by ryanbigg on 8/28/19, 11:07 PM with 575 comments
by tolmasky on 8/28/19, 11:45 PM
The thread from @getify ( https://twitter.com/getify/status/1165300052463480832 ) on having to wait 3 days for a repair, even though it is done in-store is truly infuriating. He is absolutely right that it makes no sense to have to leave a computer sitting around doing nothing, and you should just be able to be told to bring it back when your computer would be 24 hours away from being repaired. The computer isn't being shipped anywhere, but Apple must still severely hamper your productivity on a product you spent thousands of dollars on.
Their constant reference to a "small minority of users experiencing this" in light of these huge delays at the store for a super-quick and simple fix has become insulting. I won't register anywhere as someone "experiencing this issue" since I don't have 3 days to not use my computer for a fix that will probably break again in months.
by hannibalhorn on 8/28/19, 11:40 PM
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20353148
Edit: added "reports are"
by zmmmmm on 8/28/19, 11:44 PM
It's one thing to fail at designing something because it is hard and you haven't figured it out yet. It's quite another to regress to incompetence on something you already perfected.
by codemusings on 8/29/19, 7:20 AM
What's most infuriating is the realization that I bought a $3000 laptop with a keyboard that will break sooner or later and there's nothing you can do about it except sell it at a substantial loss. Even if I go through all the trouble of having it fixed under the extended waranty program I'm still without a laptop for at least a week and I know it will happen again because the design is fundamentally flawed.
by iamleppert on 8/28/19, 11:33 PM
Apple should be very worried. Once they loose the developers, users won't be long to follow.
by therein on 8/28/19, 11:31 PM
Same here, MBP keyboards are unbearable. Trying to develop on OSX has become a hassle. Gotta jump through hoops to get gdb to work. Windows with WSL on a Surface Book feels extremely tempting as of late.
I could grab a copy of Windows 10 LTSC and not have to get bothered by untimely updates, Cortana, other bloatware and even telemetry.
by parasubvert on 8/29/19, 12:39 PM
It's really simple.
1. If you don't care about MacOS, and want a different keyboard, please buy a Lenovo Carbon X1 and leave us happy Macbook Pro users in peace.
2. If your keyboard breaks, Apple will replace it free. The newer gen keyboards generally don't break.
3. If you really can't type on this keyboard and you really love MacOS, there are lots of decent thin Bluetooth keyboards. Microsoft has a great one. It's a small monetary sacrifice you'll need to make for sticking with MacOS. i.e. something we already do when we buy Macbook Pros ;)
I am getting tired of being sneered at for "clearly not understanding my own interests" because I like my Macbook Pro, have never had a keyboard issue, I LIKE TYPING on the keyboard, and would buy another one.
I do hope they change the keyboard radically in the next release so that the laptop posse finds another issue to rage at.
by yodsanklai on 8/28/19, 11:41 PM
> I'm ditching Macs and will pick up a Microsoft Surface Book
I'm not to that point yet. I'm not an apple fanboy, and I'm not really happy about the direction Apple is taking. But I still prefer Mac OS to Linux or Windows, and I've never seen a non-apple laptop that I've found particularly attractive. And they usually have their own issues too.
Let's hope they'll fix this particular issue.
by 8draco8 on 8/29/19, 11:56 AM
At some point Ive became to have major role in making decisions of what's going in to production. Jobs had serious health issues, couldn't keep his eye on everything and finally he passed away which made Jony the guy who was making decisions pretty much on his own. I bet that trashcan MacPro, butterfly keyboards, "thinness war", sticking for too long to one design etc., those are all his ideas that he pushed trough.
Quite recently Apple realized that leaving everything in Ives hands is not that good idea after all and I have a feeling that redesigned MacPro and decision to ditch butterfly keyboards from newest MBPs was forced on Ive and that's the real reason behind him becoming external contractor for Apple. They couldn't fire him completely but they needed changes and Jony didn't liked restrictions on his design choices so they've split.
