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cknight

August 11, 2009 11:53 PM

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The Apple Care warranty is worth buying. Especially for laptops. I've had four Apple laptops, and every single one of them has had Apple Care. Every single one of them needed repairs, after the one year warranty, that would have cost more than the Apple Care itself.

That said, the Apple Store is the LAST place you want to go to get warranty repair. Apple loses money each time they do a repair, and it shows in the way their 'Geniuses' treat users bringing in broken hardware. You should not need to make an appointment. You should not need to convince someone your hardware is broken. You should not need to pay an extra $99 a year for 'Pro Care' so that you can drop off your computer without an appointment, like you can at any decent repair facility.

So, what should you do? Use the Authorized Service locater tool on the Apple Support page to find the nearest Apple Authorized Repair partner in your area. The difference, for an experienced end user, is amazing. Apple Authorized repair partners get paid for every repair they perform, so their attitude towards the customer is entirely different.

There is one near me in Oakland CA, who I won't name because I don't know the etiquette here. I've taken two laptops to them for repairs, and the last time they actually called me to apologize that the repair was going to take three days rather than their regular two. I've never had that kind of service directly from Apple.

9 replies

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AreYouConfusedYet?HowAboutNow?

August 12, 2009 4:52 PM

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@cknight: I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Making an appointment takes SECONDS and you can do it in store or at home. It's not that big of a deal and makes waiting far shorter because nobody can claim to be before you.

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August 12, 2009 4:19 PM

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@cknight: The Apple Care warranty is worth buying. Especially for laptops. I've had four Apple laptops, and every single one of them has had Apple Care. Every single one of them needed repairs, after the one year warranty, that would have cost more than the Apple Care itself.

Oh yeah, it's not saying anything that the last 4 Apples you've had needed repair after the first year.

My last 4 PC clone laptops have required little to zero work, and hey, upgrading my hard drive doesn't require torc screw drivers and an engineering degree.

Apple customers are such sheep, but that's why I like them, they'll buy anything.

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tvmitch

August 12, 2009 12:53 PM

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@cknight: My local non-Apple-store shop in my town is the most godforsaken place to get an Apple repair done. Things like forgetting to reconnect sound cables, fascia parts cracking while in their care, etc.

We recently got an Apple store opened in our local mall, which has been fantastic. I've taken my MacBooks to them twice and had the repairs done in under an hour each time. The wait time at the local store would have been one week or more.

Definitely depends on the genius level of your Geniuses.

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August 12, 2009 3:48 AM

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@cknight: Your case (or my case) may be different, but I've always had fantastic service with the Geniuses- I set up my appt (yeah, that's a drag, but it's usually available next day), head into the store, am greeted immediately, wait for my apt, someone comes over and gets me (they remembered who I was, despite the store being full and me not being near the Bar), the Genius runs a test or two, takes the MBP, tells me it'll be two or three days, and I typically get a call the next morning telling me it is ready. The last time I dropped my MBP off, it was fixed within an hour, while I was still at the shopping center.

This was the U Village in Seattle.

All around, I've always had a pleasant experience (even though if something goes wrong again, this'll be #4 and I'll ask for a replacement)- The people on the phone answer immediately, speak English as their first language, know their product, and most of all, seem to care. My nastiest experience was my logic board going out (it had a bum Nvidia chip) and I was out of commission for about a week (mostly due to me having to wait to head to an Apple Store).

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lihtox

August 12, 2009 12:59 AM

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@cknight: I think, like anything, it depends on the specific store. I had a local guy in Boston who did repairs in house, and he was great-- never a problem. The place I went to in Dallas, on the other hand, would only do single repairs in house; if you had more than one issue, it had to be shipped to Apple. And oh, that chipping along the side of your MacBook? That's not covered, and in fact you have to spend $80 for us to fix it beforehand or else it will count as \"abuse\" and Apple will void your warranty. (Note that (a) we're talking about a thin non-structural piece of plastic here, and (b) chipping on the *front* of MacBooks is a well-known, covered problem.)

When I take my computer to an Apple Store, I expect them to ship it out for repair (unless it's trivial like replacing a power supply, which they've done for me under warranty a couple times). Taking that into account, I've never had a problem with Apple Store employees.

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zachcoss

August 12, 2009 9:19 PM

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that's odd...when I had the white Macbook, I was having a lot of trouble with the chipping towards the front of the palm rest area. Apple fixed it twice without question or charges, though.

All in all I've had great experience with AppleCare for all of my previous iPods, and for my white MacBook. After selling that notebook though, and buying the newest version, I was thinking about skimping on the AppleCare...not after reading this article though. It's definitely going to be my next purchase.

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nagumi

August 12, 2009 12:13 AM

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@cknight: Heh. I think my uncle works at the center you go to ;)

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August 12, 2009 12:59 AM

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@cknight: I've done pretty good with the Genius Bar at Las Vegas, Town Square. I had an issue with my previous laptop where the keyboard, after 3 months of use, started to randomly ignore key events -- it would fail to register that a key went down, or more annoyingly, that a key went back up. They replaced the keyboard, the motherboard, and finally when that didn't work, I boxed it all back up in its original packaging and brought it back in, let the guy check it out and see the problem was still there, and then asked if I could just get a new laptop. 5 minutes later, I walked out with a brand new laptop, even though I originally bought the laptop at Amazon.

Pretty much immediately thereafter, I discovered that the new laptops were coming out, and I (pressing my luck) went back in and asked if I qualified to swap. I would have completely understood if they said \"no,\" and honestly, I probably would have if I were in their position. Not only did they NOT say no, but they told me that they would essentially process it like a brand new purchase, and I'd qualify for a promotional printer toss-in.

So, for my month-long keyboard trouble, I got a free upgrade and a free printer. Apple costs a pretty penny, but for my money, I've always been able to get prompt attention, from people willing to accept that I know what I'm talking about with my machine and not waste my time running me through stuff I already did at home, and speedy turnaround time. I've sent in Apple products a few times, and they've ALWAYS had a box with a pre-paid shipping label on my doorstep the next morning, turned the product around the day they got it, and had it on my doorstep again the next morning.

By comparison, I had a problem with a Sony where the screen randomly turned pink, and first had a moron try to tell me this was normal behavior, then had them try to weasel their way out of the warranty by demanding a shipping label instead of the invoice, then had them demand an invoice instead of a shipping label, then had them sit on the laptop for weeks.

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sleze69

August 12, 2009 12:12 AM

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@cknight: One thing to note is that Apple Card does not cover accidents the way other warranties do (like Dell). If you accidentally drop or spill water on your Apple Card covered laptop, you are screwed.

Never had that problem with any of the Dells I have owned which were only covered by the normal extended warranty.

","

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August 11, 2009 11:56 PM

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Now if only they stopped making people dumber by censoring dictionaries from their iPhones, then I would seriously consider buying a Mac the next go round (in about 3 years).

[I know they are unrelated, but it always makes me a bit uncomfortable with what lockdowns could they do on the laptop.]

7 replies

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johnfrombrooklyn

August 12, 2009 1:00 PM

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Let's follow this logic. You'd like an Apple laptop but are not going to buy one because the iPhone App Store won't allow a certain type of dictionary? If I search dictionary on the App Store, I find more than I could possibly ever want. How many different ways do you need to define troll anyway?@MostlyHarmless:

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DreamTheEndless: Death's little brother

August 12, 2009 2:06 AM

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@MostlyHarmless: I've never seen you troll before.... What's up? If you've been paying any attention to that issue, you'd have read the multiple follow ups to that story, including the official response from Apple...

Respectfully,
DTE

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August 12, 2009 2:52 AM

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@DreamTheEndless: I was not giving attention to the issue, mainly because I do not care enough about it to go looking for stories.

So what was apple's response about it?

And just because someone says something you do not like does not make it trolling - especially if it is preceeded by a positive comment.

@lihtox: Thats cuz they know that whoever can afford more than one macs will probably shell it out for a legal copy as well ;)

[Unless you are hackintoshing it.]

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DreamTheEndless: Death's little brother

August 12, 2009 3:58 PM

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@MostlyHarmless:
icruise said it at least as well as I would have - perhaps better:

It sure read like a trolling comment to me. You admit that you don't actually know the details of the situation, and yet it was the supposedly the sticking point that's keeping you from getting a Mac AND something important enough to bring up even though it has nothing to do with this article?

