adds up to what is a good representation of a well loved and great product that doesn’t match up to some techie ideal that the people on this site were looking for. Quite unreasonably I might add as Apple pretty much supplied the computers everyone asked for and knew was coming.
 
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ugru

macrumors 6502a
Sep 8, 2002
518
555
Caput Mundi
Well they are ridiculously more numerous than the haters on tech site forums....

Wrong.

There are at least 20 threads full of people complaining about the various rMPB problems: battery life, multiple Keyboard failures, popped speakers, and so on.

There are a lot of people, like me, who returned it, skipped entirely this generation of laptops or bought a refurbished 2015...
[doublepost=1512134256][/doublepost]
Also Apple themselves say that their, industry trend bucking, huge sales bump in macs is down to these machines.

Marketing people or the CEO....fake news if not backed by hard data of units sold, disaggregated by model, which they will never release...
 
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The Mercurian

macrumors 68020
Mar 17, 2012
2,156
2,440
Well they are ridiculously more numerous than the haters on tech site forums, they cover a far wider range of users, so while no definitive answer they are at least slightly more reliable and at least have a statistically valid number of data points. I’m a scientist and I think they are a hell of a lot more representative of how people generally feel about the new mbp. Also Apple themselves say that their, industry trend bucking, huge sales bump in macs is down to these machines. It all adds up to what is a good representation of a well loved and great product that doesn’t match up to some techie ideal that the people on this site were looking for. Quite unreasonably I might add as Apple pretty much supplied the computers everyone asked for and knew was coming.

Actually the figures they put out don't tell you if the bump in sales is due to these machines, or folks buying the 2015 models or refurbs. By all accounts though there have been alof ot these returned
 

ben23265

macrumors newbie
Dec 2, 2017
1
5
Maybe for now..
Hope they all go update their reviews after a stuck key replacement.

I also really hope they bought extended AppleCare


I agree, because I was one of the users "trying" to be pleased with my purchase and hoping the reported keyboard problems were the minority.

Though, the rest of the machine is fantastic, I tried to like the keyboard. But, I never got to love the lack of travel.

Reading about the problems with keyboards, I too thought I was immune.

I didn't bother buying Applecare - instead, I bought a few cans of air.

Then, one of my keys stopped working 3 weeks after the expiry of Apple warranty.

Now, I can no longer buy AppleCare.

Apple are repairing under CL but I lost use of my daily computer for 7 days whilst in repair.

Overall, it's a high risk investment. I am seriously considering selling it for a 2015.
 

sevvere

Suspended
Oct 20, 2017
104
284
Samsung batteries burst .... return product, demand better QC

Microsoft Surface Pro screen bleeding .... return product, demand better QC

Pixel 2 screen issues .... return product, demand better QC





Apple keyboard issues ... oh, don’t worry... just buy AppleCare.
 

ixxx69

macrumors 65816
Jul 31, 2009
1,298
879
United States
just out of curiousity if these MacBook Pro models 2016/2017 are having serious defects (in relation to the keyboard) as everyone is making them out to be... why do people still buy them?
There's like a couple dozen people on these forums (out of millions of happy campers) that just like to whine and rant day after day, week after week... they make up the vast, vast majority of the "everyone" you speak of. That's all they do. Nothing makes them happier than seeing a post like yours... makes them feel like they're making a difference... that they're getting through to the helpless sheep (/s) that buy Apple products.

MacRumors likes it because these are the threads that get lots of views and so they moderate it in such a way to encourage this. Also, don't know if you frequent other forums, but this is just the trend of general-interest forums... the minority of extreme posters push the middle majority out. Like most reasonable people in that much larger "middle", most of the time I stop by the forums, it just makes me question why I would want to spend much time here trying to have discussions with people who are unreasonable and just want to rehash the same talking points they've been arguing for over a year now.

The 2016/2017 keyboard is a weak point. It's definitely more "temperamental" than previous keyboards. 2017 seems to be fairing better 2016. You just have to be a little more careful with it and keep it clean and not eat over it or use it in places where contaminants can gunk up the keyboard. Personally, I think they should revert back to the previous keyboard style until they can guarantee a butterfly keyboard with similar reliability and performance as the old one. That being said, unless keeping the keyboard clean is too much trouble (and that's a legit factor for some users), there's no reason not to buy it simply because of the keyboard. Every other "issue" that's been pointed out about it is just the typical internet outrage machine BS.
 