As for the future, we already saw that story in the past and as we know history like to repeat itself. In the next 2-3 years Apple products will become more in line of what users wants. They finally started to listen to people and it will result with better products, at least in short term. Times has changed and I hope that history will not repeat itself in the next step when, like in the 90s, Apple will become shadow of it's former self, trying to build products based on financial statistics and polls and not on engineering and design talent of their employees. After all we think we know what we want but in reality there will be products and solutions that we can't imagine right know and no amount of polls will give the answer to a question what's next, what's behind the horizon.
by atarian on 8/29/19, 5:59 AM
On a side note, I bought a new iPhone SE to see how it compared to the iPhone XS because HN raves about the SE so much. It was pretty underwhelming and there was just absolutely no way I could justify replacing the XS with it.
by mykowebhn on 8/29/19, 12:22 AM
1. Screen flickers occasionally
2. Turning on bluetooth can make the keys stuck making it impossible to type anything in order to unlock my laptop (turning off bluetooth fixes this)
3. I hate the feel of the touchbar on my fingers.
4. The touchpad is too large and I often accidentally touch it and do something I didn't want to do.
5. The mic and sound have recently gone wonky. When I'm calls, the mic automatically mutes every few minutes and a message appears saying the mic couldn't be found. A loose connection somewhere?
All this for a $2000+ laptop. Luckily it's a work laptop so I didn't pay out of pocket, but still.
I still have a 2014 15 inch MBP that I still love and use. I wish I could use it for work.
by ngngngng on 8/28/19, 11:30 PM
by harrisonjackson on 8/29/19, 1:36 AM
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/keyboard-service-program-for...
I get that it is hugely inconvenient to go without your laptop for any amount of time - I depend on mine for work at a 2 person startup, so really I do get it! But if you are this fed up with it, then I'd say go for it.
I finally bit the bullet and found a local certified apple repair place (NOT THE APPLE STORE) that allowed me to take my laptop home with me after they ran diagnostics (10 minutes) and ordered the new keyboard.
I emphasize not the apple store because they will try to keep your laptop for the 24-48 hours it takes your replacement keyboard to ship.
The repair actually took around 3 hours, which I spent playing with my kid! Woot! The place I went through text me when the keyboard came in and then again when my laptop was ready to go - was super easy.
Because of the way the keyboard is bundled into the laptop, they have to replace the battery too - so that was an added bonus.
edit - just want to add that the replacement has had no issues ~1 month in (++spelling)
by caymanjim on 8/29/19, 12:24 AM
I had a late 2016 model with a defective keyboard out of the box. Finally had it repaired mid-2018 (which took over a month), and the new one died within days.
It'll be many years before I consider even accepting another free MacBook from work, much less buy one. I don't know if Apple realizes just how badly they messed up. I used to have an iPad, iPhone, home MacBook, and work MacBook, and even stupidly bought their overpriced Thunderbolt display out of some deranged brand loyalty. Now the only Apple product I still use is my iPad (because it hasn't completely died yet), and when this goes, that'll be it.
by archeantus on 8/29/19, 3:41 AM
He’s the one who introduced these keyboards and praised them up and down, he’s probably going to take the fall for them as well.
I have money burning a hole in my pocket right now to buy a MBP but I can’t do it. It is literally a defective product. Shame on Apple for selling a productive they know is not going to work well for their customers.
by snockerton on 8/28/19, 11:29 PM
My solution has been to place an Apple bluetooth keyboard -on top- of my 15" MBP keyboard and that seems to work pretty well, but wow, it shouldn't have come to this...
by ggm on 8/29/19, 1:11 AM
I don't know any EMACS user who likes <ESC> on touchbar.
If I do the join over these and anyone else I ask, I actually don't know anyone who likes <ESC> on touchbar.
I think Apple took a long standing market acceptance in the community I live in, and basically trashed it, for lipgloss.
I expect to move to a Lenovo Carbon X1, with qualms.
by Justsignedup on 8/29/19, 2:17 AM
Every single macbook ive owned in the last 3 years has had some defect. Either a dead motherboard. Broken keyboard. Or both. Basically it is build like a piece of shit.
