Apple Hit with Class Action Suit over MacBook Keyboard Failures

Megalith

Megalith

24-bit/48kHz
Staff member
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
13,000
Following numerous complaints (and even a petition or two), Apple has been hit with a class action suit over its faulty MacBook keyboards. Aside from damages and legal fees, the plaintiffs are asking for the company to admit to the design flaw, in which the butterfly switches will eventually fail due to buildup of dust and other debris.

One named plaintiff, Zixuan Rao, purchased a new 15-inch MacBook Pro in January and began to experience problems with the laptop's "B" key about a month later. After attempting to clean out the key on his own, Rao ultimately sought help from the Apple store in April. Representatives were unable to fix the issue and suggested repair under Apple's gratis one-year warranty.
 
Good. I knew one day that their obsession with "thin" was going to bite them in the ass. Thin is not always good, in fact I'd go so far as to say that thin for the sake of thin can result in less performance due to heat constraints.
 
Megalith said:
Following numerous complaints (and even a petition or two), Apple has been hit with a class action suit over its faulty MacBook keyboards. Aside from damages and legal fees, the plaintiffs are asking for the company to admit to the design flaw, in which the butterfly switches will eventually fail due to buildup of dust and other debris.

One named plaintiff, Zixuan Rao, purchased a new 15-inch MacBook Pro in January and began to experience problems with the laptop's "B" key about a month later. After attempting to clean out the key on his own, Rao ultimately sought help from the Apple store in April. Representatives were unable to fix the issue and suggested repair under Apple's gratis one-year warranty.
Click to expand...
Good. This fuckers just want their products dead so we can keep buying over and over.
Apple are becoming real bonafide assholes :
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/evk4wk/dhs-seizes-iphone-screens-jessa-jones
In Norway they sued and eventually lost there... Im thinking they will do the same in the US , i hope they lose here too. Why aren't 'green' environmental groups suing over this shit too? Repairing this products to use them longer are propably more beneficial thsn recycling a ton of plastic.
 
So wait, they offered to fix it for him and he refused?
 
gxp500 said:
Replacing a faulty keyboard with one that will be faulty soon isn't a fix is it?
Click to expand...
A keyboard that has a design flaw and will likely break again. The next time it will be out of warranty and Apple will say pay $300 or tough shit.
 
stop eating your fucking cookies at Starbucks while typing on your macbook.

really though, crumbs and shit can get underneath typical laptop scissor switch keyboards. Pop the key caps and clean it out.
Can't you do the same with apple butterfly?
 
Kdawg said:
stop eating your fucking cookies at Starbucks while typing on your macbook.

really though, crumbs and shit can get underneath typical laptop scissor switch keyboards. Pop the key caps and clean it out.
Can't you do the same with apple butterfly?
Click to expand...
Macbook keyboards of the last several iterations seems to have been riveted to the frame. From videos I've seen of Macbook repairs (and those of Macbook Airs), taking out the keyboard and repairing would require you to pry the keys from the frame and snip the rivets flush in order to replace it with a new keyboard. Apple doesn't make it easy to do repairs, because they don't want you to.
 
Mikolai said:
Macbook keyboards of the last several iterations seems to have been riveted to the frame.
Click to expand...

I'm typing on a 2008 Macbook Pro 17" and I bought it used, now on it's second keyboard and yes, it is riveted to the frame so I had to buy the whole top panel (used though, on ebay). I did notice that the CAPS LOCK button on both keyboards didn't alway work; actually it all too often fails to work until you press it a few times, same for the COMMAND key. Other keys seem to work ok though.
 
_l_ said:
I'm typing on a 2008 Macbook Pro 17" and I bought it used, now on it's second keyboard and yes, it is riveted to the frame so I had to buy the whole top panel (used though, on ebay). I did notice that the CAPS LOCK button on both keyboards didn't alway work; actually it all too often fails to work until you press it a few times, same for the COMMAND key. Other keys seem to work ok though.
Click to expand...
And i have a 2006 hp hotebook with its original keyboard that works perfectly, yet it would be easily replaceable. For any other company keyboards failing after a year's warranty, and having a 300+?$ replacement cost would spell ruin. Really fascinating dynamic, the incredible power of branding.
 
Yep. As soon as I read about this issue I asked my wife, who has a 2016 Macbook, and my brother, who has a 2017 Macbook, and they both reported problems with the keyboard. My wife says that her spacebar sticks pretty often as well as the 'T' key and 'U' key. My brother's keyboard is even worse and his touchbar stopped working.

