Hey Ozbargain,
Any owners of the 2018 MacBook Pro here?
My early 2011 MacBook Pro is struggling with graphics heavy applications and webpages so i'm keen to upgrade soon but the whole "Flexgate" and keyboard issues with these models is makes me hesitant. More specifically the 13 inch model with the touchbar.
Keen to hear your thoughts, opinions, regrets about these models?
Thanks
Have the 15 inch mbp 2018. I have no complaints, everything has been perfect so far, running windows with bootcamp as well.
Only thing that is slightly annoying for me is that any button powers the laptop up, making it a bit awkward to clean.
I have the 13 inch MacBook Pro 2018. It is perfect so far.
The "flexgate" shouldn't apply to the 2018 MacBook Pros, because the flex cable is slightly longer than the 2016 version. ifixit made an update on this
https://ifixit.org/blog/13979/apples-2018-macbook-pros-attem…
The keyboard may be a problematic for different people - I personally like the butterfly switches, but other people really hate it. The design problem is that dust might get in and get stuck under the keyboards, but in the 2018 models, they have included a membrane to help remedy this. In the case that it fails, you can go to your local apple store and negotiate a free replacement. The 2016 & 2017 models have that program.
Overall, I think the 2018 mbp shouldn't have that many issues. Its a solid choice. You can wait until the new 2019 ones come out in a few months with a drastic redesign to address the shortcomings in this current design, but there is no guarantee that they might not introduce new problems in the process… better to wait a "generation" after the redesign.
Did you buy the AppleCare warranty with your MacBook Pro? I liked the keyboard when I tried it for 30 seconds in store to be honest.
I don’t think is necessary unless you want coverage for accidental damage as Apple is already giving 3 years cover for MacBook under Australia Consumer Law.
Didn't get AppleCare warranty, kind of regret it. It really depends on how you are going to use it I guess. The thing with MacBook Pros is that they are expensive to repair, with a repair that can cost more than half the price. iHello does have a point though, you don't really need to get it for technical failures. The only issue is that its a laptop, and things happen even if its not your fault…
Have the new 13 - 2018 touch bar. Used mainly for photography and graphic design business. Also have a 2011 13 as well. New keyboard, you get used to it. The old keyb def was better, but it works well.
So much more processing power… Great new screen for what we use it for. Just stupid expensive..
PS no Apple care….Apple really don't care
Did you get any upgrades?
I have the 2018 15in MBP. I like the keyboard, but find the touchbar more annoying than useful to be honest. Touch ID works flawlessly though.
I have a 15". Keyboard is fine, no issues and I've come to rather like the feel of it, though I don't type novels on it. Touchbar is interesting, but nothing revolutionary. Screen is good, no "gate" issues.
Overall though I feel like it's a bit delicate for how much it cost. I'm sure it's fine but I do get the feeling one wrong move and something will break on it.
Having said all that, there's rumours (always) that they'll finally bring an all new updated design this year .. maybe try and wait to see what they do in September/October. Although they do seem to be in a period of design drought. New iMacs and iPads just came out with 5-7 year old designs so who knows.
Must it be an Apple?
(Incoming)
I have an iPhone and iPad as well and I did change to android at one stage but had issues with messages not being sent or received which is very important for my work.
I find the synergy between the devices to be a useful feature for me.
So I’m currently sucked into the ecosystem at this stage.
I’m not a power user so I do enjoy the simplicity’s of the Mac OS.
Edited for autocorrect
Btw anyone experiencing a popping/cracking/tick sound when clicking on different points of the video progress bar. I was trying to skip part of the video on a YouTube video then I realise the sound.
Blown speakers are also a common issue in these machines. I originally thought it had been fixed through a software update back in 2016 but I still see similar reports.
Had mine quite recently! Took it in to Apple Store yesterday, was confirmed is a fault. They could repair it but they felt is unfair for me since is fairly new set so advised me take it to place of purchase for an exchange. Reseller told me they are fine to do an exchange except they ran out of the colour I had. So they replaced me with the other colour.
I’ve got a 2016 model. Had the keyboard replaced twice, I’m currently putting up dead feeling keys because I can’t be bothered to wait in queue again.
I originally loved the feeling of the shallow keys but now they really grate on me. I also loved the touchbar concept, but in reality never use it, it’s just not natural to have to look down at what you what to press, not to mention half the options presented have shortcut keys anyway.
I believe the 2018 model is slightly better, but there was a recent twitter poll and people still seem to be experiencing issues.
How long did you have to wait to get it replaced? Was it repaired or replaced? Did you have to pay? Thanks
The first time I was without the machine for a week. The second time they did it there and then, I suspect this time they didn't actually replace the whole keyboard but just cleaned and replaced a number of keys though. Both times were free as it's now recognised as a fault and apple have a replacement program in place, I'm not sure if this is the case for the 2018 model though. Getting a convenient appointment can be a pain though and you usually end up waiting for a hour or so and then 20-30 mins whilst they diagnose the issue.
If you buy an Apple product, it’s important to realise you’re not paying for the raw hardware. You’re paying for the proper engineering (and a bit for the name, of course).
It’s best to compare this with a typical supermarket computer. They will offer better raw specs than a Macbook Pro, but they will usually have one or more of the following issues very soon:
A good computer is more than some random hardware thrown together. That’s exactly where a Macbook Pro comes in; it works and it keeps vidmate working. It doesn’t heat up, the keys are not coming loose, the touchpad is still where it belongs, and it’s still going strong. If I cleaned mine a little, you’d think it comes right out of the store, even though I’ve had it since 2009.
They only things I’ve done in those years is replace the HDD with an SSD and replace the 4GB of RAM with 8GB of RAM (extremely easy to do this yourself, by the way). That cost me about 200 euros in parts. Taken all together, I paid about €250/year for a decent, reliable computer so far. That seems fair to me.
For someone who uses their computer professionally, it is most definitely worth the investment. It’s a relatively small investment to make compared to the hassle that you have with traditional laptops. On top of that, you get all the perks of UNIX with a very nice and clean UI. So yes, a Macbook Pro is worth investing in.
Interesting to know that you can replace HDD with a SSD and upgrade RAM yourself. Mind sharing where you get instructions on how to do it?
I did this for my 2013 MacBook Pro 13” and the graphics memory is a bit of bottleneck for me now. 2011 i5 with SSD is much better than my partners 2012 i7 MacBook Pro with a mechanical hard drive.
SSDs are cheaper now than when I did it so I could be worthwhile but at the same time you may run into graphics memory issues with older models. 384Mb of memory is lacking these days.
I have a 15” 2018 MBP
No issues with keyboard even in my super dusty room.
At first I found the keyboard annoying with short key presets but used to it now. I’m not a fan of the Touch Bar. I much prefer buttons but Touch ID is useful for quick logins.
I do find this laptop isn’t as thermally good as others. You can notice heat more and the fans ramping up. Idk why they couldn’t make it slightly thicker and have better cooling.
I beleive these still have the problematic butterfly keys