Apple may have secretly fixed the MacBook Pro keyboard that's driving people crazy
- Many of Apple's recent laptop models have a keyboard that many people say can be paralyzed by even a spec of dust.
- Apple was forced to offer free repairs to people who have had issues.
- Apple released new laptop models with a "third-generation keyboard" this week that was designed to be quieter.
- We still don't know if Apple fixed the reliability issue.
- Apple won't say if the new models are covered under the free repair program.
Apple released new high-end laptops earlier this week.
The new MacBook Pro models got faster chips, improved displays, and the option to pack more storage space and RAM.
But there's still one big question: Did Apple fix the MacBook Pro keyboard that's spurred thousands of complaints, a mea culpa repair program, and several class action suits?
We don't know.
Apple did make changes to the keyboard, but described them in only 10 words:
"Additional updates include ... an improved third-generation keyboard for quieter typing."
USPTO This makes buying a new MacBook Pro a more difficult choice for consumers. The 2016 and 2017 models suffered from a pretty bad flaw: dirt or dust could get stuck inside the keyboard's "butterfly" mechanisms and make them unreliable and "sticky." As Kyle Weins, founder of independent repair guide iFixit, wrote:
"The basic flaw is that these ultra-thin keys are easily paralyzed by particulate matter. Dust can block the keycap from pressing the switch, or disable the return mechanism. "
It's a real problem!
Earlier this month, Apple acknowledged the problem by extending free service for the issue to pretty much all MacBooks with the "butterfly" keyboard for four years.
Earlier this month, Apple acknowledged the problem by extending free service for the issue to pretty much all MacBooks with the "butterfly" keyboard for four years.
Here are the symptoms, according to Apple:
- Letters or characters repeat unexpectedly
- Letters or characters do not appear
- Key(s) feel "sticky" or do not respond in a consistent manner
Those are pretty annoying problems! I personally have experienced the "sticky key" problem on my personal MacBook Pro, and while it's not a deal-breaker for me, it's still infuriating.
The new keyboard still uses a butterfly mechanism, and Apple representatives have said that the new "third-generation keyboard" wasn't "designed to solve those issues," according to journalists who got hands-on time with the new laptops before the announcement. Apple says the sticky key problem only affects a "small" number of laptops.
But it's entirely possible that Apple quietly fixed or improved the problem with the new design. It has engineers working on patents to prevent dust or crumbs for improving keyboard reliability. And when iFixit bought one of the new laptops and took it apart, it found a change to the design that includes a plastic film that protects dust or crumbs from getting in the key.
More at: businessinsider.com |