The next laptop my wife gets will be of the PC flavor - maybe a Razer blade tp preserve some of that Apple aesthetic that she clings to. I can't say anything about my brother, but he seems pretty unhappy with his laptop since he bought it.
 
Krixon said:
Yep. As soon as I read about this issue I asked my wife, who has a 2016 Macbook, and my brother, who has a 2017 Macbook, and they both reported problems with the keyboard. My wife says that her spacebar sticks pretty often as well as the 'T' key and 'U' key. My brother's keyboard is even worse and his touchbar stopped working.

The next laptop my wife gets will be of the PC flavor - maybe a Razer blade tp preserve some of that Apple aesthetic that she clings to. I can't say anything about my brother, but he seems pretty unhappy with his laptop since he bought it.
Click to expand...
Unhappy enough to not buy Apple again? Probably not... Seen it before, kind of like the star wars movies... After a while its please take my money again, all is forgiven!. Just don't get it, ive never been blown away by apple products... The speakers on the iPhone.are very good ill say that, but its still dumb to listen that way.
 
I have replaced my 2012's MBP keyboard twice... So many screws. The R key, F key, 4 key, and Enter key died a few days ago. Gonna have to spend money and time replacing it again. Hope Apple fixes their sensitive keyboards for good.
 
Shadowed said:
I have replaced my 2012's MBP keyboard twice... So many screws. The R key, F key, 4 key, and Enter key died a few days ago. Gonna have to spend money and time replacing it again. Hope Apple fixes their sensitive keyboards for good.
Click to expand...
3 times in 6 years? Is that still a premium product in your mind? No joke no sarc in the question.
 
My '13 MBA is still going strong no issues on they keyboard....I upgraded to a 15" MBP back in february no issues. I had one key act funny ,not quite the symtons listed .... Just wouldn't depress fully, so instead of just keep using it like normal I figure something was stuck below it so I hit the keybaord with some compressed air and all is good. Maybe the fat fucks need to stop eating overtop of their keybaord ...
 
trparky said:
Thin is not always good, in fact I'd go so far as to say that thin for the sake of thin can result in less performance due to heat constraints.
Click to expand...

Didn't know you knew my ex... we were always fighting over the room temperature.
 
Shmee said:
So wait, they offered to fix it for him and he refused?
Click to expand...

While I'm generally not on the side of apple bashers, in this case I am. There is no fixing it. The design is inherently problematic in an environment where you might experience anything other than very fine dust.

We have a half dozen of the 13" macbook pros using the butterfly switches. 100% failure rate. We have been cleaning them with temporary success, but there is no fixing the issue. IMO a personal computer inherently requires the ability to type without omitted or stuck repeating keys for say.. at least 90 days possibly even longer, like a few years. This is literally not a problem we ahve ever experienced with any other laptop including things past the 7 year mark.
 
raz-0 said:
While I'm generally not on the side of apple bashers, in this case I am. There is no fixing it. The design is inherently problematic in an environment where you might experience anything other than very fine dust.

We have a half dozen of the 13" macbook pros using the butterfly switches. 100% failure rate. We have been cleaning them with temporary success, but there is no fixing the issue. IMO a personal computer inherently requires the ability to type without omitted or stuck repeating keys for say.. at least 90 days possibly even longer, like a few years. This is literally not a problem we ahve ever experienced with any other laptop including things past the 7 year mark.
Click to expand...

Fair enough.
 
Krixon said:
Yep. As soon as I read about this issue I asked my wife, who has a 2016 Macbook, and my brother, who has a 2017 Macbook, and they both reported problems with the keyboard. My wife says that her spacebar sticks pretty often as well as the 'T' key and 'U' key. My brother's keyboard is even worse and his touchbar stopped working.

The next laptop my wife gets will be of the PC flavor - maybe a Razer blade tp preserve some of that Apple aesthetic that she clings to. I can't say anything about my brother, but he seems pretty unhappy with his laptop since he bought it.
Click to expand...

I’ve owned 3 Different Razer blades and take extreme care with my electronics and all 3 of them had boot issues and coil whine. They’re customers service isn’t great either. Maybe they have gotten better with their quality control...
 
Lazer1337 said:
I’ve owned 3 Different Razer blades and take extreme care with my electronics and all 3 of them had boot issues and coil whine. They’re customers service isn’t great either. Maybe they have gotten better with their quality control...
Click to expand...

I've had my 2016 model since launch and, aside from a scree issue that they repaired in less than a week, I've had no problems with it. Maybe they've gotten better QA, or maybe I'm lucky. I still steer away from most of their peripherals though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top