back to article At last! Apple admits its MacBook Pro butterfly keyboards utterly suck, offers free replacements

Apple has finally admitted the utterfly-mechanism keyoards in its Macook ad Macook Pro laptops are diaolical, and has offered free repairs and replacemets. It's funy what tens of thousads of complaints and a lawsuit will do. These minimalist noteook keyoards, asically, are terrile: the key tops fall off, ad they ecome …

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      1. Danny 14

        my galaxy note 3 has better connectivity and repair options than apple products.

  1. Marcus Fil
    Flame

    Too little, too late

    Methinks if Apple made parachutes then members of the board would be facing jail time. A half-hearted fix is not a real fix - here, have a band-aid for your severed limb. If your business depends on your IT then losing it to the Apple repair shop every few months is coming off your bottom line - until you ditch Apple.

    The 2016 MBP was a fuster cluck that incorporated all the worst of the 2015 Macbook. Apple just popped in its earbuds and sang "la,la,la" as even some its most ardent fanbois started to question its sanity. I hope this crack-papering scheme dents the profits sufficiently that major shareholders effect some change - time for some reality to penetrate that reality distortion field.

  2. tempemeaty
    Thumb Down

    Oops...to late? I think Apple just burned the last bridge completely

    I think I'm totally done with Apple. This feels is so weird. It's actually reached the point where I'm afraid to buy anything from Apple now.

    1. bazza Silver badge

      Re: Oops...to late? I think Apple just burned the last bridge completely

      Apart from not being supported by their current OS, a late '08 Macbook upgraded with an SSD still works ok.

      1. imaginarynumber

        Re: Oops...to late? I think Apple just burned the last bridge completely

        Works OK but does not receive security updates...

        Probably fine assuming that it doesn't have internet access...

        #flashbackDriveByAttack

      2. Waseem Alkurdi

        Re: Oops...to late? I think Apple just burned the last bridge completely

        @bazza

        Apart from not being supported by their current OS, a late '08 Macbook upgraded with an SSD still works ok.

        Nothing that couldn't be fixed with an EFI hack.

        And support for it was dropped because of Wi-Fi card drivers (or that was why they dropped support for these Wi-Fi cards?)

        If you do the EFI hack (or an equivalent one on the installer image) then upgrade the Wi-Fi card you're fine.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Oops...to late? I think Apple just burned the last bridge completely

      > It's actually reached the point where I'm afraid to buy anything from Apple now.

      Agreed. I'm Ebaying my Mac Mini (quad core thing from 2011) presently, as I've had enough of Apple's crap.

      Been CentOS 7 instead for a few months on my old i5-750, and it's working at out well. Much higher power consumption (70W vs 20W) than the Mac Mini though, as that uses laptop spec components. ;)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Oops...to late? I think Apple just burned the last bridge completely

        > Been CentOS 7 instead for a few months

        But CentOS comes with systemd. That is a no go. You could run Windows 10 than too, both do shit without your knowledge.

        Better Hackintosh or FreeBSD or something else from this list: Distributions that do not use systemd

        1. Danny 14

          Re: Oops...to late? I think Apple just burned the last bridge completely

          aye, that was the first time id ever tried (and now use) ubuntu server (after many years of using CentOS). 7 was a real letdown due to some silly decisions.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Oops...to late? I think Apple just burned the last bridge completely

          > But CentOS comes with systemd.

          Yeah. I just needed a Linux distro that I'm familiar with though, as I do Go development in my spare time and that's only practical on Linux.

          Pulseaudio has been a pain, but the systemd parts haven't hurt things yet. The box hasn't broken, so I haven't had the pain experience, and things might change if that happens. :)

    3. FrankAlphaXII

      Re: Oops...to late? I think Apple just burned the last bridge completely

      I remember around 1994 or 1995, before Jobs came back and saved their company, I felt the same way, I was afraid to buy from them. System 7.5 was terrible, and the hardware wasn't much better for the frankly insane prices Apple wanted.

      At about the same time, Windows was getting usable so I switched to NT 4 about a year later and discovered FreeBSD around the same time, and also GNU/Linux, but I didn't and still don't particularly care for it outside of a couple of minor (for me) use cases, and of course Android but that's just the kernel and the kernel's never really been the issue.

      And come to think of it, I haven't bought anything from Apple since. I did always kind of want to try OS X because its a for-real UNIX and not balls expensive, but I've never really had the urge to spend twice as much on half the performance just to try an OS.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Happened exactly as I predicted on a thread here a couple of months back...

    Despite all the scorn and negativity from the typical, rabid anti-Apple El Reg crowd.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Happened exactly as I predicted on a thread here a couple of months back...

      It's less a prediction, and more an observation of fact now. ;)

    2. TVU Silver badge

      Re: Happened exactly as I predicted on a thread here a couple of months back...

      "Despite all the scorn and negativity from the typical, rabid anti-Apple El Reg crowd"

      That is just so wrong on so many counts.

