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The latest MacBook Pro and 12-inch MacBook have a keyboard problem, and Apple is finally ready to do something about it. While the so-called "butterfly" mechanism debuted with fanfare in 2015 on the original 12-inch MacBook with Retina display, the reality has left some notebook owners more frustrated and amazed. Here's what you need to know.
The Butterfly keyboard was meant to improve typing
The promise of Apple with its new keyboard mechanism was not small: a typing experience quite more comfortable. Traditional scissors, according to the Cupertino firm, were not balanced. They flicker when you tap them, and they require an excessive thickness of your keyboard. This means a thicker notebook accordingly.
In contrast, Apple's butterfly design was intended to create more balanced keys: less oscillation under the fingertips, and sharper action. Usefully, they could also be thinner – with, Apple insists, no change in the way the key journey actually touched the typists – allowing the MacBooks to be thinner in the set.
It is fair to say that the reality has turned out to be a little more confrontational. The first 12-inch MacBook with a Retina display was beloved or hated: some hated the ultra-low key, while others found that the wider keys and the shot feel were a pleasure. Apple has tweaked things but remains stuck with the butterfly mechanism for the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, adding to the trip but not appealing to everyone.
Different shots for different people
If it was just a matter of personal taste, the butterfly keyboard would probably not have as many detractors. Unfortunately, with this frustration came some reliability issues. Sticky key reports, keys that did not respond to pressure or keys that produced multiple letters even if only typed once began to flow.
The nature of the new mechanism, however, meant that solving these problems was more difficult than with most notebook keyboards. Unlike old scissors, the butterfly mechanism could not be easily lifted so that dust, tricks and other debris could be cleaned. Trying to do it, indeed, could leave you with a completely broken key.
Apple's board was the judicious application of compressed air, but even that was not enough in many cases. Even worse, the company refused to recognize any part of its design could have played in his "temperament tips." The repairs could escalate into hundreds of dollars because the entire keyboard had to be replaced.
Along came the lawyers
If there is one thing that excites lawyers, it is the idea of a successful business with a potential problem. As Apple has refused to allow MacBook Pro and MacBook keyboards to fail, class action lawsuits have begun. Several have emerged in recent months, generally alleging that there is a design flaw inherent in butterfly keyboards.
What is being asked in return ranges from refunds to cover the cost of repairs implemented individually, to a full recall of all laptops with these particular keys. This mea maxima culpa should, according to the lawyers, accompany financial compensation for the missed work due to the waiting for the delivery and repair of the notebooks.
Apple gives in … somehow
On Friday, after spending months insisting that there was no flaw inherent in the butterfly keyboard mechanism, Apple changed its mind. He quietly announced the Keyboard Service program for MacBook and MacBook Pro, having conceded that a "small percentage of keyboards on some MacBook and MacBook Pro models" could display letters or characters that repeat unexpectedly, letters or characters that do not appear, or keys that feel "sticky" or that do not respond consistently.
It was the recognition that many owners were desperate. Only nine different models, ranging from early 2015 to the latest 2017 update, are covered by the new keyboard service program, Spirit. They are as follows:
MacBook (retina, 12 inches, early 2015)
MacBook (retina, 12 inches, early 2016)
MacBook (Retina, 12 inches, 2017)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (13 inches, 2017, two ports Thunderbolt 3)
MacBook Pro (13 inches, 2016, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (13 inches, 2017, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (15 inches, 2016)
MacBook Pro (15 inches, 2017)
You will probably have to send your Mac
Unfortunately, official recognition does not facilitate the solution. "The type of service will be determined after the keyboard exam and may involve the replacement of one or more keys or the entire keyboard," warns Apple. "The time of execution of the service may vary depending on the type of service and the availability of spare parts."
In short, it may not be the kind of thing you can do to get into an Apple Store with a Genius appointment, put your laptop back on, and then come out with your repaired Mac a little bit later. . Apple does not give an estimate on the actual duration of the repairs but, as we have seen in the iPhone battery replacement program, it is likely that it will depend a lot demand. If there are more Macs broken than Apple has replacement keyboards for each system, there could be a lot of time waiting to get yours.
If you have paid for a repair, you can get a refund
"If you think your MacBook or MacBook Pro has been affected by this problem," says Apple, "and you have paid to repair your keyboard, you can contact Apple for a refund." This means that you will have to pay the keyboard replacement. you can recover your money very well. However, Apple will not process these refunds automatically: you will need to contact the company and make your point of view.
On the other hand to that, however, is the small impression of Apple on the program. If your MacBook or MacBook Pro has other damages, and if these damages adversely affect Apple 's ability to replace or repair the keyboard, you will need to repair it first. If this is not a warranty problem, it means you will have to pay for it. We have seen a similar requirement for iPhone battery replacements, which could result in a large bill on your desk.
Nobody says what "small percentage" is
The official numbers for how many people are actually affected by this butterfly problem are in short supply. Listen to the opponents on the keyboard and you end up thinking that the MacBook and MacBook Pro were beating time bombs. The attitude of Apple, meanwhile, is that a "small" – but unspecified – number of homeowners are affected.
It is unlikely that we hear anything more specific from Apple. It is also unlikely that this new keyboard service program will be the end of class actions. Indeed, recognition of the problem by Apple will probably only encourage the lawyers involved.
The other controversial aspect is how long you have to ask for a repair or replacement of the keyboard. Apple has set a four-year limit after the first retail sale of the unit. This means that the first 12-inch MacBook models with Retina display are nearing the end of this deadline.
Meanwhile, there is no change to the overall warranty coverage of the MacBook or MacBook Pro. This was enough to make some owners think.
There is no word of redesign
The big question for many potential buyers of MacBook or MacBook Pro is simple: what happens next? Apple may have accepted that some of its laptops have problems, but although it accepts a free solution for them, it says nothing about redesigning the keyboard itself. This leaves some potential homeowners wary.
Apple has not completely removed the scissors mechanism. The standalone Mac keyboard, for example – included with the iMac – always uses a modified version of this type of key, rather than the butterfly keys. Comments on this subject have been much more positive, although a standalone keyboard does not have the same space constraints as a laptop board.
For now, we will just have to wait and see what Apple is doing with its keys when next updating its range of laptops. If there is good news, it is that all the signs indicate that this will happen sooner than later. A new 13-inch MacBook with Retina display has been widely used to finally tune the aging MacBook Air; Apple expects Intel to finalize its next-generation mobile processors before reorganizing the MacBook Pro family.
Will it also introduce a third generation butterfly keyboard at the same time? This seems a pretty sure assumption; even if it does not attract attention to the changes, it is hard to imagine that Apple does not have engineers working hard for it 's sake. ensure that its next laptops do not experience the same negative reception. We will know more in the coming months.
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