Disgruntled MacBook Pro users petition Apple to recall defective keyboards
A new petition created by a beleaguered MacBook Pro owner calls on Apple to recall versions of the laptop that incorporate a butterfly mechanism keyboard, a design that some view as inherently flawed.
Created by Matthew Taylor on Wednesday, the Change.org petition asks for Apple to voluntarily recall and repair all MacBook Pro models released since late 2016.
Taylor is not simply asking for replacement keyboards, but instead an entirely new design not prone to constant failures suffered by some owners. Since the 2016 MacBook Pro launched, a number of users have complained of failed, unreliable and unresponsive keys, a critical flaw for a laptop boasting an integrated, hard-to-replace keyboard.
AppleInsider brought attention to the issue earlier this week, offering hard data on failure rates gleaned from service information collected from Apple Genius Bars and authorized repair outlets.
When comparing data from 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 MacBook Pros -- not including Touch Bar related problems -- the 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard fails twice as often as previous models. The 2017 version currently fares a bit better, but a full dataset for that model is unavailable as it has only been on the market for 11 months.
Aside from the frustration associated with an unreliable keyboard, cost of repair is a serious concern.
Apple's MacBook Pro design so tightly integrates components with the chassis that if a switch fails and the keyboard needs to be replaced, the keyboard, battery, and upper metal case all need to be swapped together. We have seen out-of-warranty repair bills reach upwards of $700 for this type of repair, all for a simple broken key.
At the time of press, the petition has amassed over 1,000 signatures.
Created by Matthew Taylor on Wednesday, the Change.org petition asks for Apple to voluntarily recall and repair all MacBook Pro models released since late 2016.
Taylor is not simply asking for replacement keyboards, but instead an entirely new design not prone to constant failures suffered by some owners. Since the 2016 MacBook Pro launched, a number of users have complained of failed, unreliable and unresponsive keys, a critical flaw for a laptop boasting an integrated, hard-to-replace keyboard.
AppleInsider brought attention to the issue earlier this week, offering hard data on failure rates gleaned from service information collected from Apple Genius Bars and authorized repair outlets.
When comparing data from 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 MacBook Pros -- not including Touch Bar related problems -- the 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard fails twice as often as previous models. The 2017 version currently fares a bit better, but a full dataset for that model is unavailable as it has only been on the market for 11 months.
Aside from the frustration associated with an unreliable keyboard, cost of repair is a serious concern.
Apple's MacBook Pro design so tightly integrates components with the chassis that if a switch fails and the keyboard needs to be replaced, the keyboard, battery, and upper metal case all need to be swapped together. We have seen out-of-warranty repair bills reach upwards of $700 for this type of repair, all for a simple broken key.
At the time of press, the petition has amassed over 1,000 signatures.
Comments
...how many even really like the new keyboard (of COURSE there will be some) ? There is no stand alone to match, or with even the most basic backlighting option (really?), and my guess is the cost of the touchbar that macbook pro users are ransomed to pay for would never cut it in a stand alone - even the iMac Pro didn't get it...? What would such a keyboard retail at ? $400+ ?
Everything onboard - has Apple saddled pro users with this - current management does a lot that is great, but the designs just do not work (for me) any more - even the mini is locked down on ram - really? I mean really ??? Throw away design, especially for entry level which may be starting tight on budget - 'sustainability'...?
Please give us macs we can actually effectively repair, adapt for OUR often changing needs, and options to vary the cost, configuration, and to SERVE users, vs restricting so much...
Pro tower - highly proprietary and another admitted misjudgement...
And then there are the dongles, oh my goodness... The TB3>TB adapter is a favourite which should support Mini DiplayPort to even meet the base spec does not, and so the ONLY monitor I could not get working at the launch of the 2016 macbook pro was Apple's own 27" LED Cinema Display... Wow.
...the only mac I might be tempted with now would be the iMac, yet even that has lost the ability to change the vesa mount (yes long ago, yet another post Jobs judgement) and target display, two features I still use clinging to hardware that is adaptable, and compatible with more than the latest beta OS forced on those who pay the ultimate price in so many ways...
Yet with profits up, will Apple just keep boiling the frogs...?
Rant out.
I’m curious what Apple will make of this. I’m sure they have hard data of what’s going on, and perhaps already engineered a fix for future models.
I love mine mine and I certainly don’t want it to fail one month after my AppleCare warranty expires, then again that will be in late 2020 so who knows.
and charged competitive prices.
edit: none of the above would have been hard.
Are there really that many failures that make a recall reasonable action? It's not just people who are upset with the keyboard, it's the actual number of failures as a percentage of shipped units, taking into account safety issues etc (minimal in the case of a keyboard failure, a bit more significant in a battery problem).
When the keyboard came out, a lot of people didn't like it, some without even using it. Can we filter out the noise of people who were predisposed to hate the keyboard from the people with genuine problems, to see if the petition has any merits? I'm sure a lot of people have signed the petition because they just don't like the keyboard, and want to force Apple to replace it.
Put simply, the number of people with genuine mechanical problems are the only thing to consider when issuing a recall. The people complaining that they don't like it (for whatever reason) is why you contemplate updating the design for the next model.
Also, a recall with a redesigned keyboard might prove tricky. The tolerances may not be enough to make much of a difference to the design. Maybe they can fix the problem with dust getting in, but any replacement is probably going to use a similar mechanism, or else it won't fit in the box
I got a 15" 2017 MacBook Pro several months ago, and I'm not crazy about the keyboard, but find it perfectly usable, so no, I'm not a hater that just does't like the new keyboard design; I just expect Apple to deliver on the quality they promise.
In my case, I held off my purchase as long as I could as I was concerned about the keyboard based on what I was reading online. I was like many in that I tried the keyboard in the store and thought it was the worst thing I have ever used and just couldn't see myself using it at all.
I ended up making the purchase, more due to my employer moving to provide Macs rather than the BYOD approach and my hating the specs that they picked for the machines.
I've had mine a few months now and is the keyboard louder than the old one? Yes.
I decided to put a keyboard protector on as soon as I bought it to keep any crumbs etc (I have a very bad habit eating over my machine) out of the mechanism from day one.
The keyboard takes some getting used to and I would say it will always be louder than I like but it is not as loud as it was when I tried it in store. There is also something to be said that once you get used to it you reduce the amount of force you use when belting the keys as you type. In fact, this might be the first keyboard which I haven't simply continued to use like the old mechanical typewriter I used in High School.
Any who who aren't happy and want to sell for the equivalent price of a Mac Mini, I'll gladly buy it and reuse it for a speedy "desktop" machine, using with an external monitor and keyboard.
Best wishes though that a solution is worked por for those facing a problem. In the past, Apple has extended warranties for issues like this.
Yeah, that’s the problem. Once you strip out the Apple haters, the “I need more memory” crowd and the rest of the pet hate brigade then you wonder if this keyboard is really failing more than it should.
I always find find it weird that I never see these problems that fill the internet, but surely all these people can’t be lying, can they?