It had nothing to do with me \"not liking\" what you had to say -

You took an unrelated non-issue, (the dictionary thing,) added flames to it, (\"making people dumber,\") and threw an impressive leap of non-logic onto it for good measure, (\"...what lockdowns could they do on the laptops...\")

What lockdowns could you possibly be talking about? Mac laptops run Unix; they're pretty open. Really, this is just more flames.

HowieFelterbush summarized the important details of what really happened with Ninjawords - if you want to know more details, they were covered in several places including wired, giz, and engadget.

I want you to know - I really wasn't trying to call names, and I feel kind of bad so many people have jumped on this... You are generally a great commenter who adds to the discussion. That's why I was so surprised when I read a comment coming from you that seemed out of character.

Read your comment again and see what you think.

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August 12, 2009 4:06 PM

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@DreamTheEndless: What I said was only a half-kidding reference to recent events. I do that a lot, btw, so nothing new there.

Yes, I do not care about the iPhone because I do not have one and do not want one. I am free to be as indifferent about it as i dont care.

And I was only hoping Trai_Dep would say something. He is an Apple fanboy from what I have seen, and its always fun hearing from him.

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Spero

August 12, 2009 7:54 PM

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@MostlyHarmless: \"And I was only hoping Trai_Dep would say something. He is an Apple fanboy from what I have seen, and its always fun hearing from him.\"

So... you *were* trolling, then.

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August 12, 2009 7:58 PM

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@Spero: Its called \"friendly jabs\". They have all the fun of trolling without all the negative connotations.

[You probably dont know, so its cool, but we are comrades. as in commies, according to some bitter commenters.]

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HowieFelterbush

August 12, 2009 2:29 AM

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@DreamTheEndless: exactly.

for those ignorant to the issue mentioned (and lacking pertinent details)

1. it was the Ninjawords Dictionary app. not exactly Webster-Merriam or Oxford.

2. it was voluntarily censored by the *developer* in hopes of getting it approved *prior* to the app store deploying their \"mature themes\" age restriction in OS 3.0. the words \"censored\" were commonly accepted \"derogatory slang\". an ebook by David Carnoy, titled \"Knife Music\" was rejected by the app store long before this due to the (admittedly sparse) use of the \"F-word\" in print.

3. once OS 3.0 was dispersed with it's parental control functions, the \"Ninjawords dictionary\" app was then approved with a \"mature, 17+\" warning but the version that was still in the pipeline, and therefore approved, was the \"abridged\" version. this was what started all of the drama.

but after the facts came out it's obviously just a bunch of undue drama, especially when bloggers left out pertinent details like what kind of dictionary it actually was, or the backstory leading up to the reason for it being abridged... all for the sake of creating needless drama in the wake of the Google Voice/GV Mobile app drama that occurred days prior (which actually IS a legit issue, unlike the Ninjawords \"dictionary\" issue.

but people tend to make lame excuses like this or the ever-popular, \"i'll never get a macbook pro because there's no matte screen option\" when the truth is they had no intention of buying a macbook in the first place. this may or may not apply to him or likely he's just trolling.

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Nicole

August 12, 2009 1:05 AM

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@MostlyHarmless: In what way are the censoring dictionaries? Do you mean they're blocking 3rd party dictionary apps, or that they're actively removing words they don't approve of? I have not heard about this.

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August 12, 2009 2:50 AM

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@Nicole: It's a really overblown story about how they put a 17+ rating on a dictionary that defined curse words, and some people are in a huff because they asked them to remove definitions for certain racial slurs (though I believe the creators did this themselves to expedite approval, & Apple didn't even force them). It's only a story to people looking for something to complain about & the paranoid.

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August 12, 2009 2:58 AM

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@anonymousmonk: Its not about paranoia, its about the absurd situation. Thing is, all the words for which they gave them a 17+ rating were already in the other dictionaries.

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lihtox

August 12, 2009 1:01 AM

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@MostlyHarmless: Last I checked (10.4), Apple doesn't even check to see if you've installed their OS on more than one computer. So that's less lockdown than Microsoft, anyway. (If you're running Linux then never mind. :)

","

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August 11, 2009 11:56 PM

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Good story of you get what you pay for when it comes to Apple. Just like certain other brands of products it comes at a premium. Why people bother bashing Apple I still don't understand. They run a pretty tight ship on their computers and other devices like phones and this shows in the way things are integrated well and just WORK.

My 2 main machines are PC however and I have a Toshiba laptop for my wife. My iPhone though is the best phone I've ever bought and will always encourage others to try the one current Apple experience I have.

6 replies

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Techguy1138

August 12, 2009 7:57 PM

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@ichibanjay:
Your experience is similar to mine. I suppose the people supporting apple as a paragon of quality are the same people who uphold the XBOX360 from Microsoft.

As a consumer reporter I'm surprised Carey brought this out as a good example.

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August 12, 2009 12:45 AM

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@dreamsneverend:
\"They run a pretty tight ship on their computers and other devices like phones and this shows in the way things are integrated well and just WORK.\"

This article seems to be to the contrary. His computer's hard drive died twice and so did his optical drives. I'm guessing he practiced due diligence and backed up his data regularly, but had he not; I'm sure he would not have been so happy to lose his data.

I've owned a Powerbook in the past and had Apple Care on it, through the three years I had it, the notebook was replaced once, the hard drive replaced, the screen replaced twice, the trackpad replaced, battery replaced three times, and the optical drive was replaced. Once the warranty lapsed, the keyboard and trackpad died, it is now a fancy paperweight. I don't understand why the product is so fragile, the laptop still looks pristine outwardly as I tried to baby it.

Similarly, my brother's Macbook Pro has been in the shop numerous times. I'm counting, a screen replacement (new screen came back with a crack in it), upper chassis was superglued by the Genius, upper chassis was then replaced when the glue came undone, magsafe charger has been replaced 4 times, and now the upper chassis is coming undone near the fan vent.

I guess the only positive out of this is that we got our monies worth from the repairs, but reliable they are not!

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August 12, 2009 12:00 AM

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@dreamsneverend: (some) People bother bashing apple because some of us love building our own hardware, and would really like to give Mac OS a try, but Lord Jobs said that only the faithful who overpay for His hardware may use His OS. I enjoy using Mac OS (albeit on other people's computers), but I refuse to buy a Mac when I know full well that 2GB of RAM costs closer to $30 than $300.

Oh, and then there's the whole blind loyalty thing that the very vocal minority of Apple users have.

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Spero

August 12, 2009 8:09 PM

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@Megalomania: Something I always bring up when this is mentioned: isn't it possible that people become loyal to a brand/company for a *reason*?

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HowieFelterbush

August 12, 2009 2:44 AM

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@Megalomania: you say that like Apple has no right to dictate that their OS can only be bundled with and installed on Apple hardware.

Apple's pricing is not nearly as high as you allude to. Apple employs premium materials and manufacturing processes in the development of their hardware, not to mention significantly value design and aesthetic. in addition, if you ever call their tech support, you do not get redirected to india, indonesia, malaysia, or the philippines... and for those that need it, you can take your issues directly to a corporate owned store to get solutions.

all of this comes with a price. people *want* north american tech support staff but they dont want to pay for it. people *want* beautiful design and high build quality, but again, do not want to pay for it. you cant buy (or build) a chevy aveo and expect lexus service. why? because you didnt pay for it.

now if apple charged their current pricing for a dell quality laptop and dell quality tech support, i would never support them again after that as *that* would constitute a rip-off.

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eddieck

August 12, 2009 12:48 PM

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@HowieFelterbush: My experience with Apple has been - good hardware, junk screens. My first Intel iMac a 20-inch with a TN display; it didn't look that good. My current 24-inch (with its S-IPS screen - much higher quality) has had its LCD replaced a few times.

That said, Apple has been good when I've called them, although I can't say the same for their local store. I find the local AASP to be excellent. The AASP actually receives their parts on the next business day and will get your computer back on the same day; I've been quoted 3-4 days for parts at the Apple Store. I'm not sure why third-party Apple service providers can receive parts faster than Apple's own corporate stores.

