Petr Škuta Problems with MacBook keyboards have been talked about for quite some time. In the end, even the third generation did not save the situation. It turns out that almost one in three MacBooks suffer from problems, and the approach of Apple is condemned even by the respected blogger John Grubber.
Apple has also been hit with lawsuits over the past two years due to problems with keyboards from users for whom simply signing large online petitions was not enough. In the end, they had to back off in Cupertino and as part of warranty repairs finally offers free keyboard replacement. Unfortunately, they change the same generation for the same, i.e. the first for the first and the second for the second. If you're rooting for the least defective third generation, you're out of luck.
Meantime Apple officially admitted what we have known for a long time. Even the third generation butterfly keyboard is not flawless. Of course, the whole "apology" did not go without the typical wording that a minimum of users experienced problems and the majority are satisfied.
User experience says otherwise
But this statement did not leave David Heinemeir Hannson of Signal vs. Noise. He made a rather interesting analysis directly in his company. Out of a total of 47 users of MacBooks with butterfly keyboards, a full 30% of users are experiencing problems. Additionally, nearly half of all 2018 MacBooks also suffer from keyboard jams. And this is in stark contrast to how Apple presents the situation.
Hannson posits an interesting explanation for why Cupertino thinks third-generation keyboards are okay. Not every user speaks up, and an even smaller percentage of customers actually force themselves to pick up the device and go to the service center to claim the device. Most people get used to stuck keys or double characters when typing, or simply buy an external keyboard. However, Apple counts these users in the category of satisfied, because they simply do not solve the situation.
To further substantiate his assumption, he asked poll questions on Twitter. Of the 7 respondents, a total of 577% answered that they have noticed a problem with the keyboards, but do not solve it. Only 53% have taken their device in for service and the remaining 11% are lucky and the keyboard works without problems. Leaving aside the bubble of social networks, it still turns out that basically every other MacBook (Pro, Air) has problems.
Let's get some more anecdotes: If you own a 2018+ MacBook, have you ever had a problem with the keyboard?
- DHH (@dhh) April 1, 2019
John Grubber also commented
Well-known blogger John Grubber (Daring Fireball) also commented on the situation. Although he always has a lenient attitude towards Apple, this time he had to take the opposite side:
“They shouldn't just look at the numbers of customer problems solved. After all, almost everyone at Apple uses a MacBook. They must know very well from daily use how unreliable they are.” (John Grubber, Daring Fireball)
Apple should start to really address the situation and not just hide behind empty statements. The current generation of MacBooks probably won't save anything, but in future ones, Cupertino should focus on solving the problem. After all, they recently discontinued AirPower because it didn't meet the high quality standard. So we ask, how do MacBooks with failing keyboards meet this standard?
How are you doing?
Do you own any of the MacBooks with a butterfly keyboard (MacBook 2015+, MacBook Pro 2016+, MacBook Air 2018)? Let us know your experience in the poll below.
Source: iDropNews
It looks like if you buy an MBP, then only Mind 2015.
I have a MacBook Pro 13″ retina late 2012. I bought it new with the idea that I want to have it for a long time. It works perfectly even in 2019 and I don't feel any need to change it. Especially for a less reliable product. Thank God the external keyboard has remained the same at Apple, so maybe I don't have to worry about the keyboard on the new iMac. It's working great so far. Unfortunately, Apple is taking things in the wrong direction for me with MacBooks. Not only an unreliable keyboard, but also uncomfortable, the absence of slots (believe it or not, but I use them often) and the higher price... no thank you. I seriously don't know what to get to replace this old but perfect MacBook.
It's terrible, as compared to the competition, Apple has 2x more expensive ultrabooks, and of course the quality (as with phones) does not correspond.
I'm missing option 4 in the vote: I don't have an Apple, I would never buy such a thing...
I am happy to use a reliable Dell ultrabook. Nobody would talk me out of Apple. Just look at YouTube, for example the Louis Rossmann channel, where this problem has been declared since the first version of the keyboard.
So what are you doing here?
It would be good if it was only the keyboard, I have often turned the system through a hard reset, in the meantime my computer was replaced due to a defective type of disk, the system crashed even on the new one. (All new for)
But lately I have to knock, the only problem is the occasional strange freezing when waking up..
does that keyboard replacement program also apply to Aira (2018) or not? Does anyone know?