I ordered a 15" 2017 MBP from Best Buy which was a 3rd party seller and to my surprise, it was brand new. Like seriously brand new and unused. It is the 16gb ram, 256gb storage intel i7 and comes with a one year warranty from the 3rd party. It cost $799. I am thoroughly impressed with it so far but now I'm thinking, if I keep it, its now a 6 year old laptop and will I be setting myself up for failure with this keyboard and the monitor display cable issues like my wife had with her laptop. My thinking is, I like the form factor, weight and size compared to the new 16" but should I get involved with this older laptop, new or not. Should I consider a refurbished from apple the 2019 16" MBP for like $1500 or just bite the bullet and get a m1 16" on sale right now for 2k? Opinions very welcome, thank you.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Would you keep or pass on a 15" 2017 MBP?
- Thread starter TwoFive3
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The keyboard is really, really problematic with keys regularly getting stuck. I've had it replaced at least 3 times. I also had a lot of other issues and now its being replaced by Apple for a much newer unit. I saw a 14" M1 MBP for like $1500 on the Refurbished store, at one point, earlier in the year I was considering it or a Refurbished 13" M2 Air.
I'd recommend skipping the Intel models at this point unless you absolutely need it. OS support might be dropped in the next few releases.
I'd recommend skipping the Intel models at this point unless you absolutely need it. OS support might be dropped in the next few releases.
Something to consider:
You do get the 1-year warranty from Best Buy,
BUT...
Once the warranty has run out...
... IF you have a key go bad on the keyboard, it's going to cost you $800 to get it fixed.
THAT'S FOR EVEN A SINGLE KEY (shouting is intentional).
That's because the entire top portion of the case must be replaced -- even for just one key.
Thing long and hard about this.
Choose wisely.
You do get the 1-year warranty from Best Buy,
BUT...
Once the warranty has run out...
... IF you have a key go bad on the keyboard, it's going to cost you $800 to get it fixed.
THAT'S FOR EVEN A SINGLE KEY (shouting is intentional).
That's because the entire top portion of the case must be replaced -- even for just one key.
Thing long and hard about this.
Choose wisely.
I'd put that $800 toward an Apple Silicon MacBook of some kind, unless you're super pinched for cash and need a laptop now. The keyboard alone I think should be a deal breaker, and when you factor in battery life, future OS support and everything else, that Intel MBP starts looking even worse.
Pass, given it's 6 years old.
I would suggest you wait and save a few $ and buy an entry level M1 MBP which will give you much better results and power for your money.
This. I've had 3 of these top cases replaced on my MBP. I was paying $139 a year for AppleCare after the initial 3 year run ended, so I don't have to pay the costs out of pocket. Avoid this model.
Sure thing it varies, but:
Still having MBP 13 2017 that survived after:
-- x2 spilled pickled cucumber "juice" (to avoid problems, I #opposite to blow# it out from the keyboard + did some other things; yes some keys used to stuck but now everything is ok)
-- rain (it was closed);
-- cat attack
-- few falls;
-- me being hitting the Mac via fingers because was not in a good mood/mad;
-- caught the connected cable a couple of times
-- few friendly slaps (honestly)
No problems at all. I'm trying to be cautious and thoughtful to my nuggets, what can't say about others (yes I know it's dumb to compare yourself with somebody else)
Still having MBP 13 2017 that survived after:
-- x2 spilled pickled cucumber "juice" (to avoid problems, I #opposite to blow# it out from the keyboard + did some other things; yes some keys used to stuck but now everything is ok)
-- rain (it was closed);
-- cat attack
-- few falls;
-- me being hitting the Mac via fingers because was not in a good mood/mad;
-- caught the connected cable a couple of times
-- few friendly slaps (honestly)
No problems at all. I'm trying to be cautious and thoughtful to my nuggets, what can't say about others (yes I know it's dumb to compare yourself with somebody else)
Just got a replacement from Apple for my 2017 MacBook Pro 15" this week due to repeat issues. It's an 16" M2 MacBook Pro, initial impressions is that this is a far better MBP.
I have 2014 and 2015 MacBook Pro 15s. The 2014 is used by my son daily. The 2015 is my backup. My primary is my 2021 MacBook Pro 16. It is the best laptop I've ever owned. Yes, it's heavy and a little clunky but battery life is insane, as is performance and responsiveness. And the keyboard, speakers, monitor are all great. If you want something a little smaller and lighter, wait to see if the MacBook Air 15 is announced at WWDC. That is also a laptop that I would consider if it's available with 24 GB of RAM.
Magsafe is nice too - I don't recall if the 2017 models had it or not.
Magsafe is nice too - I don't recall if the 2017 models had it or not.
Vintage model with a known reliability issue for which the replacement program has ended. Hard pass!
Run, run far away.
It's over 5 years old and has a dumpster fire reputation, mine had many keyboard replacements as well as the USB-C ports. I traded it back to Apple because the resale value was so bad.
Junk is junk, NIB doesn't make it any more desirable.
It's over 5 years old and has a dumpster fire reputation, mine had many keyboard replacements as well as the USB-C ports. I traded it back to Apple because the resale value was so bad.
Junk is junk, NIB doesn't make it any more desirable.
Last edited:
Three reasons not to get a 2017 MBP:
1. The keyboard issues were never resolved in production, and the free replacement program has expired. This means that if your keyboard dies, you may be paying as much to fix it as you paid to buy it in the first place.
2. That machine is far closer to unsupported status than its release date, especially as software developers turn towards supporting Apple Silicon over Intel-based Macs.
3. Specwise, even the most basic M1 MBA will run circles around that Pro, while also having great battery life, completely silent operation (no fans on the MBA), and full support from Apple for years to come.
1. The keyboard issues were never resolved in production, and the free replacement program has expired. This means that if your keyboard dies, you may be paying as much to fix it as you paid to buy it in the first place.
2. That machine is far closer to unsupported status than its release date, especially as software developers turn towards supporting Apple Silicon over Intel-based Macs.
3. Specwise, even the most basic M1 MBA will run circles around that Pro, while also having great battery life, completely silent operation (no fans on the MBA), and full support from Apple for years to come.