Mark Ruttle

Q: Dead spot on space bar

I am wondering if any one else has noticed a dead spot on the bottom right corner of the space bar on the macbook air. I can fully depress the space bar repeatedly where my thumb likes to hover over it, and the cursor does not move. Admittedly it is a very small dead spot, but since I write all day long, it is becoming increasingly annoying. Is this just something I am going to have to live with?

Macbook Air, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Mar 11, 2011 9:05 AM

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Q: Dead spot on space bar

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  • by keeprunning,

    keeprunning keeprunning Aug 14, 2011 8:29 PM in response to Mark Ruttle
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    Aug 14, 2011 8:29 PM in response to Mark Ruttle

    yup, having this exact same problem. brand new 13" mba.

  • by Sky Surfer,

    Sky Surfer Sky Surfer Aug 15, 2011 3:04 AM in response to keeprunning
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    Aug 15, 2011 3:04 AM in response to keeprunning

    Genius bar is going to replace the keyboard under warranty (supposedly a one-day turnaround), I'll report if it actually fixes the issue.

  • by Sky Surfer,

    Sky Surfer Sky Surfer Aug 17, 2011 7:22 AM in response to Sky Surfer
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    Aug 17, 2011 7:22 AM in response to Sky Surfer

    Confirming the issue was resolved by replacing the keyboard on my new MBA. I also tested the keyboards on the MBA they had in the store, and those didn't have the issue.

     

    The Genius Bar rep mentioned they generally have the part in stock if you're in a US location. I happened not to be, so took 2 days instead of 1. The feel of this keyboard is different than the one I had before, keys are harder to press down, but at least it works

  • by A. Golden,

    A. Golden A. Golden Aug 22, 2011 4:36 AM in response to keeprunning
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    Aug 22, 2011 4:36 AM in response to keeprunning

    Same here, and I didn't realize exactly where the spot was until I read the replies to this post. Now it turns out I can reproduce the problem at will. The only question is, can I figure out how to KEEP it from happening! Drives me a little nuts.

  • by agonline,

    agonline agonline Aug 27, 2011 3:14 PM in response to Mark Ruttle
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    Aug 27, 2011 3:14 PM in response to Mark Ruttle

    Same here. This is making me crazy! im coding with this machine and its making it usless!

     

    happend twice while typing this short comment... erggg.

     

    Apple, you guys need to call these units in for a fix or something...

  • by Alexander from New Zealand,

    Alexander from New Zealand Alexander from New Zealand Aug 30, 2011 2:51 AM in response to Sky Surfer
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    Aug 30, 2011 2:51 AM in response to Sky Surfer

    Sadly, my new MacBook AIr i5 13 inch 256 SSD has this problem,  A Dead zone on the space bar at the lower right of the space bar.  VeryAnnoying!

  • by Wout Mertens,

    Wout Mertens Wout Mertens Sep 2, 2011 12:49 AM in response to Mark Ruttle
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    Sep 2, 2011 12:49 AM in response to Mark Ruttle

    Yup, same here, brand new MBA 13" 256GB. Sigh. I'm coping by learning to place my thumb higher...

  • by Alexander from New Zealand,

    Alexander from New Zealand Alexander from New Zealand Sep 4, 2011 11:22 PM in response to Mark Ruttle
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    Sep 4, 2011 11:22 PM in response to Mark Ruttle

    Pleased to say Apple repair agent has taken away MacBook for a new keyboard as part of warranty.

  • by jaychiu,

    jaychiu jaychiu Sep 12, 2011 2:32 PM in response to jaychiu
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    Sep 12, 2011 2:32 PM in response to jaychiu

    Updating my own comment about the space bar dead spot -- like others who have posted, I brought my new MBA in to the Apple Store in Richmond, BC and a full keyboard is being ordered in and installed under warranty this week.  My space bar definitely had a different feel than the MBAs in the store with properly functioning space bars.  Mine feels like either a part is missing underneath the key.  There's tactile feedback for my space bar is much more faint (for lack of a better way to describe it) when I press the bottom right corner of the bar.

  • by bionicrocky,

    bionicrocky bionicrocky Nov 8, 2011 10:39 AM in response to Mark Ruttle
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    Nov 8, 2011 10:39 AM in response to Mark Ruttle

    I am having this same issue.  Did the replacement keyboard fix it?  It's making the machine almost unusable.  Down from 80+wpm to about 25....

  • by A. Golden,

    A. Golden A. Golden Nov 8, 2011 11:18 AM in response to bionicrocky
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    Nov 8, 2011 11:18 AM in response to bionicrocky

    I took my MacBook Air to the computer store, and they couldn't replicate the problem. The technician said sometimes it's just a crumb that gets caught under a key, and maybe I'd joggled it loose on my walk there. Strangely, the problem really has been gone ever since! So I recommend turning the computer upside down and tapping it a few times, and shaking it around. (Just be careful not to drop it!)

     

    I'll be curious if that helps.

  • by sumocomputers,

    sumocomputers sumocomputers Dec 1, 2011 8:04 PM in response to Mark Ruttle
    Level 1 (80 points)
    Dec 1, 2011 8:04 PM in response to Mark Ruttle

    Had the same problem with my 13" MacBook Air (preordered new, and arrived end of July, so one of the first off the line).

     

    Finally got around to taking it in today to the Genius Bar, and they replaced the whole top assembly with new keyboard, and I am sad to report the problem didnt really go away, though it is better.  They had the part in stock, so I got it back in less than 24 hours.

     

    It seems that in real world typing, it is better;  I dont see as many faults as before.  But you can still tap the lower right or left corners and they will be unresponsive.

     

    So in a nutshell, the dead zone is now smaller, but not totally fixed.

     

    The Genius didnt need much convincing, but I asked if there was any known issue like this, and he said he had not heard of anything official or unofficial, so YMMV.

  • by masterbrew,

    masterbrew masterbrew Dec 5, 2011 6:29 PM in response to Mark Ruttle
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    Dec 5, 2011 6:29 PM in response to Mark Ruttle

    I am experiencing the same issue on a late 2011 Macbook Air 13".

     

    It is quite an issue in fact, because the bottom right spot is where I naturally position my thumb while typing.

  • by sumocomputers,

    sumocomputers sumocomputers Dec 5, 2011 6:32 PM in response to masterbrew
    Level 1 (80 points)
    Dec 5, 2011 6:32 PM in response to masterbrew

    I would say take it in, and be prepared to demo the issue.

     

    I believe the repair will make things better, though not completely solved.

  • by masterbrew,

    masterbrew masterbrew Dec 5, 2011 6:54 PM in response to sumocomputers
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    Dec 5, 2011 6:54 PM in response to sumocomputers

    It is hard to demo a random issue, though. What failure rate will the store deem worthy of repair.

     

    Doesn't help that the only place to go in Denmark are third-party premium resellers, which provide atrocious customer support compared to the real Apple stores in other countries.

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