Had I any option I would get a cheaper better faster windows pc in a heartbeat. Sure it'll be 0.5lbs heavier. But by god it won't have that shitty giant touchpad that won't let me type without fucking up my wrists.
by jahbrewski on 8/29/19, 1:50 AM
by gonational on 8/29/19, 3:55 AM
* the new keyboard (2015 style or better)
* no touchbar (F keys, please)
* magsafe (with cables wrapped in something stronger than a tortilla)
* battery capacity that maxes out the FAA limit
* serious graphics (as an option)
* better screen coating that doesn’t flake off or scratch easily
* an even darker gray / charcoal color option
* finally... no fingerprint reader (they’re useful, but I’d rather have the added cost spent elsewhere and keep the surface clean - it takes me less than 3 seconds to type my 30 char password, unlike phones where this would be impossible)
———
If Apple can deliver on all the points above, I will spend $3k. If not, I’ll just continue until my 2011 and 2015 MBPs are dead and then move onto something else (some linux notebook). I’ve been waiting for 2 years to upgrade.
by jeremyis on 8/28/19, 11:26 PM
by Arathorn on 8/29/19, 12:04 AM
I also haven't had any double presses yet (which were the plague of the 2018 one - the symptoms were identical to https://www.wsj.com/graphics/apple-still-hasnt-fixed-its-mac...). So, anecdotally, so far it seems that the 2019 edition is a marked improvement. I'm pretty sure by this point on the 2018 one I was having to go back and fix typos in almost every sentence.
by piinbinary on 8/28/19, 11:27 PM
by hvass on 8/28/19, 11:43 PM
by bootlooped on 8/29/19, 2:11 AM
by ubermonkey on 8/29/19, 12:35 PM
I mean, good for him, but his complaint is literally a duplicate of what other people said about the butterfly keyboards for a couple years. I'm not aware yet of these complaints continuing to apply with the newest rev.
Obviously Apple fucked up on these, and obviously they're trying to fix it / make it right, but this particular post seems, well, uninteresting and unworthy of HN.
by cfitz on 8/29/19, 2:17 PM
To say that I regret selling my “tortoise” of a 2015 MBP is an understatement.
by AndrewBissell on 8/28/19, 11:29 PM
Maybe I'll feel differently once I finally manage to work a crumb underneath one of them.
by nagarjun on 8/29/19, 7:03 AM
They accused me of installing apps that were causing this issue although I had nothing of that sort installed. I am a web developer and like to think that I know computers well enough to not install sketchy apps. I had installed all the same apps that were in my 2014 MBP so when I confronted the store, they just gave me a random reason and sent me away. I got so fed up trying to convince these people that there was an issue. I ended up buying a Magic Keyboard and using that instead.
Mind you, all this happened in India where Apple doesn't have a direct retail experience. 3rd party retailers have zero training procedures in place. Their staff isn't nearly as knowledgeable as their US counterparts about the products they are selling. This whole keyboard fiasco has been my worst Apple experience.
by piinbinary on 8/28/19, 11:48 PM
by QuercusMax on 8/29/19, 12:09 AM
by jwilliams on 8/29/19, 2:35 AM
I've had two keyboard replacements. If you haven't had it done, it's a "topcase" replacement - which involved a good half of the machine. It's a big change and I was told to allow for 5 business days as well.
My Macbook Pro is out of the 4 year replacement window - and the Spacebar is starting to fail.
I've owned every form-factor of the Macbook Pro - won't be next time round.
by jasoneckert on 8/29/19, 1:35 AM
by __MatrixMan__ on 8/29/19, 4:31 AM
We just pretend that she's drunk in these cases. Or that this is just how the cool kids (with the expensive gadgets) talk these days. Or that the stress of the job has uncovered a long lost speech impediment.
