Should I sell my 2019 Macbook Air?
November 22, 2019 9:03 AM Subscribe
I picked up a 2019 Macbook Air earlier this year and I like it a lot. I even don't mind the keyboard. However, with all the stories of keyboard failures I'm wondering if I should sell it and get something else - an ipad pro 13" would probably work just as well for my purposes. I don't use the keyboard heavily but the stories of getting a single crumb in it and needing a repair have me spooked.
Response by poster: mce, I'm not considering any other macbooks. Basically just wondering if I should sell now while my MBA has value to get an ipad pro.
posted by mattholomew at 9:15 AM on November 22, 2019
posted by mattholomew at 9:15 AM on November 22, 2019
Apple is repairing keyboard issues on that model for free, so if I were you I wouldn't worry about it.
posted by Automocar at 9:17 AM on November 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Automocar at 9:17 AM on November 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
For what it's worth, I've had a MacBook Pro since 2017 with the same keyboard* and haven't had issues. It does seem like this model has more problems than most, but it's not a certainty that you'll develop one.
*Sort of. Your Air has, I think, the third revision of the butterfly keyboard, so it's also (supposedly) better than the one on mine and others that had the first wave of issues.
posted by brentajones at 9:28 AM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
*Sort of. Your Air has, I think, the third revision of the butterfly keyboard, so it's also (supposedly) better than the one on mine and others that had the first wave of issues.
posted by brentajones at 9:28 AM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Seems odd to get yourself rinsed on resale pricing when you don't have a problem with the hardware yet and say you like it a lot.
posted by mhoye at 10:04 AM on November 22, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 10:04 AM on November 22, 2019 [10 favorites]
The keyboard issues with the macbooks are genuine, but we have no idea what the actual failure rate is. It's high enough to make a splash from very annoyed customers, but you might never run into problems.
I've had 3 different macbooks from the bad-keyboard era (one personal, two work provided) and never had a problem with them, and I throw my laptop in my bag without a case, fly all over the world with it, eat near it, take it out in cafes, etc.
The 2019 macbook air has an added silicone membrane to keep dust out and I wouldn't be surprised if failure rates were much lower.
posted by dis_integration at 10:09 AM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
I've had 3 different macbooks from the bad-keyboard era (one personal, two work provided) and never had a problem with them, and I throw my laptop in my bag without a case, fly all over the world with it, eat near it, take it out in cafes, etc.
The 2019 macbook air has an added silicone membrane to keep dust out and I wouldn't be surprised if failure rates were much lower.
posted by dis_integration at 10:09 AM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
My air had the keyboard issues, but they disappeared over time. (It was at a time in my life where I couldn't even imagine life without a computer for three days).
posted by mumimor at 11:49 AM on November 22, 2019
posted by mumimor at 11:49 AM on November 22, 2019
I got a late 2016 era MacBook Pro and ended up having to get the entire chassis replaced within the first six months because the keyboard and the touch screen failed, but it's been fine since then and I have a very thin silicon skin on top of my keyboard to prevent anything from going through, including water. Been working like a charm since then.
posted by yueliang at 1:26 PM on November 22, 2019
posted by yueliang at 1:26 PM on November 22, 2019
I have a 2019 MacBook Pro 13". No keyboard issues, and this should be the same 3rd gen one you have. This is with random cat fur, carrying it to/from work on a daily basis, having lunch, etc. I do typically use an external keyboard at home - if I'm at my desk, I'd really much rather use my fancy mechanical keyswitch keyboard - but at all other times I'm using the built-in keyboard. I'm a software developer by trade, so lots of typing and lots of weird characters on top of that. There's always the keyboard replacement program and AppleCare+ (or other coverage options, though I tend to prefer AppleCare itself personally). To be honest, if it came down to just the keyboard, I'd probably have gone with the Air over the Pro, just to have a real Esc key (software developer issues). I think it's also important to keep in mind what specific kind of keyboard you're reading about - the first and second gen ones are much worse, and (in my view) there was a lot more necessary grousing about those generations than the most recent one.
posted by mrg at 3:47 PM on November 22, 2019
posted by mrg at 3:47 PM on November 22, 2019
Keep it. They have a pretty good repair policy on these keyboards, and you haven’t experienced any issues yourself. And you have 3rd gen butterfly keys with the membrane.
If you are truly concerned, buy the new 16 inch MacBook Pro for $2400, which has resolved all of the keyboard problems with the “magic keyboard.”
I just bought a 13 inch MacBook Pro a few months ago and recognize the same issues from the blogosphere, but also have not experienced them firsthand. I am confident that this problem will not exist 3-5 years from now, considering the retirement of Jony Ive. And the stopgap solution is ok too. ::shrug:: just a weird time in Apple computer history.
posted by oceanjesse at 6:06 PM on November 22, 2019
If you are truly concerned, buy the new 16 inch MacBook Pro for $2400, which has resolved all of the keyboard problems with the “magic keyboard.”
I just bought a 13 inch MacBook Pro a few months ago and recognize the same issues from the blogosphere, but also have not experienced them firsthand. I am confident that this problem will not exist 3-5 years from now, considering the retirement of Jony Ive. And the stopgap solution is ok too. ::shrug:: just a weird time in Apple computer history.
posted by oceanjesse at 6:06 PM on November 22, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mce at 9:12 AM on November 22, 2019