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wrjohnston19283

August 12, 2009 12:43 AM

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I've built several PCs, and have a mac with boot camp/windows, as well as a Dell Mini 9 with Linix, so hopefully no one will accuse me of having an apple bias. I haven't used Vista or Windows 7 yet, so I can't speak for those, but OSX works better than XP with fewer crashes because Apple is able to test any combination of motherboard, sound card, video card, and processor, whereas Microsoft can't even begin to test them all. Other add ons such as mice, keyboard, external drives and printers don't cause the crashes that a bad combination of internal hardware sometimes can in Windows.

Mac's do have a history of not liking the cheapest RAM, but you are correct - there is no need to spend $300 on Apple's RAM when a good quality stick costing much less will work just as well.

","

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YOXIM

August 11, 2009 11:57 PM

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Flame war in 3..

4 replies

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August 12, 2009 12:14 AM

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@YOXIM: 2, 1, go!

funny, you know what else is worth buying? a laptop that doesn't need an extended warranty, like my lenovo.

;P

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YOXIM

August 12, 2009 3:54 PM

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@mac-phisto: I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who had Lenovos that broke and could have used an Apple Care-like extended warranty. Much like there are plenty of people out there whose Macs did not break and did not need an extended warranty.

/took your comment waaaaaaaay too seriously

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Mint137

August 12, 2009 12:08 PM

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@mac-phisto: Lenovo is a good brand, as long as you stick to their Thinkpads and avoid the R-series [too bulky compared to their other options]. Course, I'll stick to my Macbook Pro.

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40-40-5

August 12, 2009 4:52 AM

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@mac-phisto: Well it depends on their use! I'm like the author, I give my laptops a rough time. I've been a Sony man myself, but I've been thinking of making the switch over to Apple for a while. It looks like it's a contentious issue though!

","

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Sarcastichobbes

August 11, 2009 11:59 PM

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Why the heck do you not put your computer into sleep mode?
Thats absolutely insane and idiotic.

5 replies

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August 12, 2009 1:55 PM

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@Sarcastichobbes: I for one run servers and various number-crunching scripts, even on my laptops. But I'll admit that mine is sort of an oddball situation.

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wrjohnston19283

August 12, 2009 12:47 AM

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@Sarcastichobbes:

I found out that many of my coworkers don't turn off there laptops at work (we use them as desktops with external monitors). The building lost power last night, so the laptops ran on batteries until they died. This morning everyone was quite confused as to why things wouldn't turn on as normal or were slower.

If you are running programs over night, leave your computer on. If you aren't - don't leave it on. Hardware won't run forever. Fans will stop working, things over heat. You wouldn't leave your car running overnight (even if gas was free) so why leave your computer running?

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August 13, 2009 7:01 PM

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@wrjohnston19283: Hardware won't run forever. Fans will stop working, things over heat.

Really? Better inform the systems I have running at various clients' offices then. One of my clients has a whole pile of servers from 1998 that have been faithfully doing their thing 24/7, no hardware failures. As they needed more capacity we've taken their old PII desktops and threw them into server use. So far so good. Wish they would upgrade them, but they're working so might as well let 'em run.

My own personal PC's been running 24/7 since July 2003 (including 2 hurricanes where it ran of generator power for ~2-4 weeks). Last time I rebooted was Nov 26, 2008 and that was because I was upgrading to 1 TB drives. And it gets ABUSED. If I'm not home the AC kicks back to 85F. 8 HDDs + 2 render cards + 1 MPEG encoder card crammed into a desktop case. Still going strong. Good thing as I've not found a suitable replacement for it yet. It still runs circles around most of what's out there today.

If you build anything with quality components and design it well, it'll last for a very long time. Everything gets bench tested in severe conditions (read: oven @ 120F with very dodgy power fed to it) before it goes out in the field. Quite a few failures on the bench. Zero in the field.

I usually get 6-10 years out of my systems before I retire them. So far I've yet to replace a system because it failed. And I have >200 systems out in the field. Been doing things this way since '95.

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August 12, 2009 1:39 AM

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@wrjohnston19283: Because in \"sleep\" mode it's barely running. I have a powerbook G4 from 2004 that has been turned off total probably 3 days in the last 5 years, and it's still chuggin' right along.

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zentex

August 12, 2009 1:47 AM

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@youbastid: them PB G4's are damn near bomb-proof aren't they? I love mine.

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silver-bolt

August 12, 2009 12:09 AM

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@Sarcastichobbes: Because you can't run programs when the computer is off.

","

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Brontide

August 11, 2009 11:59 PM

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+1 I always recommend AppleCare for laptops and ipods. The likelihood of being used is high and Apple has a, generally, good track record.

I'm typing this on a replacement MBP after my late-2006 unit had nearly every major component replaced at least once. They gave up right before the fifth display.

3 replies

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August 12, 2009 12:33 AM

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@snowmoon: ok, lemme get this straight. you recommend apples. you've had every major component replaced at least once & the display replaced 4 or 5 times since late '06? it's late '09 so that's like, 3 years? i work for a major hardware manufacturer. i would have been FIRED in mid '07 for that kind of lacksidasical incompentence.

that \"performance\" is not acceptable at all with solid state devices. and you paid a premium. hmmm.

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August 12, 2009 2:27 AM

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@trixrabbit: I love Apple products for their aesthetics and forms, but I agree -- putting up with repair after repair just for the sake of it seems off.

On the flip side, I own two IBM/Lenovo Thinkpads. Now THOSE are, hands down, the most solid laptops money can buy. My older one was purchased in 2002 (2002!), has never needed a replacement anything, and still runs *relatively* well as my makeshift media server.

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August 13, 2009 7:12 PM

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@supercereal: There's only two laptops I'll allow to be used in my offices. 1) Lenovo Thinkpads. 2) Apple Macbook Pro 15\". The Thinkpads are one step below a Panasonic Toughbook. Absolutely solid. I do have an old Pentium 2 Thinkpad cranking away 24/7 for web streaming without a single complaint. Love them.

The Macbook Pros are a relatively new addition to the offices and that's only because I had the chance to totally disassemble one and was confident in what I saw.

Not allowed: Anything HP or Toshiba or anything else. We had the Dell Latitudes but they just kept making them cheaper & cheaper. Dell next-day-on-site service is great, but it's something I'd prefer not to use. Every single Latitude in our fleet has been repaired at least once.

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August 13, 2009 12:38 AM

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@supercereal: thanks for making me feel better. i work for a division of ibm/lenovo. :)

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Brontide

August 12, 2009 2:21 AM

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@trixrabbit: Look we have 5 MBP's in the extended family, more if you count the MB's as well, and I got the \"Bad Apple\". Each repair was done quickly and without too much fuss before they finally just replaced the whole thing.

The computer and the support was worth every cent.

","

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Baccus83

August 11, 2009 11:59 PM

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I had apple care for my first-gen 15-inch Macbook Pro. I took it in to the genius bar to get it serviced because the battery would no longer hold a charge. I found out, when there, that I was two days past my three year warranty. Most companies, I believe, would turn you away at this point. The friendly reps at Apple gave me a brand new battery, no questions asked.

They've also helped me in the past for other issues, but this one was above and beyond.

5 replies

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Brontide

August 12, 2009 2:22 AM

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@genegemperline: especially since the battery is clearly excluded from Applecare, it carries only a 1 year warranty.

You got a replacement over 2 years after it wasn't their problem technically.

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Baccus83

August 12, 2009 2:50 PM

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@snowmoon: I was very surprised. I was totally prepared to pay for a new battery.

Their customer service is one of the reasons I continue to buy their products.

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winnopeg

August 12, 2009 6:43 AM

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@snowmoon: That used to be the case, but it changed a few months ago. Apple will now cover power adapters/batteries for the full three years, as long as the battery is not consumed (300+ cycles). Apple has distributed a new diagnostic tool for intel macs that produces a special code, confirming a defective battery/adapter; with that code, it is covered under warranty wherever you take it for your entire warranty period.

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August 12, 2009 12:37 AM

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@genegemperline: Similar story...my ex's MagSafe adapter stopped working because of a known issue with fraying. Apple hasn't issued a recall for this problem, so he went to the Apple Store expecting to pay for a new one ($79, I think). An employee saw him before he found the correct display, asked him what was up, and after being reassured that it was definitely the adapter and not the computer, handed him one for free. Amazing. I'm sure every interaction isn't quite as good, but the fact that stuff like that can happen without the staff member being fired is awesome in and of itself.

