MacBooks Have Faulty Keyboards, So Why is Apple Still Selling Them?

People are once once again talking virtually the MacBook keyboards, only very few are raving nigh information technology now. Apple tree'southward laptop keyboards are legendary and they have been for the correct reasons, providing great condolement, tactile feedback and response, coupled with an amazing touchpad. Even diehard Windows fans would acknowledge Apple tree did it meliorate.

You can hear from any veteran Mac user near you about the joy of typing on an onetime MacBook (God knows, they want to tell you about it). While the older keyboard produced a pleasant racket during typing, it'southward central travel was rumoured to exist absolutely perfect for a laptop keyboard and it also allowed you to type for long hours without feeling any fatigue. It was never pillowy, yet it was springy and well-spaced enough to let you to cruise through long documents with ease.

Butterfly Effect

All that changed with the butterfly switches in the new MacBooks, starting with the 12-inch MacBook in 2015, and then the MacBook Pro models in 2016 and 2017. With each iteration, the keyboard has been improved slightly, but ane of its biggest problems has persisted. The new butterfly switches meant the height of the keys could be trimmed downward to conform the thinner build of these new laptops. They also meant there would be very piddling gap between the keycaps and the keyboard deck.

Apple claimed the new switches provide the same kind of feedback that macOS users are familiar with, despite the shorter contour. Unsurprisingly, initial reactions and reviews praised Apple's new arroyo, but there were some who speculated that the design would lead to key-jamming or stuck keys. As it turned out, those fears were entirely true.

Lawsuits Incoming

If the old MacBook keyboard was heavenly, the new one was hellish. Information technology makes y'all experience like y'all are hammering downwards on a metal sheet. It has almost not-existent key travel. It looks flat and earlier you start typing, yous might wonder if it'southward actually a bear upon keyboard. But these are bodily keys and but one speck of dust can bring this keyboard down.

Faced with class-action lawsuits, Apple belatedly responded final week by giving users free replacements and refunds for any repairs related to the keyboard. Prima facie, the visitor has taken a positive pace – I mean who doesn't desire free replacements for expensive broken things – simply information technology did take its sweetness time acknowledging the issue, which outraged fans.

The new replacement program is available for the 12-inch MacBook (Early 2015 to 2017), the thirteen-inch MacBook Pro (2016 to 2017) and the 15-inch MacBook Pro (2016 to 2017).

Lessons from Batterygate

And it'due south not the first time we accept seen Apple respond to user complaints past offering free replacements or rebates. Only this year, nosotros had the major Batterygate controversy when Apple announced similar free replacements, after it was found that it slowed down older iPhones deliberately to preserve crumbling batteries.

It's fairly easy to go dust in the narrow gap between the key-caps and the elevation deck. Even a single speck can jam the keys as we now know.

Why Sell It?

Coming back to the laptops, the official give-and-take is: yes, the MacBook keyboard is flawed and Apple volition set it for complimentary. But at the aforementioned fourth dimension, Apple continues to sell MacBook models with these keyboards, which means those who buy it now volition likely accept to visit an Apple tree Shop to get a free keyboard repair or replacement in the nearly futurity.

In nigh industries, a flawed product is recalled; nosotros can call back of cars, instant noodles and fifty-fifty flagship smartphones beingness recalled for a major flaw – and a broken keyboard is nigh definitely a bargain-breaker for a laptop without a touchscreen. So how is Apple allowed to get away this anomaly?

Apple's track record in acknowledging problems in the by has been terrible. We all recollect Apple ignoring reports of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus bending easily, but turns out Apple did know about the weaker build in those phones.

Court documents revealed Apple tested and released those phones knowing they would curve, then would information technology exist a surprise if something similar happened with the new MacBook keyboards? Information technology's highly unlikely that Apple did not stress-test the MacBook keyboard, considering how like shooting fish in a barrel information technology is to get dust in the narrow gap betwixt the keycaps and the tiptop deck. Even a unmarried speck can jam the keys as we now know. So how did Apple's engineers non encounter this flaw which seems to impact millions of users on a daily basis?

If yous think jammed keys is not a big deal in the real world, just look at some of the ridiculous things people accept tried to fix them, including blasting canned air to remove dust – it's actually the official set recommended by Apple, every bit you tin can see in the below image:

At one time, Apple devices used to 'simply work' only now you need to be armed with an assortment of homemade solutions (and official dongles) to get them working.

And so bad is the keyboard, even Apple loyalists such equally John Gruber have questioned it:

"Say what you lot want almost the feel (and audio) of these new keyboards, the one affair that must be true for any good keyboard is that it has to be reliable. Like totally reliable. And then reliable that it'due south confusing when something does go wrong. That's how Apple laptop keyboards have always been, dating back to the earliest days of the PowerBooks. There've been some I didn't savor — the squishy-feeling iBook G3 keyboard comes to mind — but they've e'er been reliable.

I find these keyboards — specifically, the tales of woe about keys getting stuck or ceasing to work properly — a deeply worrisome sign almost Apple'due south priorities today."

Information technology'southward simply non done; Apple can give people as many gratuitous keyboards as it wants but every bit long as it continues selling the aforementioned MacBooks with the same flawed keyboards, information technology's essentially having a big laugh at your expense. And this is Apple, so it'due south some expense.