iFixit:
Here’s an inflammatory take for you: Apple’s new quieter keyboard is actually a silent scheme to fix their keyboard reliability issues. We’re in the middle of tearing down the newest MacBook Pro, but we’re too excited to hold this particular bit of news back:
Apple has cocooned their butterfly switches in a thin, silicone barrier.
First things first, this is indeed an inflammatory take, joining countless other headlines lambasting Apple and the MacBook butterfly keyboard.
But, the thing is, it looks like Apple has, indeed, addressed the problem. That thin, silicone barrier looks designed specifically to keep dust and crumbs from embedding themselves beneath the key press mechanism.
Not sure why Apple never came right out and said, “Our bad, we missed the dust problem with these keyboards, but we’ll fix it.” Is this lawyer-driven? A concern about class-action lawsuits and liability?
No matter, it seems to me that this 3rd generation keyboard is the fix. I’ve typed on it and I am comfortable with the feel and sound. Until I bring one home, I’m not sure how I will feel about the Touch Bar and the soft escape key, the boxier arrow keys, but I do like the keyboard feel and feel optimistic that the dark days of dust breaking the keyboard may just be behind us.
There’s a nice video embedded in the iFixit article that walks through the problems with the keyboard and shows the silicon membrane, up close. Apple keyboard cover-up. Get it?
There’s no way Apple were ever going to come out and say ‘yeah, those keyboards were unreliable’ and that’s not just down to corporate vanity. They’re actively fighting numerous lawsuits about those keyboards, so to publicly admit that they had faults would be suicidal.
What I’d like to know: If you take an older MacBook Pro in for repairs in August, will you get this keyboard?
A bit premature to declare that “that the dark days of dust breaking the keyboard may just be behind us”, don’t you think?
The third generation keyboard is not yet proven in the real world, isn’t available on the non-touchbar MBP or the MB, and its existence does nothing to solve the problem for owners of all the butterfly keyboard models have been sold over the past 3 years.
This is exactly it. But they won’t admit it for another reason. The issue, though there, was not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I suspect many people with issues were either really sloppy or pretty unlucky, because the number of people who needed repairs was not much more than previous keyboards. More, yes, but hardly enough to justify a class action suit.
I would think absolutely. All the keyboard covers that work with the 2016/7 models also work with the 2018 models. One should be here today for mine (got it Saturday).
Why not? The 2017 keyboard was improved and it fits on 2016 models. I’m betting there’s no difference in size or form, so the new keyboards likely work with both earlier models.
This is literally what even John Gruber theorizes so I can only believe that iFixit appears to “undermine” their work only to people who don’t like them because they don’t praise Apple enough.
Apple Says Third-Generation Keyboards Exclusive to 2018 MacBook Pro
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/15/third-gen-keyboard-exclusive-to-2018-macbook-pro/
According to a story on Macrumors, Apple says no.
You (and iFixIt) are making unsubstantiated guesses. Apple said the keyboard changes are quieter. They didn’t say it’s for anything else and it’s illogical to assume it is. John Gruber’s source said the issue was a defective metal alloy from a pervious supplier. We can’t confirm one way or the other, but if his source is right then there’s absolutely nothing to this layer of silicone (which has large holes in it anyway and isn’t even a seal over every key cap).
It’s anybody’s guess, and all the guesses are worthless.
Nope, Gruber said his source cited metal alloy changes. He only agrees that Apple would never say to the public due to lawsuits.
Nice try tho.
Nope. AppleInsider has info on this.
Can’t link in comments here.
Improving a product isn’t a cover up, though. iFixit is taking what should be a good news story and trying to make it a negative for Apple.
It might be a good news story if you are buying a new touchbar MacBook pro – time will tell.
Not so much if you want to buy a new MB or non-touchbar MBP, or already own a previous butterfly keyboard model.
I’m going to assume “cover up” is meant as a pun more than anything else.
Because its other sense would be nonsense; a “cover up” in that sense would be Apple denying there was ever a problem.
Which is hard to square with their … extending coverage of fixes, that I recall.
“May just” is appropriately speculative, no?
Even if it is a fix, it doesn’t solve the problem at all for the MB and non-touchbar MBP, or all the people who already own previous touchbar models.
The “dark days” will end after those models have reached the end of their useful lives – about 5 years after Apple quits selling them.
iFixit continue to undermine otherwise good work with nonsense like this. Turning Apple improving their keyboard design into a conspiracy theory coverup is so stupid.
Gruber nailed this in a post, Apple can’t say the prior keyboards had a defect or this is a fix for the earlier designs. They can say they work regularly to improve all their designs, and the 3rd generation butterfly keyboard is no exception.
If we take Apple at its word that the number of users (by percentage) of the prior keyboard that have had issues severe enough to require replacement or repair is in the low single digits, and given that they extended the warranty to 4 years, Apple has nothing to gain and a lot to lose if they were to admit some sort of inherit fault with the prior design.
Dave, how loud does the keyboard seem, next to the 2015 MacBooks pro, for instance? Thanks!
Dave, how loud does the keyboard seem, next to the 2015 MacBooks pro, for instance? Thanks!
You are correct. Apparently they are the same on top, but not underneath. The silicon wrap must add depth or something. Or the whole top of the computer is different. Plus the battery is different. So internals are not the same.
Where would America be without another conspiracy theory? Rational and fact based is one thought. Leader of the free world is another.
It’s not August yet. 🙂
Apple Insider is speculating. They might very well be correct, but it’s still speculating.
It was both. A bit of a pun, and a bit of sensational click bait. Works well for iFixit either way. They’re always a little cheeky in their reviews, and have a bit of an issue with Apple due to the non-user serviceable nature of their products.
It was both. A bit of a pun, and a bit of sensational click bait. Works well for iFixit either way. They’re always a little cheeky in their reviews, and have a bit of an issue with Apple due to the non-user serviceable nature of their products.