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Baccus83

August 12, 2009 2:49 PM

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@katstermonster: had the exact same problem a couple years ago. The MagSafe adapter was coming loose from the wire and melting the plastic around it. Not good!

Showed the guy at the genius bar what was up and he gave me a newer MagSafe cable on the house. Of course it was a known issue, so I would've been upset if it WASN'T replaced for free. But I was glad there wasn't any runaround.

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August 11, 2009 11:59 PM

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Apple is also very good to their customers even without Apple Care.

They just replaced the logic board (motherboard) in my MacBook Pro free of charge, over a year after the warranty expired. My logic board had died, possibly due to an Nvidia issue (which is a known issue and qualifies for a 3 year extended warranty). I first took my MacBook to the Apple Store for replacement, but since my logic board failure was non-standard (the diagnostic they normally use for this issue would not run), they didn't know the cause of the problem and said they couldn't replace the logic board.

A day and a very short, very easy call to Apple Support and I had an exception number and authorization to have my logic board replaced under warranty.

I don't really know why, but Apple has always been willing to help me, seemingly more than others (at least from some of the Consumerist stories I have seen).

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wcnghj

August 12, 2009 12:05 AM

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I sent in my MacBook(under regular warranty) because of a problem with the display hinge clicking/creaking.

Got it back 5 days later and opened the box... items replaced: LCD and assembly! I about flipped and checked the screen for dead pixels.. luckily, just like my old LCD there weren't any. Anyway, the problem is fixed.

They also made it so the CD/DVD drive wasn't so loud when starting the system up: I never requested that :).

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rhys1882

August 12, 2009 12:08 AM

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Another tried and true instance of the basic rule of business that most corporations fail to learn. \"It's the customer service stupid!\" I don't use Macs and I will never use them, but I appreciate their quality customer service. I have friends who have worked at their store and they genuinely like working there.

1 replies

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August 13, 2009 7:19 PM

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@Red: FWIW, Dell has the same deal going. Want the better warranty? You're going to pay for it.

FWIW, if you price out EQUIVALENT Dells vs. Apple computers, the price is usually a draw. The last two MacBook Pros our office bought were less expensive than the equivalent Lenovo Thinkpad & Dell Latitude models.

I'm not an Apple fanboi by any means. My main computer is still a heavily customized CAD/CAM PC-based system from 2003. Haven't found anything in Mac-land that can replace it. Even the Apple reps spec'd out replacing it with 2x Mac Pros. Haven't found anything in PC-land either though.

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Red

August 12, 2009 12:15 AM

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For the price of an Apple laptop shouldn't something like Apple Care, or some longer warranty come included in the price? From what I can tell Apple has universal hardware and over half the price comes only from the operating system?

I have a 17\" Dell that I have owned for over 3 years, it stays on 24/7 and gets used extensively and I've never had any sort of problems with it. Also, I only paid like $700 for it, the same thing from Apple with a different logo and their O.S. installed would cost 3x that price.

1 replies

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pecan 3.14159265

August 12, 2009 12:25 PM

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@Red: Apple does have a warranty, it's that Apple Care is an extended one.

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coren

August 12, 2009 12:15 AM

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I'd argue that they did need to replace the laptop, but other than that, this was pretty obviously above and beyond what we've come to expect from customer service

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D0rk

August 12, 2009 12:17 AM

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Glad to see this story. I've heard of a few instances where their customer service for warranty issues isn't the best, so this is certainly one to bump up the average.

Stories like this are going to help me partially move to Mac when I upgrade laptops this winter.

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milrtime83

August 12, 2009 12:21 AM

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So basically what you're saying is that Apple Care is good because your laptop/ipod/phone, isn't made very well and will need service of some kind and that it's made in a way that is very hard to service it yourself...

4 replies

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BridgetPentheus

August 12, 2009 6:20 PM

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That is what applecare is, if your computer breaks multiple times over three years yet is so much more expensive than other computers made with the exact same parts then the whole purchase should be rethought. Great they provide service while fixing my laptop for the 20th time. Don't you have fun when they quote you 3-5 days for service and 7 days later they haven't even started working on it. Thank god I didn't actually need it at the time. And anyone can drop off your computer without an appointment, they'll hassle you give you all sorts of excuses but if there is no physical or liquid damamge they will take it in. If your computer doesnt boot up guess what they'll run the same diagnostic tests you yourself could run and then youve wasted waiting for an appointment and when all else fails it's either they replace the logic board because they don't know the problem or blame it on software and tell you to do a clean install. And don't forget you can't get genuine apple parts unless you get it fixed at Apple or an authorized Apple Repair Center, but the Toshiba hard drive in my computer is a Toshiba hard drive I can get one for a lot less and replace it myself save something happens.

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Mint137

August 12, 2009 12:15 PM

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@milrtime83: You do realize that many parts on Apple laptops are made by PC brands. ASUS I think made the logic boards at one point. Don't bash on Apple products if you don't have the evidence to back it up.

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August 12, 2009 1:30 AM

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@milrtime83: Dunno about phones, but Apple laptops are right smack at average for needing repair and the desktops are the least likely to need repair of any major brand. So it's not that they're made less well than any other brand.

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wrjohnston19283

August 12, 2009 12:49 AM

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What laptop, MP3 player or cell phone IS made to be user serviceable?

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josquin021

August 12, 2009 12:26 AM

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Apple customer service is second to none. I won't go into details, but I called them this morning, spent 15 minutes on the phone, and hung up with a better resolution to my problem than I could have ever expected. The rep I worked with was professional, friendly, and -- importantly -- quick.

I deal with Dell at work, and my experiences with them have been *nothing* alike.

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August 12, 2009 12:30 AM

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I have had Apples since 1985, and AppleCare since they started offering it, and they've been just great to me, saving my ass a number of times, and going above and beyond. I also met my boyfriend of seven years at the iPod display the Apple store, so let's just say Apple has really changed my life.

3 replies

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CommanderLogjam

August 12, 2009 3:48 AM

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If you love Apple so much, why don't you marry it?

Or, errr, mmm, your boyfriend? ;-)

BTW I am on about my tenth Mighty Mouse thanks to AppleCare.

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August 12, 2009 4:54 AM

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@CommanderLogjam: Don't believe in marriage, or living together, and seven years in, we're very, very happy, thanks.

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brohken

August 12, 2009 1:09 AM

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\"...so let's just say Apple has really changed my life.\"

LMAO

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Trai_Dep

August 12, 2009 12:37 AM

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Every time I hear stories like this where \"nothing special\" type customers receive outstanding service, I wish that I was born a puppy dog with big chocolate eyes and a lil' wispy tail. Just so I could wag it enthusiastically at the end.
And I honestly think the world would love me even more if I had permanent Puppy Breath.

3 replies

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H3ion

August 12, 2009 3:22 AM

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@Trai_Dep: Dog breath!

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Trai_Dep

August 12, 2009 12:38 AM

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@Trai_Dep: Err, not that my breath isn't peachy. It just isn't puppy.

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August 12, 2009 1:21 AM

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@Trai_Dep: You keep telling yourself that.

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August 12, 2009 12:45 AM

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+1 for Applecare. They have been incredible for me. My MPB was originally a refurb, but with Apple that means it still has the full warranty. I got Applecare too. Apple has never once questioned a thing because it's a refurb.

And yes, I have had to use it. The keyboard got flaky. Replaced for free. The screen started getting dead spots all over. Replaced. The power adapter cable shorted -this is the common issue affecting Magsafe. Replaced. And finally at almost three years old, the battery suddenly stopped holding a charge. That was replaced.

Now you could say I have had a lot of problems. Maybe so, but this is (or at least was) a cutting edge product. The engineering that went into it was pushing the boundaries of what could be done at the time and that means things will go wrong. I accept that.

Apple has totally stood behind this product and their warranty and more importantly their word. No other business I have ever dealt with has kept up their end of the deal as faithfully. I'd say that even if I wasn't a happy customer. But I am. And eventually the warranty will run out (two months or so) and someday I will need a new laptop and only one company will be on my list.

