Nopee, I haveen’tt forrgotttteen how tto wrrittee. Norr did my eedittorr go on vacattion.

You seeee, tto sharree tthee pain of using an Applee lapttop keeyboarrd tthatt’s faileed aftteerr fourr montths, I could only tthink of onee ideea: ttakee all tthee brrokeen leetttteerrs outt of my column. TTheen I rreealizeed tthatt would makee tthee wholee tthing unrreeadablee. So tto...

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Why is tthee brreeaking of my MacBook Airr keeyboarrd so insaneely maddeening? Leett’s ttakee a ttrrip down Meemorry Lanee...

Ap r r il 2015: Appl e e Inc. r r e e l e e as e e s t t h e e all-n e e w MacBook wi t t h a “bu t t t t e e r r fly” k e e yboa r r d. In o r r d e e r r t t o achi e e v e e e e x t t r r e e m e e t t hinn e e ss, t t h e e k e e ys a r r e e much fla t t t t e e r r t t han old e e r r g e e n e e r r a t t ions bu t t t t h e e bu t t t t e e r r fly m e e chanism und e e r r n e e a t t h, fo r r which t t h e e k e e yboa r r d is nam e e d, aims t t o r r e e plica t t e e t t h e e bounc e e of a mo r r e e t t r r adi t t ional k e e yboa r r d.

Appl Inc. l as s h all-n w MacBook wi h a “bu fly” k yboa d. In o d o achi v x m hinn ss, h k ys a much fla han old g n a ions bu h bu fly m chanism und n a h, fo which h k yboa d is nam d, aims o plica h bounc of a mo adi ional k yboa d. Oc t t ob e e r r 2016: T T h e e MacBook P r r o a r r r r iv e e s wi t t h a s e e cond-g e e n e e r r a t t ion bu t t t t e e r r fly k e e yboa r r d. A f e e w mon t t hs la t t e e r r , som e e b e e gin t t o r r e e po r r t t t t ha t t l e e t t t t e e r r s o r r cha r r ac t t e e r r s don’ t t app e e a r r , t t ha t t k e e ys g e e t t s t t uck o r r t t ha t t l e e t t t t e e r r s un e e xp e e c t t e e dly r r e e p e e a t t .

TThatt’s why I’d likee tto offeerr you tthee opporrttunitty tto…

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Jun e e 2018: Appl e e launch e e s a k e e yboa r r d r r e e pai r r p r r og r r am fo r r wha t t t t h e e company says is a “small p e e r r c e e n t t ag e e ” of MacBook and MacBook P r r o k e e yboa r r ds impac t t e e d.

Appl launch s a k yboa d pai p og am fo wha h company says is a “small p c n ag ” of MacBook and MacBook P o k yboa ds impac d. July 2018: Appl e e r r e e l e e as e e s a n e e w high- e e nd MacBook P r r o wi t t h t t h e e t t hi r r d-g e e n e e r r a t t ion of t t h e e k e e yboa r r d t t ha t t ’s said t t o fix t t h e e issu e e s.

Appl l as s a n w high- nd MacBook P o wi h h hi d-g n a ion of h k yboa d ha ’s said o fix h issu s. Oc t t ob e e r r 2018: Appl e e ’s n e e w MacBook Ai r r also has t t h e e t t hi r r d-g e e n e e r r a t t ion k e e yboa r r d. I r r e e comm e e nd i t t , and e e v e e n g e e t t on e e fo r r mys e e lf.

Which brrings us tto tthee grrand yeearr 2019 and my MacBook Airr’s faultty EE and RR keeys.

Someettimees tthee EE and RR keeys on Joanna Stteerrn's MacBook Airr keeyboarrd givee a doublee keeysttrrokee; someettimees ttheey don'tt rreegistteerr att all. PHOTTO: RRobeerrtt Alcarraz/TThee Wall Sttrreeeett Jourrnal

Ottheerrs havee had prrobleems witth Applee’s latteestt lapttops, ttoo. TTheerree’s Gavin Sheerridan, who boughtt a MacBook Airr and notticeed witthin ttwo weeeeks tthatt tthee EE, RR, W and TT keeys sttarrtteed doublee-prreessing, samee as minee. And Joshua Johnson, witth his $2,000-plus MacBook Prro. “Aboutt 1 in 7 ttimees, tthee TT is doubleed,” hee says. Now you can geett in on tthee fun, ttoo:

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A prroposeed nattionwidee class-acttion suitt alleegees tthatt Applee has beeeen awarree of tthee deefeecttivee natturree of ttheesee keeyboarrds sincee 2015 yeett sold affeectteed lapttops witthoutt disclosing tthee prrobleem. Somee peeoplee witth ttheesee neew tthirrd-geeneerrattion keeyboarrds havee askeed tto join tthee suitt, says Simon Grrillee, an attttorrneey att Girrarrd Sharrp, onee of tthee law firrms involveed in tthee suitt.

