Horrible MBP performance

[loco8]

So, I bought the 2017 13-inch MBP (3,1 GHz Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM, touchbar, etc.) about 2 months ago. And it's horrible. It just has problem after problem.

First, two weeks after buying it I noticed that there was a dead pixel in the screen. I spoke with Apple and they told me that it needs to be more than 1 dead pixel for them to repair the display. That's a pretty ****** customer service to begin with, considering I bought a brand new 2k $ laptop and two weeks after a dead pixel appears. Well, things don't end here. Two days ago the "enter" key of the keyboard got stuck, it doesn't function well, it's like it's glued or something. And the "enter" key is one I use constantly, so it's a pain in the ass. And other keys are starting to get stuck as well. I contacted again with the Customer Service and they told me to go to an Apple store which is an hour away from where I live. And then they'll tell me it's my fault or some **** like that. Niiiiiiice.

The overall performance is mediocre and poor, web browsing is not as smooth as I thought it would be, and other apps such as Spotify have a lot of lag. I can't even use Microsoft Word, I'm writing a document or something and suddenly the program closes and I lose the document. Today I've started writing an essay 5 times because apparently my MBP is not powerful enough to handle a stupid text document so Word gets stuck and closes itself 5 times in a row. It's insane how such an expensive machine can be so bad. My 500$ plastic Lenovo was x100 times better.

Also, the touchbar has a lot of lag too, and the configuration changes constantly. For example, when I first got it, if Spotify was playing in the background I'd see a round icon next to the permanent control strip, so if I touched it I'd see the the main controls. Some time ago it disappeard for no apparent reason. Now, sometimes appears, sometimes not. Why? I have absolutely no idea. Also, I think that the Touchbar is such a good idea and it could be really useful but is so poorly developed, only apple apps can have a customized set up. It would be nice if Google Chrome could have the same touchbar settings as Safari, also with Pages and Keynote with Word and Power Point. Anyway, this is another subject.

Has this happened to anyone else? I really though that the Apple Costumer Service was excellent but it turns out it's not. At all. And now I have to bring the laptop to an Apple store and probably I'll be without laptop for a month. Great.

 

[BrittWentz]

Assuming this is in the US, Do you have Apple Care? If not, i recommend you get it ASAP before dealing with customer service. I know it's even more money, but it's worth it in the long run. Most of the times they just replace the machine, no questions asked, from what i've heard.

 

[4ik]

Apple customer service IS excellent! take it to the the Genius Bar and speak to them face to face...if thats not an option for you call and ask to speak to a manager...don't take no for an answer

 

[chscag]

Agree with the previous post about Apple Customer Service. Instead of posting here about the problems, take the one hour drive to an Apple Store genius bar and get it repaired or replaced. You're not going to be without your MBP for a month. Chances are, they'll swap it for a new one right there in the store. Make an appointment first before you go. And be nice to them. A bad attitude when you go there will not bring about good results.

 

[loco8]

The thing is I'm not from the US. When I went to that Apple Authorized Distributor, besides keeping the laptop for a week, the only thing they did was take a pic of the dead pixel, they sent it to Apple and they told me that they couldn't repair it. I'll have to end up going to the main Apple Store and see what they can do... Even if they decide to replace the laptop, I'll have to wait a couple weeks because it has customized options . Anyway, thank you for your replies, I'll keep you updated!

 

[BrittWentz]

The thing is I'm not from the US. When I went to that Apple Authorized Distributor, besides keeping the laptop for a week, the only thing they did was take a pic of the dead pixel, they sent it to Apple and they told me that they couldn't repair it. I'll have to end up going to the main Apple Store and see what they can do... Even if they decide to replace the laptop, I'll have to wait a couple weeks because it has customized options . Anyway, thank you for your replies, I'll keep you updated!

Definitively head to the Apple Store, i'm sure they'll give you proper service. i've had a TERRIBLE experiences with Apple Authorized-anything, mostly they either try to sell you stuff or they just clueless about the products. I understand your situation as my nearest Apple store is over 6 hours away, but it'll save you having to deal with bad customer service.

Good luck!

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"And the "enter" key is one I use constantly, so it's a pain in the ass. And other keys are starting to get stuck as well. I contacted again with the Customer Service and they told me to go to an Apple store which is an hour away from where I live."

TAKE IT TO A GENUINE APPLE STORE. Even if it's some distance to get to.

They'll fix the key -- actually they'll replace the entire top case in which the keyboard is mounted.
This is a $700 repair, otherwise.

Think about that. Is it worth the trip to you?

 

[loco8]

After going 2 times to the real apple store which is a damn hour away by train I finally got it repaired. They changed the keyboard and touchbar and the screen too. They also fixed the software problems. Thankfully, as the macbook is still in warranty, I didn't have to pay the 800$ it would have costed me.

It's still shameful that this new generation of macbooks have so much problems compared to the previous generations. Today I found out the screen "chin" accidentally broke because when I closed the laptop there was a tiny piece of plastic. Obviously warranty doesn't cover this as it's considered "accidental damage". Here is a pic of the crack next to the plastic thing that caused it:

 

[csurfr]

You’re lucky that piece of plastic didn’t shatter your screen as it very well could have. I’m curious how you didn’t see it when you closed the MacBook. It’s massive.

 

[loco8]

You’re lucky that piece of plastic didn’t shatter your screen as it very well could have. I’m curious how you didn’t see it when you closed the MacBook. It’s massive.

I don't think the screen would've been shattered because there's the keyboard. Where the piece was it's hard surface. I'm still trying to figure out where that piece came from. I had never seen it before and it's really weird that I didn't see it when I closed the mb. Anyway, I'll still try contacting with apple and maybe I'll try to repair it myself.

 

[csurfr]

I don't think the screen would've been shattered because there's the keyboard. Where the piece was it's hard surface. I'm still trying to figure out where that piece came from. I had never seen it before and it's really weird that I didn't see it when I closed the mb. Anyway, I'll still try contacting with apple and maybe I'll try to repair it myself.

Right, I understand what you’re saying, but I think that shim goes over the glass, does it not? That’s what I meant by the screen. Not the LCD itself, but the glass. If it’s just that black plastic you can probably source that from somewhere on the web as it’s most likely held on with double sided adhesive.

Edit: I took a look at eBay, and screens are going for almost $600 US. That piece that’s broken on yours is attached to it.

 

[loco8]

Right, I understand what you’re saying, but I think that shim goes over the glass, does it not? That’s what I meant by the screen. Not the LCD itself, but the glass. If it’s just that black plastic you can probably source that from somewhere on the web as it’s most likely held on with double sided adhesive.

Edit: I took a look at eBay, and screens are going for almost $600 US. That piece that’s broken on yours is attached to it.

I thought the same but thankfully it's not and apparently it's quite easy to fix. They cost like 10-20$ on ebay/aliexpress and it's as easy as removing all the bezel using heat and tweezers and sticking the new one. I've done some research and it's a very common problem. Apple need to get their sh*t together. A +2000$ laptop can't be that fragile. My plastic 400$ lenovo is much more resistent.
This is a tutorial on how to fix it, if you're interested.

 

[csurfr]

I thought the same but thankfully it's not and apparently it's quite easy to fix. They cost like 10-20$ on ebay/aliexpress and it's as easy as removing all the bezel using heat and tweezers and sticking the new one. I've done some research and it's a very common problem. Apple need to get their sh*t together.
This is a tutorial on how to fix it, if you're interested.

I’ll give it a look. Thanks for sharing! I’m curious as to how yours turns out if you do it!