Criticize this as fanboy cheering if you like but none of the other laptop brands have gone to this length for me or anyone I know who uses the other brands. It just doesn't happen. Why should I set aside Apple, a brand that has earned my respect and business, and take a risk and hope Dell or Toshiba or Acer might stand behind their products? Is Dell going to have stores in the malls that can help me on the spot? Is Acer? No. Don't mention the Microsoft stores. They don't make laptops. Not the same thing.

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ShariC

August 12, 2009 12:46 AM

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I've been a Mac user for 20 years and have never bought the extended warranty. Depending on the type of model you buy and your usage patterns, it almost certainly may not be worth it.

Since every model depreciates in value through time, a low end (or even high end) Mac as it hits the end of its first and second year may be replaced by an equivalent or superior low end model which makes the warranty purchase look more dubious or less of a good value when you balance the benefits of a new machine against an old one.

While the OP was given a new laptop to replace broken ones, that is not always the case. Apple can simply say \"no\" (and they have to other customers) or fix only the problem at hand. That means that other components are still aging and more likely to break down (which is another factor in favor of using the money you'd spend on an extended warranty toward the purchase of a new machine).

Frnakly, as someone whose first Mac was a Classic and who has bought a parade of Macs, I find the speed with which current models fail in part or in whole troubling. My Macs used to last forever without warranties, then around the time that Apple switched from SCSI to IDE, optical drives started to fail with regularity. Now, both optical and hard drives fail with regularity within a year or two. Apple used to make better hardware that didn't fail so often so AppleCare wasn't necessary. Perhaps because I grew up on better quality Macs, I find the applause for AppleCare a little like praising a company for fixing something which shouldn't have broken in the first place.

4 replies

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pecan 3.14159265

August 12, 2009 12:28 PM

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@ShariC: I don't have $1,100 to spend on a laptop every two years. My Macbook is running perfectly fine the way it is, and the fact that I have Apple Care means I have some chance of getting something fixed, rather than being totally out of having any computer. Some of us like keeping laptops around for as long as the machine is useful.

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Trick

August 12, 2009 1:55 AM

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My department 15\" MacBook PRO (Late 2006) has had to have its battery replaced, HD replaced and cooling fans replaced. The battery & HD was replaced under warranty, the fans were not. Our college President had his logic board, HD and fans replaced on my 17\" MacBook PRO (Early 2007).

We have 24 MacBook's (2008) for student use. I know students are hard on computers yet we have had 3 MacBook failures, (HD, logic board and LCD).

Of the 2100+ computers we have on our campus, roughly 200 are Macs. Most have worked OK. We have about 1500+ Dell OptiPlex 620, 745, 755 & 760 and another 125 Dell Latitude 820, 830 & E6500's that have had almost no problems. We had about 4 Latitude power brick failures and some CMOS batteries die in the 620's...

My own department Latitude's (D830 & E6500) (2007 & 2009) have been rock solid with no problems at all.

My point? All computer brands have one issue or another and both companies have stood behind their computers with no complaints for the majority of their users...

What I do find funny is all the people talking about how great AppleCare is, yeah it is a good service but I thought Mac's don't break down and do no wrong??? :)

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August 13, 2009 7:34 PM

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@ShariC: It's because component manufacturers have been pushed by the computer assemblers (Dell, HP, Apple) to make parts less expensive. If you can made a DVD drive for $0.05 less than a competitor, Dell will switch to you. I extensively bench-test (abuse) everything before it goes into our users' hands. The number of bench failures has been rising in recent years. When I do a forensic tear-down on the failed components it's always a manufacturing defect or design flaw related to value-engineering. I'm the type of person who'd rather spend an extra $50 for a DVD drive that will last for 5+ years rather than the mass-market stuff.

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Mint137

August 12, 2009 12:20 PM

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@Trick: Maybe you hear that from the diehard fanboys. I've never stood by anything being an impenetrable wall. Stuff breaks down, but the idea is that the company is there to stand by their products and help remedy the situation when it happens. It's the fact that most companies would turn a blind eye that Apple stands out in this case.

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brohken

August 12, 2009 12:49 AM

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\"Did Apple need to worry that I wasn't already a lifetime customer? No.\"

That is the essence of a fanboy. Similar experience with my Lenovo, but I am not a lifetime customer. I'm /just/ a customer as long as they are the best in the market for my budget. The current ThinkPad line happens to be fantastic.

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August 12, 2009 12:51 AM

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You guys are such posers. I crafted my laptop with nothing but my bare teeth, two shoe strings and a stick of abc gum. It's lasted me 79 years and I've never needed any protection plan. I hate Mac users. Anyone that pays for computers is obviously just thinks they're better. I mean why would you PAY for a laptop? ABC GUM!!!

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tigrelis

August 12, 2009 12:53 AM

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Too bad I take such good care of my laptop (instead of leaving everything running all the time at full speed), that most of my parts are just beginning to die off at the end of my 3-year warranty. And the parts DO die off, no matter how good you take care of it, at least on the laptops. Everyone I know has used their applecare at some point. (Me too! Just, not for such important parts as hard drive or optical).

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August 12, 2009 12:54 AM

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I had a G4 laptop replaced after 2 years with a Dual-Core Intel, total cost to me - $0.

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endless

August 12, 2009 12:56 AM

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Apples break? this is news to me!

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August 12, 2009 1:02 AM

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I purchased Applecare about a week before the one year warranty ended, and I literally got the package and registered on the day my warranty ended. Apple would not bend on letting me register Applecare, despite knowing I actually bought it within the warranty period. They did, however completely refund me for the opened box, so that was cool. I didn't think my Macbook (2.0 core duo white) even needs it, as it continues to be a total trooper at my parents' house. The most important thing you can do is wait for the sleep light to start pulsing before you pick it up so the drives are for sure not moving. It should last a long time that way!

Anyway, I am wondering whether or not to get Applecare for my 15\" late-2008 unibody. I'm a total computer tinkerer, and have built the last 4 desktops I've used (but kept the same case, keyboard, etc...). The unibody literally is like a desktop in that if you take off the bottom, the motherboard and components are right there screwed to the case. If anything inside the body of the laptop breaks, is it cheaper to get replacement parts and install them yourself? Does it depend on the component?

1 replies

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Munchie

August 12, 2009 5:59 PM

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@ZombieFlanders: Apple hardware certified tech here. Working on portables is a little crazy. If you don't have the tear down instructions you can spend hours trying to figure out how to get a part out. Then good luck getting it back together with out good organization, there are a lot of screws and they are all different sizes.

Also before anyone starts complaining about user serviceability you try making a computer that thin and light with out getting creating on hardware setups.

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gp1138

August 12, 2009 1:04 AM

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I don't even have AppleCare. I have owned all three iterations of iPhone, and anytime anything has been wrong with them, I've been able to set an appointment at an Apple Store (at least a 1/2 hour drive, worth it though) and walk in with the defective phone, and walk out with a refurbished one, which are essentially brand new phones, plastic on them and everything. I've been very pleased with Apple's customer service, and would gladly continue to purchase iPhones as long as they are this easy to swap out and as long as Apple does not fight me when something is obviously wrong with my (very expensive) phone.

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Nicole

August 12, 2009 1:06 AM

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My first thought when I saw the headline on this was \"well, duh.\" I <3 Applecare.

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August 12, 2009 1:20 AM

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Apple support is great.

Just last week I had the power adapter for my iPhone die (the little usb one). Made an appointment online for early in the morning before work.

In, geek checked it and verified it was bad, replaced on the spot.

I was in and out the door in < 10min.

I should mention this was in NYC a VERY busy store even before 9:00.

Very friendly fast service. Same as Apple has provided for years.

That couldn't have been any more painless.

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August 12, 2009 1:32 AM

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Unless you're taking it to China or another country without proper Apple Stores. I have never received worse customer service than at Apple China's authorized repair center.

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August 12, 2009 1:37 AM

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Certainly better than what my experience with Dell has been.

I bought a Dell XPS M1210, which went through three motherboards, a hard drive, an optical drive, a display, a trackpad, and two keyboards in two years. It was exchanged for a Vostro 1310, which needed everything but the drives and CPU replaced after six months. It was exchanged for a Vostro 1320, which was delivered with a corrupted BIOS and no RAM. That was exchanged for a Precision M4400.

