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Don’t buy the MacBook Pros even on sale, in my opinion

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Re: Don’t buy the MacBook Pros even on sale, in my opinion

#21
post #13

This happened to my wife's macbook pro spacebar, $600 fix. It happens with mine every so often too, but fingers crossed it has 'fixed' itself each time.

$600! ouch.

Had a similar problem (faulty key) with my dell precision laptop. $30 new keyboard, few screws out, replace and back up and running.

The laptop is big, heavy and ugly. But I cannot have it out of action so every part being replaceable was a huge plus. In fact it is so big heavy and ugly that when I drop it on the floor, the floor dents :)

Re: Don’t buy the MacBook Pros even on sale, in my opinion

#22
Louis Rossmann has examined these issues in detail on his electronics repair YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KuVvb9DTaU

(I disagree with the level of his vitriol against Apple, but I appreciate his deep teardowns and clear explanations. He just doesn't seem to understand how valuable the Apple software is vs. Windows to those who need or appreciate osx.)

Re: Don’t buy the MacBook Pros even on sale, in my opinion

#24

I have my MacBook Pro on a stand then use a bluetooth keyboard and external monitor. Rarely do I use the actual keyboard. If Apple created something similar to a Mac mini with a laptop battery I would buy it immediately. I know it wouldn't work for everyone, but it would suit my needs.

What do you need the battery for? No power at your desk, or just something a basic UPS could handle?

Re: Don’t buy the MacBook Pros even on sale, in my opinion

#26
post #13

This happened to my wife's macbook pro spacebar, $600 fix. It happens with mine every so often too, but fingers crossed it has 'fixed' itself each time.

$600! ouch. Had a similar problem (faulty key) with my dell precision laptop. $30 new keyboard, few screws out, replace and back up and running. The laptop is big, heavy and ugly. But I cannot have it out of action so every part being replaceable was a huge plus. In fact it is so big heavy and ugly that when I drop it on the floor, the floor dents :)

You can easy switch out any thinkpad keyboard, and they're not big or heavy. Ugly is in the eye of the beholder, that being said, it's a laptop, not a purse.

Re: Don’t buy the MacBook Pros even on sale, in my opinion

#27

My plan is to wait until there's a new model out, and then take it in for AppleCare warranty repairs once a month until I hit their lemon limit and they give me a new machine. The durability of this keyboard is a joke. I even bought one of those rubber keyboard condoms that makes the keyboard suck to type on and the H key still got dust under it somehow and started typing hh.

Apple doesn't seem to have an official lemon limit but they replaced the top-case 5 times on my 2016 and then gave me a 2017 with the same specs (slightly faster processor), and it's already crapped out already although this time they managed to replace the key and fix it.

Re: Don’t buy the MacBook Pros even on sale, in my opinion

#28
> This old MacBook Pro is still fine

Then why did you buy a new one?!? Excess consumerism drives the tech ahead, sure, but I can only have so much sympathy for your buyer’s remorse.

The problem must be environmental or physiological (he presses the keys harder than average, or something) because keyboard malfunction isn’t some recall-level dysfunction as he wants to make it out to be.

That said, the new keyboard is indeed a travesty.

Re: Don’t buy the MacBook Pros even on sale, in my opinion

#30

I use a keyboard cover and it helps reduce this issue. When you do get a crumb under a key and it stops working, the solution is to keep hitting the key hard until you dislodge/break the crumb. Low tech, but it works.

This will eventually break the tiny legs in the keycaps rendering your key permanently inoperatable.
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