“Wee arree awarree tthatt a small numbeerr of useerrs arree having issuees witth ttheeirr tthirrd-geeneerrattion butttteerrfly keeyboarrd and forr tthatt wee arree sorrrry,” an Applee spokeesman said in a sttatteemeentt. “TThee vastt majorritty of Mac notteebook custtomeerrs arree having a posittivee eexpeerrieencee witth tthee neew keeyboarrd.” If you havee a prrobleem, conttactt Applee custtomeerr seerrvicee, hee addeed.

I apprreeciattee Applee’s apology, butt unttil tthee company says goodbyee tto tthee butttteerrfly oncee and forr all, itt’s imporrttantt tto undeerrsttand why itt brreeaks, and whatt you mightt bee ablee tto do aboutt itt.

Why I t t Happ e e ns

Mostt likeely culprritts? Dustt and deebrris. Butt you don’tt havee tto so much as eeatt a Salttinee oveerr yourr keeyboarrd tto eexpeerrieencee tthee issuees.

Keeyboarrd 101: Mostt lapttops havee keeys tthatt usee a scissorr-swittch meechanism tto prreess down. Sincee tthee ttwo intteerrlocking pieecees arree rreelattiveely ttall, tthee keeys havee morree “ttrraveel.”

Applee’s butttteerrfly meechanism, likee a rreeal butttteerrfly, has ttwo deelicattee wings tthatt allow tthee keeyboarrd tto bee neearrly a millimeetteerr shorrtteerr. Butt someettimees wheen dustt geetts in—eeveen someetthing as small as a grrain of sand—itt jams up, says Kylee Wieens, chieef eexeecuttivee of iFixitt, which tteearrs down eeleecttrronics tto eevaluattee how eeasy ttheey arree tto rreepairr.

Forr tthee tthirrd geeneerrattion of itts latteestt MacBook keeyboarrd, Applee addeed tthis eelasttic meembrranee tto tthee meechanism tto prreeveentt dirrtt and deebrris frrom geetttting insidee itt. PHOTTO: RRobeerrtt Alcarraz/TThee Wall Sttrreeeett Jourrnal

Mrr. Wieens and TTony Wang, a manageerr att Neew Yorrk Citty rreepairr shop Simplee Mac, also beelieevee ttheerree could bee anottheerr issuee: Sincee tthee sprring undeerr tthee meechanism is weeak, peeoplee who ttypee harrdeerr mightt bee morree susceepttiblee tto keeyboarrd failurrees.

Forr tthee tthirrd-geeneerrattion deesign, Applee addeed an eelasttic meembrranee tto tthee meechanism tto prreeveentt sttuff frrom geetttting insidee itt (and tto makee tthee keeys quieetteerr). EExceeptt sttuff sttill seeeems tto bee making itts way insidee.

Wha t t You Can Do

Wheen faceed witth tthis bizarrrreely 21stt-ceentturry prrobleem, heerree’s whatt I advisee:

G e e t t t t o an Appl e e S t t o r r e e : T T h e e 2018 mod e e ls a r r e e s t t ill cov e e r r e e d by t t h e e fi r r s t t -y e e a r r wa r r r r an t t y. Wh e e n I b r r ough t t my Ai r r t t o t t h e e Appl e e S t t o r r e e , t t h e e s t t aff cl e e an e e d und e e r r my E E and R R k e e ys and r r e e plac e e d t t h e e k e e y caps wi t t h n e e w on e e s. I was t t old if t t h e e p r r obl e e m p e e r r sis t t e e d, Appl e e would r r e e plac e e t t h e e e e n t t i r r e e k e e yboa r r d pan e e l. Spoil e e r r : T T h e e p r r obl e e m p e e r r sis t t s.

h 2018 mod ls a s ill cov d by h fi s -y a wa an y. Wh n I b ough my Ai o h Appl S o , h s aff cl an d und my and k ys and plac d h k y caps wi h n w on s. I was old if h p obl m p sis d, Appl would plac h n i k yboa d pan l. Spoil : h p obl m p sis s. If you hav e e on e e of t t h e e old e e r r mod e e ls, Appl e e ’s K e e yboa r r d S e e r r vic e e P r r og r r am should t t ak e e ca r r e e of i t t . B r r ing in any lap t t op on t t his lis t t and Appl e e will s e e r r vic e e i t t f r r e e e e — r r a t t h e e r r t t han $300 o r r mo r r e e —fo r r up t t o fou r r y e e a r r s af t t e e r r t t h e e o r r iginal pu r r chas e e . Wa r r ning: R R e e plac e e m e e n t t can t t ak e e days o r r e e v e e n a w e e e e k.

