Applecare is so fun... VENT TIME

[keeleysam]

Can anyone beat this? My FOURTH Superdrive has just failed, it won't read any DVD-Rs (but it has no trouble burning them!)

Here's a list of things that have been replaced since July 2007 on my 2.2GHz MacBook Pro:

5 logic boards (one didn't even make it out of the store!)
4 superdrives (these new Hitachi ones aren't as reliable as the old ones)
4 full displays, gotta love those vertical lines!
3 batteries, first one couldn't run for 15 minutes with only 50 cycles, second one shorted out.
3 top cases due to half working trackpads or failing keys.
3 bottom cases, I'm not too happy when it comes back from repair dented to hell.
2 right fans, they get very rattly when run at 100% a lot.
5 hard drives:
-120GB original had bad sectors within a week
-replaced second with a 500GB hitachi when they came out, it was installed by an Apple tech
-When USB was fried on a logic board, they blamed my third party hard drive, threw it away, and replaced it with a new 120GB drive.
-Apple then had to buy me a new 500GB drive, and it's currently in there.

+who knows how many sticks of ram, when they took my 500GB drive, they also replaced 6GB with 2GB. It was also replaced when they bought me new RAM.

Apple offered me a new Unibody system a few months ago with the last superdrive and logic board failure, but I refused as I can't stand glossy screens.

I don't think Apple has made money on this computer, but FedEx sure has!

EDIT: Here's some pics, you know it's bad when FedEx delivers this!
http://www.keeleysam.com/stuff/macbookpro/IMG_1181.JPG

 

[Kaido]

Wow, when it rains it pours :Q

 

[TheStu]

How is it they haven't done a full replacement at this point?

 

[mchammer187]

don't the unibody ones have a matte option now?

My 17" has been pretty flawless since August 07 but I hardly ever move it and it is my secondary computer

 

[aphex]

Yikes! If you don't mind me asking, when you send the laptop out, does it go to Solectron in TN?

 

[Kmax82]

Yea .. that sucks. I would've taken the replacement though... sold it and bought something else.

 

[secretanchitman]

i had 3 superdrives in my 2.2Ghz mbp fail on me as well. why dont you just get the unibody (17" has a matte screen, but i dont know if you'd be willing to live with that size and spend the extra money) and sell it when the matte screen option *potentially* comes down to the 15".

i actually took the replacement myself. i would either have gotten a mbp with a future failing 8600GT with a matte screen, or live with a much nicer computer but have a glossy screen. i didnt want the guaranteed to fail mbp, so i chose the unibody. apple was like super nice and actually sent me back my old mbp, so now have 2!

you can pick up a $20 matte film to put on your 15". its what i did, and while its definitely no true matte screen and the image quality goes a bit down, its better than nothing.

hope all goes well!

 

[sourceninja]

Wow, that's a crazy list of problems. So far I've been lucky and not had a single hardware failure on my mbp. But it's got one of the 8600gt's so who knows what will happen down the road.

 

[aleckz]

That's pretty crazy, sorry to hear about your troubles :/.. like the others said, you should take a replacement then sell it and try to get something more to your preferences.

Good luck!

 

[Wonderful Pork]

My 2.16MHz 2006 MBP has had several Superdrive replacements also, along with 2 batteries, and the Logic Board & Fans (last week). I tried talking the Genius into just replacing it with a Unibody, but no luck. Thankfully I had AppleCare.

 

[keeleysam]

This new superdrive is working alright, but I fully expect it to stop working just when I need it in a few months. I rarely use it, but when I need it can't live without it.

Sure I could accept a new one and sell it to go back and buy another one, but that's really not worth the hassle at this point. If only there were a non ghetto 15" unibody screen. I've seen those matte layers to put on, but nothing beats a plain old matte screen. The TechRestore method is just too ghetto.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: keeleysam
This new superdrive is working alright, but I fully expect it to stop working just when I need it in a few months. I rarely use it, but when I need it can't live without it.

Sure I could accept a new one and sell it to go back and buy another one, but that's really not worth the hassle at this point. If only there were a non ghetto 15" unibody screen. I've seen those matte layers to put on, but nothing beats a plain old matte screen. The TechRestore method is just too ghetto.

