MacBook Pro keyboard - skipping letters

Your not alone. Do a search on "ELP" on you will get hundreds of posts. I for one will NOT be buying a MBP until this is resolved. If it takes too long I'll look elsewhere. Fix this already!!!

Check your software update - AAPL has just posted a keyboard firmware update that is supposed to fix this problem.

I also have the brand new just released MBP 15 and I have the exact same problem as the orignal poster. This is not the same problem as the ELP issue. After doing some investigations I've realized that it's because the keys don't type consistently if you don't press them firmly right in the middle. I touch type quickly, and have short fingers so I often hit keys on the edges or corners and this is when I mistype. Some keys are worse than others. See my thread for more info:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1428132&tstart=0

I was having this problem a few months ago - just the first letter typed after a pause. Then it seemed fine after an update. But, over the last week or two it seems to be like schaferpho's experience - seemingly random skips.

i'm having the exact same problem and it's driving me crazy!!! i owned a 12inch powerbook for years and loved it... upgraded to MBP a couple months ago, now i long for my PB.... not only do the keys not register unless you hit them in the middle, but i can't stand the clunky feel of them... i did a side-by-side comparison with my old powerbook, and there's no comparison.. the PB is so smooth and registers every time!... with the MBP, i have to always go back and find the keys that don't register.

my understanding is that this isn't a problem with good typists, since they consistently hit the middle of the keys... but since i type with 2 fingers, i sometimes hit the corners of the keys.

ugh!!!!... i love mac and am getting really annoyed that they won't address this problem... it's 100% a hardware issue.. i'm guessing it has to do with the backlit keyboard.

Please Steve!... don't let me down!

Just had my keyboard replaced. Worse than ever now. The keys do not register!!! Anyone have a remedy?

I am ging to type this and leave the missing keys as is so forgive the typos. I called tech support and they sai i shuld go to the local apple store. I did and demonstrated the problem using the "e" key. They said they would replace the keyboard again. I was reluctant but agreed.Within an hour I had another new keyboard and when I tried it out in front of the "genius" it seemed to work fine. The "e" key no longer skipped. Not sure what exactly they did but maybe they focusseson the one key. I am going to use it for a few days to see how bad it is and then maybe insist on a new one. The leter E works good now but whatever they did to that they should do for the rest of the keys.

Having has the same problem myself (which by the way also exists using Windows XP in Bootcamp), the only conclusion can be that it's a design fault with the keyboard - I've applied countless firmware updates (there seems to be a new one every month these days) to no avail. As mentioned by others, this is not the same as the 'missed first press' problem which was addressed in firmware. It's poor hardware design (as mentioned already by others, try pressing any key on its corner - then try the same thing on any decent PC keyboard and notice the difference) It sounds like a minor problem but it's intensely annoying - particularly when entering passwords.

I find it bizarre that Apple prides itself on paying such amazing attention to detail in 95% of each product, but then overlooks the other 5% such as the rubbish keyboard here. This also happens with their other products - eg on my old iBook, the keyboard would flex upwards and touch the screen when closed which would leave an imprint on the screen. That felt like a cheap flimsy keyboard too...

I love apple, but if they keep dropping balls like this, no amount of pulsating sleep lights, backlit keyboards, magnetic power connectors or ambient light sensors will make me buy them again...

yeah, sometimes i hate apple for stuff like this. they pride themselves on being a high end computer manufacturer but their products are not up to par. they add all this fancy schmancy stuff but simple things that we take for granted like waking the computer up from sleep, or having a keyboard that works, or a trackpad that doesn't skip, they don't care about. but this computer design is around 5 years old already and it seems like just recently, apple is getting pushed into the limelight and their products are getting updated across their product line. i would give them another chance to see what happens

I have had this problem for months with my Macbook and I finally took it in to the Genius Bar. The gentleman there couldn't duplicate the problem, but I didn't let it go (been typing for 20 years without this issue) and he had the keyboard replaced for me. It's great now - the feel of the keys is entirely different from the first keyboard that came with the computer. Much easier to type with and it doesn't skip. I was surprised to hear that those I spoke with at the Mac store didn't know anything about this complaint.

Did they replace the keyboard while you waited in the store? I am having trouble getting the 'genius' to acknowledge my issue since when they tap the letters hard there is no problem. I am thinking about just coughing up the 40 bucks and purchasing a new keyboard on ebay and installing it myself. This is such a joke!

I went ahead and ordered the replacement keyboard on ebay (shipped for 36 bux). Easier than dealing with Apple support.