how Apple did me a good turn

["Sixhits"]

A non political post by me for once.

I own one of the those "recalled" iBooks from 2002 - the first 14", 700 G3s. Shitty little beast.

You know the ones. The ones Apple settled a class action lawsuit over.

Before the suit was settled I had had my motherboard replaced twice. Luckily I had Applecare, so the replacements were free. After the second replacement I was promised that if it ever had to go in for another motherboard I'd receive a replacement, rather than a repair.

After the settlement, roughly a month ago in fact, I had to send my machine in yet again, for a third new motherboard. I spent a few hours at the local Santa Monica Apple Store arguing why I should received a replacement rather than a repair, to no avail. This iBook had been terrorising me at work: like anyone who uses a computer in the office you end up needing all that data. The timing was particularly bad since we were about to go out with a project I'd been working on and I desperately needed the original files to work off. I ended up having to work off slightly outdated files. I spent two and half weeks waiting for the machine to be repaired.

All told, total time my iBook spent out of my hands in two years was 6-8 weeks.

I couldn't believe what happened when the iBook returned. It had another major problem, requiring it to go straight back to Apple.

And herein Apple does me a good turn. The Apple Store genius I was working with became genuinely pissed and wrote a scathing report in my case. He told me to call up Customer Care and insist on a replacement, and that if one was not issued, he'd take care of me.

The CC guy approved the replacement, much to my surprise. I waited with baited breath while he checked their stocks to see what machine he could send as a replacement. Apple's policy is to replace like for like, and I was understandably nervous he's send me another fucking '02 iBook.

The Gods smiled one me - they were out of '02 iBooks. They were backordered on early '03 machines. And so only the new G4 slot loading iBooks were available. (of course Apple just released new "new" iBooks, but I don't want to look a $2000 gift horse in the mouth).

It was one of the best things that happened this month. I got a free new iBook along with a partial refund on my Apple Care warrenty.

I tell yah, I was this close to pitching my iBook in the ocean and grabbing some home-built PC. Fuck, for 500 bucks I could be gaming Battlefield 1942 and beta testing World of Warcraft.

But Apple did right by me, in the end. So Apple customer I remain.

[alaric]

Same thing happened to my boss not to long ago. He had one of the '02 ibooks also. A 12" though.

Long story short, it had to keep getting sent in for repairs and eventually he contacted our regional apple rep who wrote a scathing letter as well.

In the end, he got a brand new ibook just like sixhits, but his deal was slightly sweeter, they upgraded him from the 12" to a 14".

[BTs_GhostSniper]

Wow, am I the only person in 20 years of using Macs exclusively that has NEVER had a problem with one?  I really havn't....from the 128k Mac my dad bought in 1984, to my new PowerMac G5.....I have never had so much as a clock battery go out on me.

Of course this may possibly have something to do with the fact that I buy a new Mac every 6 months to a year.  

["Sixhits"]

Wow, am I the only person in 20 years of using Macs exclusively that has NEVER had a problem with one?  I really havn't....from the 128k Mac my dad bought in 1984, to my new PowerMac G5.....I have never had so much as a clock battery go out on me.

Of course this may possibly have something to do with the fact that I buy a new Mac every 6 months to a year.  

I literally never had a problem until G4s came on the scene. Macs since '00 have been declining in quality. The bell curve has really hit a peak (I hope) for me this month: my girlfriends iBook has a bum case, my sister's Powerbook's power supply is funkys, my G4 desktop at home stopped starting last week, and my bosses Powerbook 17" doesn't go to sleep when you close it, and my old 20 gig iPod just stopped working. It's like God hates my athiest ass, or something.

[crypt]

G5 declining in quality? Are you sure of that? Or do you mean just the G4's?

["Sixhits"]

What G5?

[crypt]

Macs since '00 have been declining in quality

I just thought you meant G5's were declining in quality too.

[komisar]

I am faced with a a simmler problem but more generilized ive had mine in repair for a combine 3 months out of two years 700mhz g3 ibook 12inch, ive had 1 hard drive, 2 displays, 1 cd drive a power supply caught on fire and my case cracked, the quality seems to get shittier but have no fear, soon i will be buying a pb in september after break!

[BTs_Lee.Harvey]

Powerbook 17" doesn't go to sleep when you close it

Hell.. i wish there was a way (w/ out modding the powerbook) to make mine not to go to sleep when i close it.... There are so many times when im using the powerbook for things(such as dj soemtimes) that i either need to close the powerbook for some reason or accidently cloe it.. and it goes to sleep.. stopping the music (or whatever i was doing at the time)

[KGB]

Apple has just done the same for me  
I had some trouble with my Ipod 10G, that was still in warrenty.
The hold button got stuck, so it was locked for ever
I went to the apple store, but they redirected me to apple support belgium.
I use my ipod every day, so I was a bit worried that this would take weeks.
So I contacted apple support last week and told them of my problem.
Two days later a courier came by to pick up the pod.
Today the bell rang and lo and behold another courier stood in front of
me with a brand new shining Ipod.
thanks apple for that swift customer support

[*DAMN Elandrion]

Powerbook 17" doesn't go to sleep when you close it

Hell.. i wish there was a way (w/ out modding the powerbook) to make mine not to go to sleep when i close it.... There are so many times when im using the powerbook for things(such as dj soemtimes) that i either need to close the powerbook for some reason or accidently cloe it.. and it goes to sleep.. stopping the music (or whatever i was doing at the time)

well, there is a way to do it:
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20040307110350395&query=powerbook+sleep

but, i've not tried it myself.

Elandrion

["Sixhits"]

I am faced with a a simmler problem but more generilized ive had mine in repair for a combine 3 months out of two years 700mhz g3 ibook 12inch, ive had 1 hard drive, 2 displays, 1 cd drive a power supply caught on fire and my case cracked, the quality seems to get shittier but have no fear, soon i will be buying a pb in september after break!

Dude, you should receive a replacement. The total time and the number of repairs are both more than mine. Call up Apple the next time it has a problem and demand a replacement and cite past history.

[th.Sentinel]

Wow, am I the only person in 20 years of using Macs exclusively that has NEVER had a problem with one?  I really havn't....from the 128k Mac my dad bought in 1984, to my new PowerMac G5.....I have never had so much as a clock battery go out on me.

Of course this may possibly have something to do with the fact that I buy a new Mac every 6 months to a year.  

Well ghost you actually have to work on the Mac, not only game on it.  
Then mostly the bugs and crashes appear...

[BTs_GhostSniper]

Wow, am I the only person in 20 years of using Macs exclusively that has NEVER had a problem with one?  I really havn't....from the 128k Mac my dad bought in 1984, to my new PowerMac G5.....I have never had so much as a clock battery go out on me.

Of course this may possibly have something to do with the fact that I buy a new Mac every 6 months to a year.  

Well ghost you actually have to work on the Mac, not only game on it.  
Then mostly the bugs and crashes appear...

I have only played games on the Mac in the last couple of years.  I do all of my graphics work on the Mac (mostly advertising stuff from work that I can't stand to do on a PC).  Plus, I did all of my school work on a Mac....from grade school all the way through college.  Never had any problems with any of them.  But like I said, I buy a new Mac every 6 months to a year....not usually time enough for problems to develope.