Overall, I think the keyboard has been a really positive thing for team cohesion.
by mises on 8/29/19, 12:04 AM
I guess a lot of Apple's products give me that feeling these days. Ios 7 design probably didn't help much. Maybe with Jony Ive gone, it will get better? I like things that feel solid. These days, macs just don't. I probably shouldn't beat on just apple here, though; it seems to be a broader trend for the worse.
by coldtea on 8/29/19, 8:46 AM
Since I use an external monitor, I don't use the MBPr keyboard, but an external Magic keyboard (Apple) which is excellent (even prefer it to several mechanical ones I have).
But the MBPr keyboard is crap by any measure...
Hopefully there are some rumors that the 2019 MBPr 16" model will change it. There's also a new patent about a different mechanism (with light based actuators) that looks nice if the feel is good.
https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/08/27/apple-may-not-use...
by dagw on 8/29/19, 12:32 PM
by breakingcustom on 8/29/19, 12:04 AM
by throwaway_391 on 8/28/19, 11:26 PM
If this is the case, do yourself a favor and go and buy two ergonomic screens, keyboards and mice - one for each location.
It'll save you becoming a hunched over laptop gremlin.
by dangoor on 8/29/19, 4:11 AM
It's really thin and doesn't bother me, but the key thing is that it keeps everything out of the keyboard. So far, my keys continue to all work just fine. It could be luck, but it could also be that no dust or anything is getting trapped in the butterfly switches.
I will give the disclaimer that much of the time I'm typing on a bluetooth keyboard, but I still get quite a bit of use out of the built-in keyboard as well.
by pier25 on 8/29/19, 3:18 AM
When the 2016 models were announced I bought a 2015 model. It had a great keyboard but I sold it because the 4th gen CPU ran too hot in my tropical climate and it was rather bulky.
I moved to a 5K iMac instead. Best computer I've ever owned. I still use an old 2014 13'' MBP on the rare occasions I'm not working from home, or when I'm on the couch (like right now).
Apple are not idiots and they will fix this at some point, but the Mac is about 10% of their revenue so they are in no hurry.
by buu700 on 8/28/19, 11:44 PM
I expect this to last me a decent handful of years; if Apple hasn't gotten their shit together by then, no matter how much I otherwise like their hardware, I'll have no choice but to pick something else and switch back to Linux.
by tuananh on 8/29/19, 8:09 AM
by IloveHN84 on 8/29/19, 5:07 AM
There are now 100 versions of this story and we know already how bad the product it is.
I believe that if you're going to buy a new MacBook Pro, then you are going to meet the same problem again and again. Sometimes Apple users are masochists in this way: keeping buying products from the same OEM like a religion.
Change manufacturer and see if it goes better.
by rednerrus on 8/28/19, 11:30 PM
by kdamica on 8/29/19, 1:35 AM
Windows also now includes a Linux subsystem that works great as far as I can tell (though I'm by no means a power user), so I don't feel as though I've sacrificed anything.
by infosecdude64 on 8/29/19, 10:45 AM
I was also always swapping out dongles for my monitors as it was 50/50 if the monitor would come back online.
I could go on and on, but the short of it is I went to our IT team and told them I wanted a Win10 machine. I was the first person, hopefully not the last, to turn in an Apple laptop for a windows, I became an instant legend.
TBH, I don't miss it at all. I've got WSL and can do everything I did on that MBP on this ThinkPad. It's nice to have plenty of ports without ugly dongles and a proper docking station.
IMO, Apple's lost it since Job's passing.
by qatanah on 8/29/19, 7:48 AM
I bought it when the new 2016 model came out. Glad that I didn't stick with the new trend. Definitely a fad.
by Havoc on 8/29/19, 11:34 AM
Their recent focus on additional privacy is welcome but not much use if the gear is underwhelming and overpriced.
by fit2rule on 8/29/19, 11:45 AM
I'm just waiting for enough people to have this happen to them, complain about it, and it becomes a class action situation .. like so many other failures of Apple quality management in the last decade. The last time this happened, Apple ended up replacing my whole system - because they'd misapplied thermal paste to their CPU's, on top of using poor quality GPU's from Nvidia ..
