I use a late 2021 MacBook Pro, and it was crazy expensive because I upgraded everything when I ordered it, and it took a long time to get. It ended up costing more than twice the price of a comparable laptop, but I was going for future-proofing. Naturally, I want it to last more than two years. If I had to guess, I’ve written no less than two million words on this laptop since it was new, and I treat it with the utmost care.

Over time, the keyboard started wearing out, and some letters began to wear off, which is surprising considering they are molded in. The black wears off the white. The key response lost precision, and I had to double-strike keys periodically, which kept getting worse. I kept wondering if it was just me getting sloppy about my typing. Nope.

I was dreading the call to Apple because I couldn’t deal with a long turnaround. I’m just too busy, and I thought about buying a backup as I once had, but that machine is now too slow and old to keep current.

I live about three hours from the closest Apple Store. Ironically, there are about five stores all less than four hours from me. But still, even three hours is a long way to drive. I called support, explained the problem, and they offered two suggestions. There was a nearby authorized service center, but when I stopped in, they said it would be a week to ten days, which was unacceptable. They were not in any hurry, and I didn’t get that customer-centric vibe.

So, I called Apple back and said that wouldn’t work. They said I could go to a store, but that I’d be taking a bit of a risk because they still wouldn’t know the repair logistics until I had the inspection and keyboard tests completed. They set up an appointment for me in Kansas City the next morning, and I was up and out the door very early with the hope they could fix it on-site and I could wait for a new keyboard and be on my way. The drive was good thinking time as I did the whole thing in silence. I wasn’t up for chatter outside my own head, and the traffic between my house and Kansas City is almost non-existent.

I arrived at the Apple Store on time, and they quickly confirmed what I was experiencing and said it would have to be shipped to a repair center, but that they could get it back in my hands by the weekend, Sunday afternoon at the latest. This was Thursday. Given that I’d only be down one workday, and I still had my desktop machine, this seemed like the least painful route. The process reminded me a lot of scheduling surgery where you know it’s going to be disruptive, but you have no idea how disruptive, and you have to wedge it between other things.

I left my laptop in their hands and came home feeling very out of sorts without it. A laptop has been within reach of me since the early '90s at least 95% of the time. Even though sometimes I carried a PC, I’ve never been without a Mac. It is my connection to the outside world, and my desktop machine doesn’t come close, even though it’s a nice machine too. On foreign trips, I’d carry this tiny little laptop with nothing on it other than what I needed.

Apple sent me progress emails: that it shipped, that it arrived at a repair station, that it was repaired, and that it was on its way back to me. It was back in my hands on Saturday, having been routed through a repair center in Memphis. Not only did they replace the keyboard (top cover, as they call it), but they also replaced other things that I didn’t realize were worn out. It was like getting a new machine. The only way Apple could have impressed me more is if the repair was done on-site while I waited, but exactly 50 hours to get it back in my hands? That was not bad.

I was impressed, and I’m glad I pay for AppleCare. This would have been a very expensive repair otherwise. It cost me nothing except my EV travel cost to the store and home and those lost productivity hours. I’m a delighted customer.

The event set me back a bit as I realized just how dependent I am on a laptop. It does feel like my lifeline to the world, and I almost never stop working. I guard it carefully and never ever leave it in the car or anywhere it could possibly get stolen. While I always knew it was important, I had no idea how much I was crippled without it, and I have a fairly new iPad and the desktop right here, not to mention my phone. It was a little humbling. I still have older machines around that haven’t been updated, but this was a serious disruption for me, more so than I anticipated. A friend strongly suggested I always have a backup laptop at all times. I’m starting to think he’s right. I’m thrilled with Apple’s support, but I’m also rattled by this experience at the same time.