“One of the things Apple mentioned almost in passing in yesterday’s 2018 MacBook Pro announcement is that it had an improved keyboard,” Ben Lovejoy writes for 9to5Mac.
“Apple has quietly done something to improve the reliability of the keyboard,” Lovejoy writes. “While Apple may claim that reliability issues with earlier butterfly keyboards affected only ‘a small percentage’ of machines, that likely understates the extent of the issue. In the absence of hard data, we have only anecdotal evidence to go on, but a lot of MacBook Pro owners are reporting the sticky keys issue… The problem is obviously big enough to need a solution, and Apple has clearly known about it for a long time, so it’s inconceivable that they wouldn’t have addressed this as part of the redesign.”
“As John Gruber said earlier, Apple isn’t going to admit to a fix. If the company says that it’s improved the reliability of the keyboard, that’s an admission that there’s a problem with earlier generations – and that would open the floodgates to returns and lawsuits,” Lovejoy writes. “Indeed, it’s entirely possible that Apple wasn’t concerned about the noise in the first place, and that the redesign was all about fixing the sticking keys problem. It would then need a plausible reason for updating the design, and noise would be a convenient excuse.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: So, the sticky key issue is fixed or, at least, improved, but Apple can’t come out and say it?
One thing’s for sure: Time will tell.
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s revised MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard: Quieter may not be enough – July 13, 2018
Apple says new MacBook Pro keyboard won’t fix sticky key issue – July 12, 2018
The 5 biggest changes in Apple’s new MacBook Pro – July 12, 2018
With Apple’s leap to 8th-generation Intel processors, the MacBook Pro just got a whole lot faster – July 12, 2018
Apple begins exclusively selling ‘Blackmagic eGPU’ for $699 alongside new MacBook Pros – July 12, 2018
Apple’s new 2018 MacBook Pro models now available with revised butterfly keyboards, much faster performance possible – July 12, 2018
MacBook Pro (2018): First look, listen, and feel! – July 12, 2018
What power users say about Apple’s new 2018 MacBook Pros – July 12, 2018
Apple unveils new MacBook Pro models with faster performance and new features for pros – July 12, 2018
Know several people with recent MacBook Pros, none report keyboard issues. Though undoubtedly some have issues, Apple is likely smart in not talking much about it so as to not fuel the lawsuits. They offer 4 year free repair if anyone has a problem, that is more than most would do.
The keyboard sucks. Enough said. Each day I continue to ask myself if I should have gotten a 2015 model MacBook Pro instead of the 2016 model.
I don’t use my 2017 MBP professionally but I find it fine to type on. Maybe it’s down to heavy you type. I’m quite a light touch so possibly a person with a heavy touch might not like it so much. Just saying.
A serious question, when a key gets sticky is it not possible to remove that key and clean it out with an earbud. That’s a qtip for our American friends, I’m sure I spelt that wrong?
Yes, for most keys it’s possible to clean it out. The space bar is apparently very difficult though.
The keys can be removed but as considerable risk of damage to the butterfly mechanism. Nobody, even professional technicians, has been able to successfully remove the space bar without damaging it.
Maybe this revision still gets issues but each key is easier to repair without replacing the whole keyboard.
Thanks for the replies.
It’s just plain stupid fir them to design a keyboard that can’t have its keys cleaned without breaking them. Macs last for years so the keys and batteries should be able to be replaced easily as those are the things that will fail most easily.
I say it again, stupid, just stupid.
Stupid is as stupid does.
— Forrest Gump
““As John Gruber said earlier, Apple isn’t going to admit to a fix. If the company says that it’s improved the reliability of the keyboard, that’s an admission that there’s a problem with earlier generations – and that would open the floodgates to returns and lawsuits,”
God forbid his highness Jony knight would ADMIT a design mistake. But what we do know is Apple is replacing problem keyboards and had to redesign or upgrade the newest keyboard.
Apple does not need to say a thing and fooling no one. Those two facts speak volumes…
The whole thing reminds me of relationship issues. 💕 I mean it’s one thing to be casually dating someone who pretends to be Mister Wonderful.. it’s only natural for him to portray himself in a positive light during courtship, and the same thing applies to a company like Apple eagerly trying to attract buyers. – Ah but it is different once you’re living together. Lies of omission and broken promises erode the trust you’d built up. 😩 You suspect he’s seeing someone else, but he keeps making excuses. 😫 He surprises you with a gift of jewellry to throw you off the scent, but you’ve turned cynical. He’s fooling no one. 😠 One thing you can be sure of – his paramour’s younger, better-looking, and has more money than you.. And isn’t that Apple’s Casanova complex? They keep doing this, making us love them and then throwing us over for someone new. 😖
Herself, awesome post in relationship terms and all I can say is the BEST Apple analogy I have ever read … 😊
Apple is always trying to make things thinner at all costs. I happen to like keyboards with a fair amount of key travel because that’s what I’ve been used to over the years. I darn sure don’t want some key switches with only .020 inch of travel. Apple truly has some strange ideas about what’s good for consumers. I say that keyboards should be tested for a million strokes. If they fail before that, then redesign the keyboard. Forcing users to replace the whole keyboard instead of just a key or two is ridiculous especially after how Apple is always saying it’s protecting the environment.
Inches 😂😂😂. In old Egypt they used to measure things in hands. Inches 😂😂😂
P.S. you could have placed the redundant zero at the start i.e. 0.02 inches rather than .020 inches. Are that stupid at basic math?
Inches though -> 😬😬😂
yes inches you elitist snob 😀😃😄😁😆😅😂