At some point, this is going to be a problem for Apple. At a Trillion-dollar market cap, I wonder how soon, however ..
by Medicalidiot on 8/28/19, 11:51 PM
by systemtest on 8/29/19, 9:32 AM
Too bad I can't take this laptop with me when I'm flying because it's on the no-fly list.
My options for Apple laptops are pretty much zero right now.
by 734129837261 on 8/29/19, 1:06 AM
The keyboard they replaced it with is significantly better. It feels softer to the touch, and it's quieter. The keys don't get stuck anymore and it generally feels like a proper nice keyboard.
That said. I rarely use the laptop in an opened-up state anyway. I tend to connect it to a screen + keyboard + mouse and enjoy the computer without that idiotic TouchBar.
Last I checked you can send your MBP back to Apple and they'll replace the faulty keyboard. I did it during a vacation, it only took them 1 week to send the fixed system back.
by mailopl on 8/29/19, 8:06 AM
By introducing Apple keyboard service program for MBPro2017 they acknowledged the keyboard is broken by design. I happened to spill a little bit of coffee on it, but MB did no care, it was working fine, up until the point I started losing keys because of the weak micro hinges they have on the keys and flawed design.
Apple said they cannot fix it because of the coffee drops they found, even though it's flawed by design. I paid 3000USD for a laptop with 2 USBC ports and a freakin useless keyboard. That's the reason I didn't buy an iPhone now, and won't be buying any new Apple hardware no more - EVER. One more out of the apple train.
by sendtopms1 on 8/29/19, 3:37 AM
by thetedhogan on 8/29/19, 6:12 AM
by ts4z on 8/29/19, 12:05 AM
(I also miss USB type A and MagSafe, but the keyboard was the deal breaker.)
by pianoben on 8/29/19, 12:19 AM
It takes a bit of getting used to, lacking function and arrow keys, but after a week or two I wouldn't trade it at all. It's a perfect match for how I use my laptop, which is 90% of the time at my desk.
Non-affiliate link: https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard-Backl...
by opcenter on 8/29/19, 12:30 AM
I picked up a bluetooth mechanical keyboard that I just carry around with me and don't use the laptop's actual keyboard at all.
by Kaotique on 8/29/19, 1:53 PM
The 2015 MacBook Pro is just superior and I am very hesitant to buy a new one. I just want this model with better specs.
by bromuro on 8/29/19, 1:57 AM
by gumby on 8/29/19, 1:43 AM
However the 2016 keyboard did have a failing space bar replaced twice and would have had a third (and a lemon law claim) had it not suffered an immersion first. Both times I was without my computer for 24 hours. The 2018 and 2019 experiences have been great.
So while I’m not thrilled on the reliability front I can’t say I’m too upset. And key travel was not an issue for me.
by ConfusedDog on 8/28/19, 11:37 PM
Overall, keyboard doesn't bother me that much after a couple of hours. I can type pretty fast in this thing. i5 duo core isn't that bad, either. I can multi-task quite well. So far I have zero regret.
by marktucker on 8/29/19, 9:32 AM
by whymsicalburito on 8/28/19, 11:36 PM
by pugworthy on 8/29/19, 4:26 AM
But then ask yourself why Apple doesn't offer different keyboard styles based on typing style.
by hajimemash on 8/29/19, 8:57 AM
1) Batteries have been swelling like pillows since 2010, affecting 2 of 3 of my MBPs. They said it's an anomaly, but the recent exploding batteries didn't surprise me at all since many people experience this swelling.