During all this, Dell called me a liar, a thief, a \"picky bastard\", insulted my mother, interpreted \"on-site\" as \"on a cardboard box in the back of a Ford Escape parked a mile away\", attempted to pry a computer apart with two screwdrivers, and tried to bribe me with a $100 coupon I would have to spend $20 to use.

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shadow67

August 12, 2009 1:43 AM

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hmmm... interesting to see that apple has so many issues, and still ppl say proudly that they bought it.

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HRHKingFridayXX

August 12, 2009 1:53 AM

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Why is *everything* coated in that cheap gloss? I went browsing in best buy recently, and was horrified with the LCD \"selection\". There weren't even any matte options!

1 replies

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August 14, 2009 1:48 AM

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@HRHKingFridayXX: Because it makes it look like it has extra \"punch\". And it does seem to, especially comparing to a matte monitor right next to it. Sells good.

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flidget

August 12, 2009 2:00 AM

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I haven't owned an Apple computer since before the iMac, but I can't say enough good things about Apple customer service when it comes to iPods - I've gotten dead ones replaced even when it was clear they'd met the pavement more than once. [When I worked in electronics at Walmart, any time I sold an iPod I'd follow the register-prompted \"would you like to buy a service plan?\" with a recommendation to skip it and consider AppleCare instead - they're very, very good.

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seamer

August 12, 2009 2:01 AM

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@Sarcastichobbes: Computers, including laptops, are all designed to be run at 100% cpu usage 100% of the time, with the exception of extreme heat or hardware issues (like fans so full of dust they stop working).

Putting your computer to sleep is kind of a pointless idea, it should be off or on, sleepmode is just a useless feature that people don't really need.

3 replies

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August 12, 2009 5:02 AM

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@seamer: Your response is both misleading and incorrect. While laptops are designed to hold up well with regular use, they do not hold up *as well* as they would if they received regular downtime.

This is not a complicated matter to understand. Laptops contain moving parts, and components which are susceptible to heat. Over time moving parts (especially the likes of fans and hard drives) will fail, and the chief cause of these failures, barring abuse, is simply wear and tear. When a computer is sleeping the hard drive and fans hold in place (they *will* spin [up] if you leave it on overnight to perform scheduled tasks). Also, in sleep mode, the laptop holds closer to room temperature, while if you leave it on it will operate at much hotter temperatures.

If someone is not running programs on their laptop overnight they should shut it down or put it into sleep mode. If it is not used for an extended period of time it should be shut down.

This is a non issue if the cost of a laptop is not great to a person, but odds are someone's $1,200+ laptop is actually enough of an investment that they won't shrug off an early replacement. These devices will generally last even longer if they are taken care of properly.

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August 13, 2009 7:07 PM

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@XianZhuXuande: You're correct to a point. Heat is an enemy of anything electrical/electronic. It does accelerate degradation of components, BUT anyone who has worked around large equipment will tell you motor start/stops put far more wear & tear on motors than running them for long periods of time.

There's ~25 or so systems I've built which live outdoors on rooftops in the Florida heat and humidity. Figure ~100F ambient air intake on them in the summertime. All motors set to run 24/7, no power saving other than CPU and fan throttling. Heat sinks are hugely oversized and cooling fans are commercial-grade continuous duty fans. The only maintenance I've done on them is clear out the air filters about once a year. Not using a standard ATX case either.

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mbz32190

August 12, 2009 4:57 AM

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@seamer: Personally, I don't like wasting electricity if something isn't being used. I don't go around leaving my TV on or leaving the fridge door open 24/7.

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August 12, 2009 2:07 AM

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That is a terrible failure rate for something that starts at 1k. I am sorry but apple laptops are basically double the price of other laptops with similar specs. On top of that you have to pay extra for apple care. This is a terrible deal.

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lesbiansayswhat

August 12, 2009 2:11 AM

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My experience with Apple has been positive over the past 7 years. I pay a premium and realize this..but I continue to buy their laptops because I know that I can generally walk into a store and have them diagnose it for free and if it's simple enough, fix it for free without looking at the warranty status (stuff like screen issues and casing). I've walked in with a broken power cord (it is a faulty part though) and had them just hand me a new one, no questions asked..twice. Even if they do this because they know the part is sketchy, I am positive most places would not bother to cater to the customer this way.

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August 12, 2009 2:20 AM

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@wrjohnston19283: Frankly, for my work computer, it's much more of a hassle to ever turn it off (as in start up takes 20+ minutes with all the crap the company has on it). In fact, I only shut it down when an update gets pushed to my machine and a restart is forced.

But given that it's not my computer, and I won't pay anything to have it replaced, there's really no point to ever shutting it down...

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Scazza

August 12, 2009 2:26 AM

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Ironic that the reason getting an extended warranty is \"Try repairing a busted Apple at your local computer shop. It won't be cheap.\" Yet you dont see the problem with the fact maybe the reason why the warranty is good, is because of the fact the parts are a complete rip off and bloody hard to find?

I can repair any of my numerous PC/Linux computers with parts salvaged from other comps, bought online for a tiny fraction the cost of apple parts, or at any brick and mortar store that sells electronics. All for cheap.

Also, another question to dwell on: Were you offered this great service because of the extended warranty you purchased? Or do regular people get access to it too with the 1yr out of the box warranty?

If regular people DONT get the same kind of service, its kind of unfair that 2 people who buy the same product get treated differently because one person paid more for it.

If regular people DO get the same service, it kind of makes the extended warranty pointless, as 90% of problems with computers/decision to exchange them come in the first year. Outside of 1 year, most people replace the electronic item with another one. That is the idea of how companies MAKE money with extended warranties, they bank on the fact that under 5% actually make a CLAIM after the first year. Therefore making the warranty useless...

Catch 22.

Also, just a little bit of transparency: I sell these bloody useless warranties every day against my will, and sometimes I even feel bad for bilking people out of money that gives them a useless warranty they will possibly never use. I have no choice...

1 replies

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tigrelis

August 12, 2009 5:30 AM

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@Scazza: I highly doubt most people with a Mac replace their computers within 1 year. 2 or 3 maybe. A 1 year lifespan sounds more like the PCs that you probably are used to selling.

Also, why SHOULDN'T the person who paid more get better, longer-lasting service? I don't understand your point at all. \"Regular people\" do get the same warranty service within the 1 year though...

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August 12, 2009 3:00 AM

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Apple did this because?

You promised to write a positive blog about the experience.

But if you are a corporate customer with an office full of Apple machines that are unable to load Adobe software products unto any of the machines then Apple will tell you to go hurt yourself rather than supporting the products they sell.

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cc82

August 12, 2009 3:08 AM

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This doesn't just apply to Apple. I've had very good experiences with extended warranties on computers from Dell and Lenovo. Heck I've even had an excellent experience with Best Buy covering an HP laptop purchased with their extended warranty. This article is fanboy to the max.

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PsiCop

August 12, 2009 3:21 AM

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Normally I would agree with this assessment. I've always had AppleCare for all my Apple products. But my latest experience with them isn't so good. And things are looking worse rather than better.

My iMac (bought June '08) started shutting down spontaneously, and because it was hot to the touch when it happened, it's probably because it crossed a heat threshold and shut down on purpose to save the hardware.

I called Apple and on the phone they decided it was hardware, so I was given an appointment the next day at the Genius Bar of a nearby Apple store. I brought it in, explained the problem, they took it to run diagnostics (which I assume meant they ran it for a few hours until it overheated and shut itself down, then examined it). Three days later I hadn't heard from them so I called and they said they were still testing it. Another three days later I called to see what the status was. I expected to hear at the least that they'd found out what the problem was.

But no. They told me to come get my iMac, it's all fixed. I asked what it turned out to be, they said it was the RAM. I found this a little suspicious ... if they'd repaired it, why hadn't they called me to let me know? And how did RAM have anything to do with heat? Bad RAM can cause all sorts of problems, but overheating is not usually one of them. My BS meter also pegged when they told me they hadn't replaced the RAM, they'd merely reseated it. I asked if they were sure this was the problem and if they'd run it to verify it was fixed, and they said they had.