      I actually want Apple to succeed and be relevant and successful 20 years from now and to offer a good alternative to whatever Microsoft is putting out.

      That means addressing issues of design, quality control of both hardware and software, repairability, upgradeabilty, outdated specifications (at least 18 months behind Windows machines) and so on right now and not pretending that these issues do not exist.

      1. jgarbo

        Re: Happened exactly as I predicted on a thread here a couple of months back...

        Upgradeability? You mean Don't buy a new one, just upgrade your old one? That's not a business model unless you're selling spare parts.

        1. DiViDeD

          Re: That's not a business model

          No, but it's the model for those of us who have a "Grandad's Broom" PC, where the PSU is original, Mobo replaced after 3 CPU upgrades, SSDs added and then expanded, AM expanded and upgraded at least three times, GPU changed every other month (or so it seems sometimes) and only the case (quick release bays, cover plates and side panels - no screwdriver required), fans and lighting rig are original. And with my new MSI X299 XPower board coming any day now, that makes me pretty much future proof until, oh, at least teatime.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Happened exactly as I predicted on a thread here a couple of months back...

      Au contraire, mon frère. Apple user since 2004.

      I still have a Retina 15-inch. I hope to Christ it keeps working until Apple start making computers again, because I'm not buying one of those new MacBook Pros as a replacement. Proper laptop, proper keyboard (no wanky touch bar), proper set of useful ports and please bring back Magsafe. Oh and 32GB of memory would be innovation where it matters. Get a clue Apple. Please. Times are hard and value for money (not to mention reliability) counts more than ever.

  4. jaffa99

    sht cmputrs

  5. mickaroo

    No, No... It's The Liquid Sensors

    My wife's Macbook keyboard quit some months ago. When we took it to the Apple Disingenous Bar, we were told the Liquid Sensors had been tripped. If you saw how my wife cares for her MacBook, you would realize that this is a very low probability scenario...

    We were subsequently informed that as well as the $400+ keyboard replacement (not under warranty - liquid sensors), there were also two other boards that required replacement that would be covered by warranty. I was out of town so my wife asked our adult son why the keyboard was not covered, but the two other boards were. His reply:

    "They broke it taking it apart"

    1. Updraft102

      Re: No, No... It's The Liquid Sensors

      So if something other than the "liquid sensor" fails under warranty, it enables a claim for a repair under warranty. But if the "liquid sensor" fails, it cancels a claim for a repair under warranty. A second failure that cancels their liability for the first one, without any chance you can refute it!

      Wow. Over on the PC side, so many are considering Macs for the first time because of Windows 10, and so many on the Mac side are fleeing the shoddy Apple construction and the "you're holding it wrong" attitude...

    2. Martin-73 Silver badge

      Re: No, No... It's The Liquid Sensors

      Simply point out that limitations to warranties are not permitted under law, and make them fix it

    3. imaginarynumber

      Re: No, No... It's The Liquid Sensors

      Not sure about their laptops but sometime ago 3M warned Apple that the liquid sensors in the iphone could give false positives when the weather is humid.

      Apple decided that it was financially prudent to ignore the sensor manufacturer's advice.

  6. Anonymous South African Coward Bronze badge

    Crrrrrrrrr<tap>rrrrrrrrr<tap><tap><tappity><TAP>Apple keyboarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr<tap><tappity><TAP>ds arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr<tap><tap><tappity><TAP><TAP><TAP>e such a paiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<TAP><TAP><TAP>n to use

  7. ecofeco Silver badge
    Coat

    Utterfly?

    Did you mean Superfly?

    "Apple has finally admitted the utterfly-mechanism keyoards..."

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Meh

    Some things constitute their own most fitting punishment, such as living at mom's again, working at that tool & die shop, and buying from Apple. I'm guilty of the first two, in the past and present, respectively. This is my smug face.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Don’t know why it bothers me, but is there a reason the headline image shows the previous non butterfly version of the keyboard?

  10. deltamind

    FREE and APPLE usually don't go together. Finally they have something for this issue, so I think I can stop complaining and go get a replacement hehe.

  11. gcarter

    Im getting bored of the Mac haters, and the constant drivel on virtually every tech site out there, jumping on the bandwagon to moan about the latest keyboards.

    I've used the

    * Macbook 12 (2016)

    * Macbook 12 (2017)

    * MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (2017)

    They are great to type on! Sure they take some getting used to in the first instance, and the 2nd gen butterfly keyboards on the 2017 models feel more tactile.

    Whilst they are not as robust as the older models, doesn't mean you hammer the hell out of the keyboards just to prove a point! I keep my clean and where possible, for example when Im working from home, will use an external bluetooth keyboard.

    Remember peeps, the internet nowadays seems to be just for the haters / those who have had problems (minority) ... where are the people saying actually guys, these machines are pretty sweet?

    How often do you go online to see how good a product is?

    Oh and I typed this anti-rant on my Macbook 12 (2017) whilst sat in Starbucks :-)

    1. Outcast !!!

      Stop shilling

      Typical Apple shill. Defending Apple when clearly Apple is at fault. Since the new keyboard are so great to use, why the hell you still use an external Bluetooth keyboard?