2) Double-pressing keys for 2018 MBP, as in this article
3) Keys fading quickly on 2018 MBP, killing the resale value of the laptops instantly. Good for Apple though, both me and others who would have bought my laptop have to go buy new ones
by donmb on 8/29/19, 11:44 AM
by thanatos_dem on 8/29/19, 1:07 AM
by mcv on 8/29/19, 6:19 AM
I'm mostly drawn to Thinkpad, though. They receive unending praise for their excellent keyboards. The only downside is that they don't seem to have a model that matches my exact needs (like a 17" screen but to GPU).
by tlobes on 8/29/19, 5:39 AM
Another issue that seems to be overlooked is the overly big force touchpad that, in combination with the awful keyboard, will not correctly reject my palms while I type, causing the cursor to move elsewhere, oftentimes causing unintended button clicks, premature email sends, page transitions, etc.
by wodenokoto on 8/29/19, 6:10 AM
The fragility of the thing cannot be defended, but the typing experience is quite good. It is very tactile: when it clicks it register. There’s no slowly pushing the key and then getting strokes registered before any tactile feedback, unlike mechanical keyboards. It’s low profile so you can rest your palms without excessively bending you wrists, which is better for your hands.
by meerita on 8/29/19, 9:51 AM
by imran3740 on 8/28/19, 11:38 PM
by aneil on 8/29/19, 5:10 PM
by bhauer on 8/29/19, 12:56 AM
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/27/20834766/microsoft-surfac...
by VerusLoo on 8/29/19, 3:37 PM
by kerng on 8/29/19, 2:22 PM
Its good, I also like the keyboard. The click sound is awesome and I like the thinness of the keys! Maybe I'm different, or maybe complainers are just very loud.
Personally, I still bought a Surface Laptop though, but I don't understand all the complaining and ranting about the MBP keyboard.
by kraig911 on 8/29/19, 4:42 AM
I'm sorry for Apple there was a time I'd laugh at people reading what I just wrote for myself. For all the bugginess that Windows OS is the hardware of these PC laptops have caught up. I can't justify it anymore if I can't type on the ting.
by danfo on 8/29/19, 8:48 AM
I wonder how long I will be able to continue without needless waste, just replacing the battery and clearing out the fans.
by spraak on 8/29/19, 12:03 AM
by HaNdTriX on 8/29/19, 1:50 PM
by psychometry on 8/28/19, 11:52 PM
by yoelo on 8/29/19, 7:31 AM
by vorpalhex on 8/29/19, 1:57 PM
by mbell on 8/29/19, 12:16 AM
by bluedino on 8/28/19, 11:55 PM
by stockkid on 8/29/19, 8:40 AM
In hindsight, I am happy with the decision thus far because I can accurately and swiftly type on my laptop keyboard without hurting my finger.
by Sir_Cmpwn on 8/29/19, 1:48 AM
There is something you can do about it: buy someone else's computer. How long has it been since you used anything else?
by arnonejoe on 8/29/19, 12:51 AM
by skocznymroczny on 8/29/19, 7:33 AM
by birdyrooster on 8/28/19, 11:56 PM
by JustSomeNobody on 8/29/19, 11:57 AM
I think this is a clear case of over engineering, not just "poor" engineering.
by cs02rm0 on 8/29/19, 8:44 AM
There's so much negative talk about them, I'm expecting it to have dissolved by the time I open it.
by chadthenderson on 8/29/19, 12:06 AM
I think, for me, it's that both have home keys that you can barely feel, so you never know where you are on the keyboard.
by S_A_P on 8/29/19, 11:39 AM
by amelius on 8/29/19, 10:13 AM
That's one problem with big companies: they start to behave like countries, with their indifferent governments. At that point even media attention will not help.
by foldr on 8/29/19, 10:07 AM
by rb666 on 8/29/19, 3:25 AM
by x2f10 on 8/29/19, 12:07 AM
I want to ditch the Macbook Air 2019 and move away from Apple. I hear Thinkpads mentioned a LOT, but when I research them online, I see talks about poor battery life, poor QA, etc.