I wondered if they hadn't really done anything to it, if they'd just let it sit around and, when I called 6 days after dropping it off, had decided it had taken up space in their shop long enough, and told me to come get it, so it'd be out of their way.

I picked it up later that night, set it up the next morning ... and wouldn't you know it, 3 hours later it shut right down again.

My suspicions were confirmed. They hadn't done anything to it. They couldn't have, since if they'd tested it after they'd \"repaired\" it, they'd have seen it shut down and would have known it wasn't working.

I called and demanded another appointment at a different Apple store, since I could no longer trust the people at the first one who'd claimed to have fixed it but didn't. (I happen to live c. 20 miles from 2 different Apple stores.) I brought it to the second Apple store, told them the first store had done nothing to it, and asked if they could REALLY fix it this time. They took it and said they'd diagnose it.

That was three days ago. I called this afternoon and they said they had no idea when it would be repaired. I asked if they knew what was wrong with it, they didn't know. I asked when they thought they might know what's wrong, they said they couldn't say. I asked if we were talking days or weeks to a repair, they said they didn't know.

So after having done nothing to it at one location except leave it untouched, they're now in the progress of doing exactly the same thing, at another. I'm not too thrilled with the Geniuses just now, especially since they appear to have no clue what they're doing with my iMac, and don't even seem to have any interest in figuring it out.

Since they're holding my iMac hostage, I don't dare escalate this, but if I don't get word on the status of it by the end of the week, I'm going to have to do something to get someone's attention.

3 replies

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PsiCop

August 19, 2009 1:37 PM

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@PsiCop: In case it matters to anyone. the folks at the second Apple store I went to, got the problem fixed. It took a week without my Mac, but it's working, and after running it for over a day, it hasn't yet shut itself down.

So far so good (fingers crossed). The lesson here, I guess, is that not all Apple stores are equal.

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Munchie

August 12, 2009 6:23 PM

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@PsiCop: Ignore wcnghj. You can't have mail in for iMacs, it does not exist. This is if you have apple care. Retrieve your computer from the apple store and bring it home. Call apple care and request on site service for over heating issues. Overheating is almost always the fault of faulty fan assemblies or temp sensors. Based on what you are saying here is seems like the processor is overheating and causing a general system safety shutdown. So when you speak to the dispatch agent whatever parts he decides to put in the dispatch make sure he includes the temp sensors and new cpu fan.

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wcnghj

August 12, 2009 11:27 AM

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@PsiCop: Call Apple, report the bad stores and demand mail in service.

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H3ion

August 12, 2009 3:23 AM

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Haven't seen this addressed. If you buy the Apple Care warranty with one of the credit cards that doubles the warranty, do you get the extra time? What if you just buy the laptop with the credit card; do you get a double warranty period without buying Apple Care?

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TheOrtega

August 12, 2009 3:59 AM

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Im surprised so many people are posting that X amount of things went wrong with their computer and they love that a service they payed for did it's job. I would be happier if the problem never happened in the first place rather then to have to pay a premium on top of a another apple premium just to know if my expensive Macbook Air breaks Apple will fix it. I really wish that apple had a 2 year warranty for all of it's machines, including phone support automatically rather then paying more for apple care, I mean Im already kinda paying \"extra\".

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icruise

August 12, 2009 4:01 AM

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It sure read like a trolling comment to me. You admit that you don't actually know the details of the situation, and yet it was the supposedly the sticking point that's keeping you from getting a Mac AND something important enough to bring up even though it has nothing to do with this article?

2 replies

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KMan13 still wants a Pontiac G8

August 12, 2009 5:29 AM

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@icruise:
he has a star - trolls dont usually get those

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Mint137

August 12, 2009 12:06 PM

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@KMan13 still wants a Pontiac G8: Stars don't give people the right to troll.

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aph3x

August 12, 2009 4:25 AM

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I've had 3 MacBook Pros. All have had issues, all have had to be repaired. I've used Applecare more times than I care to mention. Maybe I'm just cursed or am too hard on my machines but they aren't as rock solid as I would like.

I'll continue to purchase macs since they do what I need and do it well. I'd never purchase one without AppleCare though (unless I'm dumping it within a year)

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August 12, 2009 4:26 AM

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Of course if they'd stop building such crap that breaks so much, people wouldn't have to buy Apple Care.

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drb023

August 12, 2009 6:13 AM

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I like apple computers, and have had several, but I wonder if they knew you work for the Consumerist? I have had to take three separate apple computers in under applecare, in three different cities, and it has never yielded the same results.

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pika2000

August 12, 2009 6:14 AM

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Yeah, Apple care is worth it, especially now that it's not that easy replacing a component on Apple computers (iMacs, MBPs with built-in battery, Mac mini). The hard-drive on my iMac went kaput weeks after the initial 1 year warranty ended, and luckily I bought Apple care. (wouldn't have bothered with it if replacing a hard-drive on an iMac is as easy as a standard PC case).

I never bothered with extended warranties on regular PCs as replacing the components (the most failure prone component is the hard-drive) are as easy as opening the case.

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The Great Aussie Evil

August 12, 2009 7:01 AM

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Of course, if your old iMac suffers a capacitor plague problem (common to one production run) AFTER the 3 years are up, it's basically \"Ha, ha, you're screwed.\"

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redkamel

August 12, 2009 7:42 AM

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why everyone bagging on the OP for leaving his computer on all the time? Maybe the OP codes, so he writes all day and compiles all night. And as an aside, my Mac runs better when it doesn't turn off; I just sleep it (unless I am leaving town for longer than a day or two).

In terms of laptop quality, out of all the laptops I have seen, the apple ones break the least. And when they do break, its always an easy, fast repair, with replacements of large sections (for speed and to prevent associated problems). My computer got shipped from the store to the factory, HD replaced & overnighted to my house. Three day repair and I drove to the store only once. Or they just give you a new laptop. Apple Care is awesome even though I have used it rarely.

The guy salvaging my old HD that broke told me this: new laptop drives last reliably for a year, two tops. As they add more and more platters (? really)?, and have them spin faster and faster, and people move them around, the slightest imbalance magnifies more. An 80 or 100 gig 5400rpm drive has a lot more wiggle room than a 500gig 7200rpm drive in the same space. Made sense to me.

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johnfrombrooklyn

August 12, 2009 1:09 PM

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I've owned two cars in 20 years and probably 40 computers. I always had the attitude of \"if my computer breaks that's great..I can now get a new one.\" But it seems moving files from an old computer to a new one has become such a pain that I'd rather just run my old computer longer to avoid the experience. Maybe it's like moving apartments or houses. After a few times you realize it's such a pain that you don't want to do it again.

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August 12, 2009 1:10 PM

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Didn't it ever occur to you that two failed hard drives and two failed optical drives might be a sign of a bigger problem - e.g. using inferior or defective hardware components?

AppleCare isn't the only extended warranty that's cost-effective, especially considering that you have to go find an Apple store to get your computer fixed, or you have to ship your machine out (and who doesn't love being without their computer for two weeks?).

Dell and HP both have extended warranty options. For about $250 extra, you can get three years of not only warranty coverage, but on-site, next business day service and accidental damage coverage.

My own experiences with Apple service technicians have been beyond bad. I've been condescended to, laughed at, and basically told that I was an idiot user who didn't know what I was talking about.

I think I'll stick with Dell. Their business and education support has been beyond great.

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Skater009

August 12, 2009 2:46 PM

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Apple Care Always :)

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redts37

August 12, 2009 2:47 PM

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I have saved thousands of dollars because of Apple Care. I recommend it to anyone buying any mac product. It takes the worry out of owning a computer. I just wish it could be extended to a 4th or 5th year...

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August 12, 2009 2:53 PM

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I'm glad they've finally started making antiglare screens again. I can't believe people buy glossy.

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August 12, 2009 2:53 PM

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I had the harddrive die on my first MacBook last summer, and I hadn't even had the machine a year. I'd been mulling the idea of whether or not I should get AppleCare.

Since I was still under warranty, I took it to my local Apple Store, they said the drive was basically dead, but they had replacements in the back and could install it, format it, and send me on my way if I knew how to install OS X myself.

I was in and out in 10 minutes.

I bought AppleCare for it the next week.