I do but don't understand the matte display issue. I understand in that I can be quite picky about things, but don't understand in that I think that glossy displays are better than matte, and have seen too many reviews on either side of the issue to really question whether there is a true 'correct' choice.

All that aside, I think it would be cool if Apple, when they refresh the MacBook and MacBook Pro added in the non-removable battery (not truly non-removable as it is not soldered, and just needs to be unscrewed) for longer life, and add the matte option to the configurations. They can't offer 4 versions of every laptop (matte/glossy & removable/non-removable battery) so I think that compromising on the battery and letting people choose the screen would be reasonable.. I don't think that will actually happen however, doesn't seem quite Apple-like.

 

[keeleysam]

The problem with the glossy screen is that I use my computer outdoors a lot and in rooms with overhead lighting, and I've never had a worse headache that one from a glossy screen in that environment.

 

[Kmax82]

I believe, personally, that there are demons that live inside certain computer parts. It might be the Power converter from the battery to your motherboard.. it might be some small circuit that lives in the WiFi card. I dunno... but the point is, is that sometimes you have to replace the whole computer, and when you have as many problems as you've had, I think that's the only alternative. Yes, it'd be a hassle to sell it and buy another, but I feel it's more of a hassle to keep putting up with these replacements.. but that's just me.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Kmax82
I believe, personally, that there are demons that live inside certain computer parts. It might be the Power converter from the battery to your motherboard.. it might be some small circuit that lives in the WiFi card. I dunno... but the point is, is that sometimes you have to replace the whole computer, and when you have as many problems as you've had, I think that's the only alternative. Yes, it'd be a hassle to sell it and buy another, but I feel it's more of a hassle to keep putting up with these replacements.. but that's just me.

Thankfully I have had a relatively small demon in my laptop (maybe 2, but one got exorcised when I replaced my cooling fan) since my sleep light hasn't worked for years.

But I have certainly seen my share of weird gremlins in systems, and sometimes it really does seem like the easiest solution is replacement.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Kmax82
I believe, personally, that there are demons that live inside certain computer parts.

Going into my 8th year of hardcore computer nerdy, I can testify to the truth of this. Amen brother!

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

I would call Apple Support and tell them your situation. They will probably replace it.

 

[keeleysam]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
I would call Apple Support and tell them your situation. They will probably replace it.

Oh, it's been offered. I refuse because it's not worth the hassle to me. Too much of my stuff just won't work right with the unibody.

 

[mchammer187]

Originally posted by: keeleysam

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
I would call Apple Support and tell them your situation. They will probably replace it.

Oh, it's been offered. I refuse because it's not worth the hassle to me. Too much of my stuff just won't work right with the unibody.

what about getting a 17" matte and paying some sort of difference

AFAIK the 17" has everything that the old 15"/17" would including matte

 

[KeypoX]

So do you have to pay extra for the applecare for all that to be replaced? IF you didnt buy ityou would just be out of luck?

 

[Kmax82]

Originally posted by: KeypoX
So do you have to pay extra for the applecare for all that to be replaced? IF you didnt buy ityou would just be out of luck?

Yes, you would. If it's within the first year, all of that would be covered, but Apple doesn't have complimentary warranty after the first year. You have to pay for AppleCare.

 

[Parasitic]

Originally posted by: mchammer187

Originally posted by: keeleysam

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
I would call Apple Support and tell them your situation. They will probably replace it.

Oh, it's been offered. I refuse because it's not worth the hassle to me. Too much of my stuff just won't work right with the unibody.

what about getting a 17" matte and paying some sort of difference

AFAIK the 17" has everything that the old 15"/17" would including matte

I'm guessing that at this stage of needing repairs, AppleCare may simply bend over and offer him a 17" matte if he did ask for it.

That's the problem with laptop repairs...when you start tinkering with it something else is bound to fail.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

wait i thought apple products never break. they "just work"? guess NOT

 

[keeleysam]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
wait i thought apple products never break. they "just work"? guess NOT

That's the software end.

 

[umrigar]

don't be stupid - Apple computers can break/fail just like Dell, Asus, Toshiba, etc. computers.

nobody EVER claimed Apple's computers never break. EVER.