Any insight?
by gnusty_gnurc on 8/29/19, 12:43 PM
by archarios on 8/28/19, 11:51 PM
by drcongo on 8/29/19, 1:52 PM
by giacomorebonato on 8/29/19, 7:49 AM
by keyle on 8/29/19, 12:20 AM
by mjcohen on 8/29/19, 11:19 PM
by gocard on 8/29/19, 12:09 AM
by fmajid on 8/29/19, 7:22 AM
The only thing that surprises me is there hasn't been a class-action lawsuit yet.
by jorisw on 8/29/19, 5:14 PM
by irrational on 8/29/19, 1:43 AM
by boomlinde on 8/30/19, 11:27 AM
by tomcam on 8/29/19, 11:37 AM
by calinet6 on 8/29/19, 1:03 AM
Yes, really.
This thing is a joke.
by whsheet on 8/29/19, 10:55 AM
by gawin on 8/29/19, 4:45 AM
I was so done with both the MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards that I bought a Lenovo Thinkpad T480s. Installed Hackintosh, running the latest macOS Mojave 10.14.5 without issues (only drawback is that the Touchpad on the MacBooks are better).
Finally I can type again.
by conqueso on 8/29/19, 5:42 AM
by rhabarba on 8/29/19, 12:19 AM
I never have a backpack that would be too small for one of those. (I don't carry my Model M around, of course.)
by wtdata on 8/29/19, 11:37 AM
by ulisesrmzroche on 8/28/19, 11:46 PM
Never even had a second thought about the keyboard and I code for real, as in, I get paid for it.
by mangix on 8/29/19, 6:16 AM
by bartread on 8/29/19, 10:56 AM
Holy shit, I know you're desperate but for the sake of your sanity DO NOT buy anything from the Microsoft Surface line.
I traded my Surface Book for a Dell XPS a couple of months back and, although the Dell is far from perfect, in day to day use it's about 10000x better than the Surface. Key point: it's a tool I can rely on.
Here are some examples of Surface issues that make it a very poor choice of tool as a "daily driver" machine:
- The keyboard is crap: differently crap to the Macbook Pro, but still crap (to be fair this isn't the XPS's best feature either, but it's still better), and I found myself having to correct an unusually large quantity of typos. Layout's a bit weird as well, although you do get used to that.
- The WiFi sucks: it just drops connectivity all the damn time, or refuses to reconnect, or doesn't recognise a network, or whatever. It gets boring. Yes, I've updated the firmware. Yes, I've updated the drivers.
- The battery drains fast whilst the computer is asleep. Like between 12 and 16 hours fast. This means if you don't have a full charge at the end of the day, and you forget to plug it in overnight, it's dead in the morning. My Macbook Pros can sleep for days and wake up; likewise the XPS - no problems with sleep.
- Sometimes, even when plugged in, it wouldn't charge - no idea why. Sometimes it would charge only one of the batteries (e.g., the one in the keyboard but not the one in the screen, or vice versa) - again, no idea why. Generally required a reboot to fix the latter. I got so tired of this machine letting me down because the battery was dead (for whatever reason).
- Battery life is nowhere near advertised levels. I forget what it's supposed to be: 11 hours, 13 hours, 16 hours? It doesn't matter. If you're doing any kind of serious work you'll be luck to get 3 - 4.
- Related to the above, the fans are always running and the thing runs really hot even in cool or temperate environments.
- Dumb power supply design with too-short cables (yes, you can buy generic replacements that are longer) and a fragile connector to the machine itself.
(If the above sounds really angry it's because that computer made me really angry on a regular basis. Without doubt the worst and least reliable machine I have ever owned, with the exception of two Sinclair Spectrums back in the 1980s. Do not buy one unless you're into more creative methods of self-flagellation.)
If I had to pick a machine now because, like you, I'm not going to buy another MBP[1] unless this keyboard fiasco is sorted out, it would probably be a mid-level to high end Lenovo. They seem pretty decent and offer plenty of options for customisation, depending on which range you pick.
[1] I'm still using a 2015 model, which is doing mostly fine, although one day it will need replacing.
by readhn on 8/29/19, 1:26 AM
by bdcravens on 8/29/19, 2:51 AM
by sudo-i on 8/29/19, 12:24 AM
by caconym_ on 8/29/19, 1:32 AM
edit: I do hate the touchbar.