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Comment by hs86 | Hacker News Reader

Did they actually solve the reliability issue or is this just a (one time?) free service to get another of these error-prone keyboards?

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I had my keyboard replaced by Apple a month ago, in one of the covered models. They charged full price for an entire bottom shell replacement of my laptop. The keys were better (obviously) for the first day, but after a month of use keys are already having issues (volume key is falling off). I keep my keyboard and laptop extremely clean, so it's not a matter of trapped food particles or dust or whatever.

The problem is that subtle amounts of dust are enough to stick the key mechanism.

So unless you work in a medical clean room it largely doesn’t matter how clean you keep your laptop. Two top cases later for me and I now use a keyboard cover. No problems since.

Which cover did you choose? Does it make the screen dirty? My wife had a cover on her MacBook many years ago, and the oil from the cover would imprint on the screen, leaving keyboard-shaped marks all over.

Bring a microfiber cloth (like the ones for cleaning glasses) and a spray bottle with an acceptable solvent wherever you go. It doesn't take that much time or effort to clean every few days.

Bring a spray bottle with me wherever I go?

You can pack it together with the dongles :-)

That's overkill, and a silly recommendation. Try these microfiber cloths:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019O1RH4W/

They are thin enough to allow you to close the lid of your laptop while traveling, and stop and direct contact from the oily keys to the screen.

The little 1-oz ones the size of your finger? They slip easily enough into a backpack or laptop bag.

It's not about size — it's about having a bottle of liquid that could crack/spill into my laptop bag.

Using a solvent is actually a very unwise mistake. No solvent is required and you're just eating away the coating. You don't need any solvent at all. Just a cloth and very occasionally, a couple drops of water. That's it. If you are cleaning your screen every few days, you're doing it wrong. Stop touching your screen and dabbing it with slices of pizza or whatever the fuck you're doing to get it dirty "every few days".

I agree that solvent is unwise. My original (GP) question was about keyboard covers, which often end up touching the screen (when the lid is closed) and transfer finger oil onto the screen.

Interestingly when dealing with the logic board issue. They were replacing them with old stock until the warranty for the recall wore out.I suspect they will do the same. Replace it with the same keybaord that they have on the shelf after a year or so most people will upgrade to the new one with a brand new redesigned keyboard that's "revolutionary". After a while the recall will be over and most will be stuck with a shitty albeit brand new keyboard.

Don't count on it being actually solved. Even today, screen replacements because of the much older coating issue will eventually have the same problem again.

It seems like you'll be getting the same keyboard, but the program says nothing about limits per-computer, so if it happens again I think you just send it in again.

I have to assume this implies a redesigned keyboard is coming, though. This is going to be expensive for Apple and it would be insane to stick with a design that they are tacitly admitting here is faulty.

A lot of people say that 2017 keyboards perform better. Had no issues with mine so far and really like it.

They don't.

The 2017 keyboards feel and sound better, but are no more reliable. I've owned two 2017 MBPs and both keyboards have had issues.

That’s my bet as well. It’s an engineering flaw related to the incredibly delicate mechanism, short travel, and tiny tolerances. A very small particle can jam it.

I have the new MacBook Pro and I prefer its keyboard over old style, but I swear the first time I used the down arrow about a week after purchasing it was slightly jammed with something. Still functions and doesn’t repeat characters, but infuriating.

It sucks to know that after 4 years this repair program will end and I’m stuck unjamming it myself by following this article: https://support.apple.com/en-us/ht205662

An Apple Store employee told me today that they are using slightly different parts, which are less prone to malfunction.

At least the quality program is an acknowledgement of an issue (which is like getting blood from a stone when it comes to Apple), and gives you 'protection' if you have this issue outside of warranty.

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