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wiffle

macrumors regular
Apr 5, 2017
163
74
im confused... you made a thread about why people are still purchasing one yet you recently purchased one yourself?

anyway. hahaha.. while i had my fair share of KB issues with the 2016 model, the 2017 replacement I received has worked flawlessly since July.
 
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OriginalAppleGuy

Suspended
Sep 25, 2016
971
1,142
Virginia
Well - I just placed my order for a 15" 2017 even after seeing many people complain on this forum about the keyboard. Why? It's a newer generation and about 1/2 way through it's manufacturing cycle. I believe Apple improved the gen 2 keyboard (first gens tend to have issues). And, most importantly, my wife's Acer is crapping out. I'll giver her the HP EliteBook I've been using instead of my Late 2008 MBP that's needed a new battery for a while.

I REALLY miss OSX and how well the MBP works. Windows X er 10 is less than pleasing to me. Especially when the $%^&^%$% thing reboots while I'm in the middle of something and installs a major update.
 
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06tb06

Cancelled
Sep 12, 2017
183
138
I REALLY miss OSX and how well the MBP works. Windows X er 10 is less than pleasing to me. Especially when the $%^&^%$% thing reboots while I'm in the middle of something and installs a major update.

I'm glad I jumped ship shortly after Windows 10's release. The whole reason I switched to Mac and OS X.
 

The Game 161

macrumors Nehalem
Dec 15, 2010
30,842
20,084
UK
Well - I just placed my order for a 15" 2017 even after seeing many people complain on this forum about the keyboard. Why? It's a newer generation and about 1/2 way through it's manufacturing cycle. I believe Apple improved the gen 2 keyboard (first gens tend to have issues). And, most importantly, my wife's Acer is crapping out. I'll giver her the HP EliteBook I've been using instead of my Late 2008 MBP that's needed a new battery for a while.

I REALLY miss OSX and how well the MBP works. Windows X er 10 is less than pleasing to me. Especially when the $%^&^%$% thing reboots while I'm in the middle of something and installs a major update.
Well mine is great...Hopefully yours will be too
 
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icymountain

macrumors 6502a
Dec 12, 2006
530
597
The posts above are as useful as the posts of the haters...anecdotal evidences.

This is true. Both sides are anecdotal evidence.
Only things that seem quite clear are that there are more reports of problems with this keyboard than with the previous ones, and that the cost of replacement is much more than before (a non working key requires changing the entire keyboard, which requires to replace the entire top case for a hefty cost).
More importantly, the true reliability (or non reliability) of the new keyboards will only become clear only in a year or two, when a significant number of 2016 or 2017 keyboards have seen an amount of use that starts to be representative of what you expect in the lifetime of a laptop, and we still do not really know the results... So far, I am quite happy with my 2017 15", but it is just four months old now, so it is still far too young to judge.
 
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ljjycss

macrumors member
Apr 2, 2016
66
83
To be honest, I don't think keyboard issue is as wide spread as Nvidia/AMD GPU failure or screen coating issue from previous models. Definitely not as bad as GPU failure, my 6750m was toasted a few years ago. Luckily, it was under recall. Bought my 2016 15 inch at the end of undergrad program, now I am half way through master degree. Typed a lot of papers/reports and some Matlab codes on it, I genuinely enjoy this keyboard.
 
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Lastgreen

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 19, 2017
85
11
To be honest, I don't think keyboard issue is as wide spread as Nvidia/AMD GPU failure or screen coating issue from previous models. Definitely not as bad as GPU failure, my 6750m was toasted a few years ago. Luckily, it was under recall. Bought my 2016 15 inch at the end of undergrad program, now I am half way through master degree. Typed a lot of papers/reports and some Matlab codes on it, I genuinely enjoy this keyboard.
Glad to know tbh lol I'm hoping that my 2017 ntb macbook pro lasts 5 years
 

Rkuda

macrumors regular
May 23, 2016
228
421
just out of curiousity if these MacBook Pro models 2016/2017 are having serious defects (in relation to the keyboard)as everyone is making them out to be... why do people still buy them?

Don't always believe the hype. Been using my 2016 MBP for a year straight and its fine.

The new keyboards definitely have a higher defect rate than pervious models, hence all the posts. But it obviously isn't translating into *all* or even most MBP having problems.
 

recoil80

macrumors 68040
Jul 16, 2014
3,117
2,756
I knew about the keyboard problems when I bought my 2016 MBP but I have AC so for 3 years I won't have to pay if it fails, and even after AC expires I don't expect to be forced to pay a huge amount of money for keyboard replacement.
 
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