“Apple has faced a consistent stream of criticism for the keyboards, which were first introduced with the Retina MacBook in 2015,” Jame Sanders writes for TechRepublic. “The keyboards have a reputation of failing to register keystrokes, or registering the same keystrokes twice, due to dust or other particles becoming trapped in the butterfly switch mechanism the company devised in order to reduce the thickness of MacBooks. A group of aggrieved customers filed a class action lawsuit against Apple in May over the keyboards.”
“In a teardown of the newly-released MacBook Pro, iFixit noticed a curious addition to the keyboard—a thin silicone overlay placed around the butterfly switches for each key,” Sanders writes. “The Verge indicated that an Apple representative told them during the release event that the ‘new third-generation keyboard wasn’t designed to solve those [dust] issues.’ However, iFixit noted that an Apple patent application published in March describing effectively this silicone overlay design characterized it as a ‘contaminant ingress prevention and/or alleviation [mechanism].'”
iFixit posits that the quieter response from the keyboard is a side-effect of the anti-dust silicone membrane, and that ‘the quiet angle is, quite literally, a cover-up,'” Sanders writes. “Given the lawsuits, it could be problematic to announce that the issue is fixed.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: So, the prevailing theory is that the sticky key issue is fixed or, at least, improved, but Apple can’t come out and say it due to legal reasons.
Time will tell.
SEE ALSO:
Two things seem obvious about Apple’s MacBook Pro keyboard – July 13, 2018
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
I saw this article already. It appears they did fix the keyboard problem in the new 2018 MBP. (We’ll see if it stays fixed.)
“… the butterfly switch mechanism the company devised in order to reduce the thickness of MacBooks.”
This. This is the reason for all the keyboard problems.
Been practically screaming for 3 years that “thin-ness is *not* a feature”, yet Phil Schiller continues to trot his fat ass out onto the stage at Apple reveals and says crap like, “Oooo… it’s really, really thin.”
Thinness reduces battery life, air flow (cooling), structural stability, and makes cases more prone to damage from ‘accidents’.
Pro users of Apple products deserve robustness and durability. Sell the thin stuff to the emoji loving Macbook teens.
Yet another case of the lawyers ruining what should’ve otherwise been an honest moment.
In another universe, Apple would have been able to apologise for the keyboard issue, repair affected models, and declare the issue resolved in this model.
As things are, perhaps Apple doesn’t want to expose themselves to the class actions against them. But that also gags them from reassuring customers of their most high end notebooks.
It’s the 2016 MNP, not the 2015
MDN: ” but Apple can’t come out and say it [is fixed] due to legal reasons.”
I suspect the real reason is not legal but financial.
When MDN says “legal,” I think it means “litigation.”
Admitting there is a problem to fix will harm them (financially) in the class action suit.
This is good news – I’ve held off buying a MacBook because of the keyboard issues. The MacBook Pro is too much for me. I’ll buy the next version MacBook when released. Hopefully it will have two ports.
Word has it Stormy Daniels was instrumental in coming up with this solution.
Would love to know; Is this new iteration of the old keyboard what Apple’s ultimately using to replace the defective keyboards on the previous generations?? Whatever Apple’s fix is exactly, you’re out of luck after 4-years; “The program covers eligible MacBook and MacBook Pro models for 4 years after the first retail sale of the unit.” …not 4 years after the replacement of the keyboard. So people that have an “Early 2015 MacBoojk Retina (part of the program), may be best served by the lawsuit(s).?