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Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

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Re: Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

#151

Post by BuildTheRobots »

blhack wrote: post #52
titanix2 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the various ports were also a big selling point. By the time USB-C will be democratized we will have (I hope) a total revision that will solve the current issues.

I hope USB-C (the connector at least) never becomes the standard. I have a MBP with these god awful ports and it's really frustrating how bad the connector is. There are DJs for whom the macbook pro is required equipment for their performances. They're performing in front of 10s and sometimes >100 thousand people. Their midi controllers, and their SOUND CARDS (really a DJ mixer, most likely) are connected by: USB A.…

If you currently use your mac for audio and are about to upgrade, be warned; there seems to be endemic audio issues with the newer 2018 models: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19196354

Like other posters I've had USB-A ports go "sloppy" and loose in a number of laptops and other devices.

Re: Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

#152

Post by sebazzz »

netsharc wrote: post #101
devwastaken wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, Louis rossman, a popular apple repair guy on YouTube talks similiar about this a lot. The overwhelming majority of problems are fixable for 10 minutes or less and less than a dollar in components. But apple will just tell you to buy a new board and purposefully makes it harder for repair. The whole 'sustainability' is a marketing act.

There was a hyped report where they said they recovered over 2204 lbs of gold from their hardware, this number quoted in every news story: https://www.geek.com/apple/apples-recycling-program-recovere... 2204 lbs is 1000kg converted to lbs, rounded down. If that's not a marketing number I don't know what is

They probably recovered less if there was less hardware to replace. You can't recover much gold from only a ribbon cable versus an entire display assembly.

Re: Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

#153

Post by amanaplanacanal »

oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #104
isoskeles wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got a Dell XPS 13 last year and the touchpad is great. I use it both on Windows and Ubuntu. I also remember having a Toshiba something-or-other 10 years ago and hating the touchpad in comparison to a Mac. So, just saying, I've seen how bad it can be. The XPS has given me no issues aside from having to make sure I change the click behavior (tap to click really annoys me).

Does tap-to-click really get in the way if you turn it on but don't want to use it? Are you 'tapping' as your finger comes down onto the trackpad to move? That action should be detected and ignored, IMO. I'm only saying this as a tap-to-click user. I can't stand using someone's keyboard if they've turned it off — there I am, tapping away, looking like an idiot ...

I find that I graze the touchpad with my thumb or palm while I'm typing. I always turn it off on my laptops.

Re: Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

#154

Post by azinman2 »

colordrops wrote: post #93
azinman2 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can assure you the message is consistent internally with action. It’s not just marketing. Disclosure: I work for Apple.

How could you possibly know this? Every company I've every worked at is compartmentalized, and my experience is that Apple is especially compartmentalized, with secrecy and measures similar to governmental security clearance around various projects.

Because I experience it with the requirements on my own work, hear it internally in discussions, and see it addressed in upcoming work.

Re: Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

#155

Post by nzealand »

SyneRyder wrote: post #71
forgingahead wrote: post #3

I regret not buying a stash of 2012 Macbook Pros and hoarding them for my own use. Edit: And iPhone SEs as well

Careful on the mid-2012 MBPs... as much as I love that machine, they also have their own flexgate [1]. The internal SATA flex cables bend across the Superdrive and rub against the slightly abrasive back plate, so they have a high failure rate if you actually use your device as a laptop (eg travel with it, keep it in an backpack). Apple seems to have had a problem with flex cables for nearly a decade now. My MBP 2012…

My wife's mid-2012 MBP's SATA cable failed last week, and it made me wonder if Apple deliberately started soldering hard drives down to avoid these sorts of issues.

Re: Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

#156

Post by PascLeRasc »

fzzzy wrote: post #140
fphhotchips wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have exactly the opposite experience. I find that USB-A connectors tend to become loose over time, and eventually a mild bump is enough that the device disconnects (even though it looks like it's still 100% plugged in). No such issues with USB-C yet.

I have never seen a USB-A connector become loose. It's been over 20 years. The USB-C connector on my 2016 touchbar was loose within months.

It's much more evident with USB 3.0. I can almost never use USB 3 drives on my laptop because they won't connect. Maybe 1/10 times it'll connect fully, but any touching the cable will disconnect it.

Re: Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

#157

Post by tkxxx7 »

amanaplanacanal wrote: post #153
oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does tap-to-click really get in the way if you turn it on but don't want to use it? Are you 'tapping' as your finger comes down onto the trackpad to move? That action should be detected and ignored, IMO. I'm only saying this as a tap-to-click user. I can't stand using someone's keyboard if they've turned it off — there I am, tapping away, looking like an idiot ...

I find that I graze the touchpad with my thumb or palm while I'm typing. I always turn it off on my laptops.

This is another reason I don't want to leave Apple - they are far and away the best at detecting mis-taps.

Re: Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

#158

Post by Twisell »

nickflood wrote: post #134
MarHoff wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is I have the "hellishly flawed MBP 2016", I carry it daily into my messenger bag over bike/train/feet (often running to catch train) in a separate pocket but without other protection. It fell on the floor once from table height with lid open and ended up with a very small scratch on the corner but totally ok otherwise (and it was totally my fault). Everything is perfectible but to say it's not a good and r…

I've got a couple of friends who are Apple fans - iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, full loadout. Once the time came to upgrade their MacBook Airs the question was whether to go with a Windows laptop to avoid keyboard issues, or risk it. Both decided to risk it, being Apple fans. And cause we don't know how big of a percentage of people are affected by the keyboard issues. I advised them to go with Apple. They got…

Except that if it's a 2018 model they didn't actually paid money, it was take free of charge under one year worldwide guarantee even without an AppleCare Plan. And unless they very recently changed policy after the second failure on a recent machine you can usually bargain an instant switch with a refurbished anew unit.

Re: Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

#159

Post by adjkant »

SyneRyder wrote: post #71
forgingahead wrote: post #3

I regret not buying a stash of 2012 Macbook Pros and hoarding them for my own use. Edit: And iPhone SEs as well

Careful on the mid-2012 MBPs... as much as I love that machine, they also have their own flexgate [1]. The internal SATA flex cables bend across the Superdrive and rub against the slightly abrasive back plate, so they have a high failure rate if you actually use your device as a laptop (eg travel with it, keep it in an backpack). Apple seems to have had a problem with flex cables for nearly a decade now. My MBP 2012…

Okay real talk do people just not take care of their machines or have my friends and I been insanely lucky?

I use my computer daily and travel with it in a backpack all the time and have never once had anything on 5 Mac's I have owned (3 different work computers, 2 personal) break up until this year with the keyboard on the 2016/2017 MBP which in indeed a mess/huge fuckup. I still own both my personal Mac's and besides being pretty slow the 2012 can still run great in a pinch.

Many of my friends also own Mac's and not one has had issues with flex cables, screens, speakers, ports, you name it, until the butterfly keyboard issues. I can't help but wonder if it's a matter of treatment and defining what "regular" use is.

Re: Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pros Attempt to Solve Flexgate, Without Admitting It Exists

#160

Post by mnm1 »

Interesting. This stage light effect also affects my 2007 mbpro which is two generous old. It did take about seven years to develop, but it seems that it's been an issue possibly on past models also that has just gotten worse with the latest thin design.
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