      1. gcarter

        Re: Stop shilling

        Not really, up until a few years ago was and I guess still am still an avid pc user. However as I work from home and remotely in general, I needed something uber portable to work my magic with :-)

        However when I'm in the mancave, I have the Mac hooked up to an external monitor and on a stand... hence the external keyboard and mouse.

        1. Aitor 1

          Re: Stop shilling

          And the external keyboard is the reason it still works.

          Also the kind of dust/grime the keyboard gets subjected to. Plenty of mechanical keyboards fail as dirt gets into the switches.. and MBPs are just terrible in this sense.

    2. Huw D

      ... go online to see how good a product is

      Yeah, because all the rave reviews of things on the Internet are never likely to be fake are they? And the shit reviews are all people just dissing $Brand by default?

    3. imaginarynumber

      Ever noticed that the pre-release reviews are always more positive than those written when the products have arrived in the shops.

      Apple only dole out pre-release products to news outlets on the understanding that they will be wasted 5 out of 5 stars.

      The Guardian made the mistake of honestly reviewing an iPad, giving it 3.5 stars and have been blacklisted by Apple ever since.

    4. Mark Dempster

      >Whilst they are not as robust as the older models, doesn't mean you hammer the hell out of the keyboards just to prove a point! I keep my clean and where possible, for example when Im working from home, will use an external bluetooth keyboard.<

      So, you yourself prefer to use a completely different keyboard and you admit that it's less robust than earlier versions, but you don't understand why people complain about them?

      Do you not see any problem with that?

    5. HolySchmoley

      "I keep my clean and where possible, for example when Im working from home, will use an external bluetooth keyboard."

      Make sense. Don't want to wear out fragile parts.

      "Oh and I typed this anti-rant on my Macbook 12 (2017) whilst sat in Starbucks :-)"

      Clone.

  12. Ian Joyner Bronze badge

    No idiot tax

    “the Cupertino idiot-tax giant”

    Stop insulting people for buying Apple by calling them idiots. Apple purchasers buy Apple for good reasons, including overall quality of software and hardware (software always comes first).

    The term “idiot” means they have not really looked into things. Well, all the things that go on in the IT world are difficult to determine. But how do the others get their prices low – because they advertise and pass your details onto other third parties. This is being naive as to where the cost of your appliance comes from – with Apple you own the appliance, with advertising-based cheap prices, your appliance owns you.

    Now I’m not going to insult those who buy these other products by calling them idiots, rather try to educate them about what is really going on, rather than being naive about what is going on.

    It seems the Register is wilfully naive, or maybe being idiots. Usually those who repeat the same thing over and over, are just trying to promote a lie. The ‘idiot tax’ phrase is used over and over by the Register. It is not true, and it is insulting. Has Register been taking lessons from Trump?

    1. HolySchmoley

      Re: No idiot tax

      "Stop insulting people for buying Apple by calling them idiots. Apple purchasers buy Apple for good reasons"

      Isn't idiocy a good reason for doing something idiotic?

  13. Bob From Marketing

    Less is more. Less computer, more money.

  14. This post has been deleted by its author

  15. Am I Consing Yet?

    No offering for people who need their machines to work every day

    I have one of the machines in question, and the keyboard (whole top-case in fact) needs replacing. They quote 3 to 7 working days turnaround for the repair. I have the AppleCare extended warranty so cost is not an issue in my case - but being without a machine for a week or so is very much a problem for me. I have discussed this at some length with both Apple Store retail staff and "premium resellers".

    Naturally, replacing the top case does not take 3 - 7 days. The issue is that when you hand over your Mac it goes into a queue. The turnaround time will depend on how many others are queuing ahead of you. I asked why the machine couldn't remain in my possession while it is queuing, but "that's not a service we offer".

    I am able to work in the meantime by using an external keyboard but this is not always convenient. I now think I'll have to take it in for repair the day before I go on my summer holiday, then hope it's fixed by the time I return. This isn't straightforward either - you cannot book in for a repair more than 7 days in advance, and sometimes you'll find that all repair slots in your nearby stores are already taken.

    A chap working in a London Apple Store suggested that I should buy a new MBP, use it while my old one is being repaired, and then return the new one "no questions asked" so long as it's within 14 days. Remarkable that they would tolerate this, but I won't do it anyway because it feels a bit too risky.

    For the price of my AppleCare extended warranty, I could have added next-day onsite repair to a Dell laptop, and I'm sure that's true of many other brands as well. I like my Mac (apart from the keyboard issue), but for work I mainly run Windows on it. Next time I choose a new laptop for work, I cannot possibly buy another Mac because they have no "keep you working" service option.

  16. MOV r0,r0

    "Apple has determined..." makes it sound like a judgement, almost as if Apple decides whether a thing actually happened or not. iRDF™

    Also, "Apple will refund you" - yep, and add it to your subsequent Cupertino Tax bills.

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