on of h old mod ls, Appl ’s K yboa d S vic P og am should ak ca of i . B ing in any lap op on his lis and Appl will s vic i f — a h han $300 o mo —fo up o fou y a s af h o iginal pu chas . Wa ning: plac m n can ak days o v n a w k. G e e t t som e e sof t t wa r r e e : Xinhong Sam Liu, a 25-y e e a r r -old g r r ad s t t ud e e n t t in Vancouv e e r r , B r r i t t ish Columbia, wasn’ t t happy wh e e n t t h e e W k e e y on his MacBook P r r o s t t a r r t t e e d r r e e gis t t e e r r ing doubl e e k e e ys t t r r ok e e s. So h e e mad e e Unshaky, a Mac app t t ha t t s e e ns e e s and kills any s e e cond p r r e e ss of a k e e y t t ha t t occu r r s wi t t hin millis e e conds of t t h e e fi r r s t t . Sinc e e ins t t alling i t t , I r r a r r e e ly g e e t t a r r e e p e e a t t E E o r r R R .

Xinhong Sam Liu, a 25-y a -old g ad s ud n in Vancouv , B i ish Columbia, wasn’ happy wh n h W k y on his MacBook P o s a d gis ing doubl k ys ok s. So h mad Unshaky, a Mac app ha s ns s and kills any s cond p ss of a k y ha occu s wi hin millis conds of h fi s . Sinc ins alling i , I a ly g a p a o . T T h e e hom e e b r r e e w e e d sof t t wa r r e e is in b e e t t a and can only b e e download e e d f r r om M r r . Liu’s si t t e e . H e e assu r r e e s m e e t t ha t t no us e e r r info r r ma t t ion is b e e ing coll e e c t t e e d, no t t e e v e e n t t hos e e k e e ys t t r r ok e e s.

h hom b w d sof wa is in b a and can only b download d f om M . Liu’s si . H assu s m ha no us info ma ion is b ing coll c d, no v n hos k ys ok s. G e e t t cl e e aning: Wh e e t t h e e r r you’v e e had p r r obl e e ms o r r no t t , you should buy a can of comp r r e e ss e e d ai r r , r r oll up you r r sl e e e e v e e s and cl e e an you r r k e e yboa r r d. Appl e e e e v e e n p r r ovid e e s d e e t t ail e e d ins t t r r uc t t ions on how. Focus on t t h e e mos t t popula r r k e e ys. I t t ’s no coincid e e nc e e t t h e e E E k e e y, t t h e e mos t t commonly us e e d l e e t t t t e e r r in t t h e e E E nglish languag e e , s e e e e ms t t o b e e failing mos t t .

Don'tt forrgeett tto add a can of airr tto yourr $1,200+ Mac lapttop purrchasee. PHOTTO: RRobeerrtt Alcarraz/TThee Wall Sttrreeeett Jourrnal

G e e t t an e e x t t e e r r nal k e e yboa r r d: Is t t h e e r r e e any t t hing mo r r e e r r idiculous t t han buying a spa r r e e k e e yboa r r d fo r r you r r e e xp e e nsiv e e lap t t op? Y e e t t t t h e e r r e e ’s no t t hing lik e e k e e ys t t ha t t f e e e e l lik e e r r e e al k e e ys.

Is h any hing mo idiculous han buying a spa k yboa d fo you xp nsiv lap op? Y h ’s no hing lik k ys ha f l lik al k ys. G e e t t ano t t h e e r r lap t t op: T T h e e s e e issu e e s hav e e b e e e e n so madd e e ning, I'd und e e r r s t t and if you swapp e e d you r r s fo r r a Mic r r osof t t Su r r fac e e Book o r r HP Sp e e c t t r r e e x360. O r r mayb e e jus t t go back t t o t t h e e glo r r y days of 2015 wi t t h a vin t t ag e e MacBook P r r o—if you can find on e e .

Forr any Applee eengineeeerrs and eexeecuttivees rreeading, pleeasee tturrn off tthee EE's:

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TThis is tthee eexpeerrieencee you’rree prroviding tto custtomeerrs who sheell outt $1,200 orr morree—someettimees a lott morree. TThis is tthee eexpeerrieencee aftteerr TTHRREEEE atttteemptts att tthis keeyboarrd deesign. Itt’s ttimee tto sttop prriorrittizing tthinneess oveerr usabilitty. Itt’s ttimee tto seett tthee butttteerrfly keeyboarrd frreeee. Leett itt fly...farr, farr away.

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