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TCama

August 12, 2009 3:15 PM

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I heart Apple Care.

Basically, the difference between Apple Care and other extended warranties is this: most warranties are made to cover manufacturer defects and that's it. Apple Care will basically make sure that your product works as if you bought it yesterday for three years (with very few exceptions).

So if your hard drive breaks after a year, a usual extended warranty would call it normal wear and tear and deny a replacement. Apple Care, however, would be glad to replace it.

Now if only I had bought Apple Care for my iPod, which stopped working this weekend ...

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BII

August 12, 2009 3:55 PM

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I bought a Macbook Pro 3 years ago, and was ambivalent about getting Apple Care, and I'm glad I did.

They replaced an optical drive, which may or not have been broken (I'm starting to think it was the blank discs I was using), but they did it anyways.

Got the magsafe adapter replaced, no problem. Even got the new, smaller version.

And now my battery is getting replaced, its swelling and coming apart. I was telling a coworker about it, and her Dell battery stopped holding a charge after less than a year. Dell, according to her, does not cover batteries, at all.

Oh, and CS reps are in the US, not India. ANd I have the option of using an Apple Store, an authorized repair center, or calling. That's nice to have.

ALl of this costs more, but after 3 years of having a MBP, I'd say its worth it.

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AnthonyC

August 12, 2009 3:55 PM

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I would never recommend buying a Dell laptop- the 4 or 5 people I know (including me) who have done so have had nothing but problems with them. If you do, though, get the best warranty you can. I bought the 4-year extended warranty on my Inspiron laptop (it just expired). It cost about 300 extra upfront, but since then I've gone through 2 DVD drives, 2 hard drives, a fan, a heat sink, a screen, 3 keyboards, two touchpads, and 2 AC adapters.

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bmwloco

August 12, 2009 6:45 PM

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I have been using Macs since the dark days. On two separate occasions, Apple has given me two laptops, new, better models, free due to problems with my old Powerbook.

Nothing in the computer world comes close to Apples design, robustness, ease of use and ease of service - except the Macbook G4s. Yeesh. Happily, it's back to easy now.

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corsi

August 12, 2009 9:27 PM

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To tell the truth Apple /spoiled/ my life.

I'm no fanboy, er... fangirl, and actually began using Macs at work this year. Always used PCs before -and have a vista notebook at home. First month has been a nightmare, nothing was working as I would have expected to. But I got used to the Mac. Or rather, I thought I was just getting used to the Mac -it's more of an addiction.

You see, I'm back to my hometown, and tried to connect an old keyboard (as in music keyboard, not the one you write something with) to the pc notebook.

Cubase doesn't see the keyboard. Oh. Right, the keyboard must be turned on before starting cubase on a pc.

Round two: turn on and retry. Doesn't work. Oh, right... the Roland driver must be loaded when I boot. Reboot.

Round three: it works. Just as well as on the Mac. But on a Mac I can turn keyboards on and off whenever I need to play something, without rebooting, without having to remember anything.

You see, Macs... no, I won't say \"they just work\" -I'm not yet at that stage of addiction. But I admit: Macs have spoiled me.

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August 12, 2009 9:31 PM

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Apple Care is only worth buying if Apple is willing to admit that the hardware has a fault. I always tell people to buy Apple Care and I always buy Apple Care, but this last time has left me with a sour granny apple variety type of taste in my mouth rather than a sweet, delicious Macintosh taste. If they refuse to do anything, YELL AT THEM. This is the only way you're going to get what you DESERVE if they refuse to recognize your issues.

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August 12, 2009 10:08 PM

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I agree on the value of the Apple Care Warranty. My poor hard drive was crying when I took it in. It was making a really loud noise. It wasn't an issue of an Apple part, rather a Western Digital part. Since, the warranty was in effect, I took it in and saved $90 +/- for the service call and hard drive replacement. The shop probably sent it into Western Digital for a replacement as it was a bearing going out in the unit. ( Squealing bad and ready to die.) I don't blame Apple or Western Digital, rather a defective drive. Oh yeah, the S.M.A.R.T. status monitor passed it as a good drive, so can't trust those.

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simonsays666

August 12, 2009 10:29 PM

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Read Applecare's privacy policy!
Under Section 7, subsection f, reads: \"You [the consumer] agree that any information or data disclosed to apple under this Plan is NOT CONFIDENTIAL. Furthermore, you agree that Apple may collect and process data on your behalf when it provides service. This may include TRANSFERRING YOUR DATA to affiliated companies or service providers located in countries WHERE DATA PROTECTION LAWS MAY BE LESS COMPREHENSIVE than your own country of residence, including but not limited to Austrailia, Canada, countries of the European Union, India, japan, the People's Republic of CHINA and the U.S.\"

Furthermore, in section 4 of the Applecare Protection Plan, Apple, Inc., claims absolutely NO LIABILITY \"to MAINTAIN THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA.\"

There is no wonder they appear so nice... they are making money off of people every time they need a repair through information \"sharing.\"

Of course, it would be nice if those computers actually functioned optimally in the first place for their exorbitant prices.
(Emphasis added)

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simonsays666

August 12, 2009 10:42 PM

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Also, everytime someone sends in a computer to be repaired, Apple claims no liability if it's damaged or lost unless it is in their posession, according to the Applecare Customer Shipping Preparation Form. This is strange, considering Apple offers to pay for shipping if they determine that an item is defective. Interestingly enough, I called them to make sure my computer would be insured in shipping, and I was repeatedly transferred, and I only got a straight answer out of the fourth person. He recommended I get it insured with FedEx.

I went to FedEx, fully prepared to cough up the necessary dough to insure the thing. Turns out, in order to insure it with FedEx I would have to purchase another shipping lable/ pay for shipping again, in order to insure it.

Frustrated, I called Applecare (again) and demanded a straight answer. Their employee told me that my macbook pro would be covered in the event it gets lost or damaged in transit. This is a direct contradition of their own terms of service.

(Furthermore, they reserve the right to use subcontractors [e.g. a third party], so their is no guarantee whatsoever that Apple would ever be in posession of my mbp, and therefore would never be held accountable if it were destroyed or stolen)

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August 13, 2009 12:01 AM

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i have a friend who had his HD crash and was a week out of warranty. they still took care of him at no charge. I've had a problem sometimes with my mouse and sometimes my keyboard. Go to the applestore, walk out w/a new one. Have yet to have any major problems with my iMac, but I have the Applecare and it's stories like this why I have a this computer and the extended coverage.

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BridgetPentheus

August 13, 2009 1:05 AM

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Applecare does not equal a 3 year warranty if that's what you want to believe it is a extended SERVICE PLAN that they have the right to change at any time (ever read the terms and conditions) And even if your computer is stolen they will gladly fix it for the thief. Don't you think the reason Apple products are so high because they willy nilly just replace parts that shouldn't be covered because they are scared you'll through a fit and then the store will look bad.

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GoonieGooGoo2

August 13, 2009 6:38 AM

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Anyone else think that's an awful lot of breaking of a laptop??

I tell you I beat the hell out of my old THINKPAD T20 from 2000.....and it NEVER EVER broke....and I traveled with it almost every day and weekend for over 6 years before I decided it finally needed to be upgraded with a new model.

Heck it even spent an entire week in an inch of water during an accident while on vacation. I even sent it flying across an airport floor when it fell 3 feet and I kicked it.

Yes...it still works and use it as a music server.

Why the hell does one need a warranty when you have reliability and toughness already built-in??

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mp1gsp

September 2, 2009 5:14 PM

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My experience of Apple, and AppleCare has been the opposite of this...actually the worst comsumer & tech support experiences (over a period of 4 months) of my entire life.

I purchased a Macbook Pro from Apple back at the start of March - it had multiple bugs (minor AND severe) right out of the box. Called their tech support who gave me the impression they'd quickly & easily fix all the problems. I was then subjected to 40+ hours of troubleshooting, mostly during business hours, over a period of 4 months; consistently the rudest customer service & tech support I've ever had the misfortune to deal with; an ignored formal complaint letter (which they're legally obliged to respond to within 14 days) requesting a replacement and fair compensation (citing the appropriate UK law) for 40+ hours of lost income because I'm a freelancer (over £1900 in billable hours); before finally having it replaced on 30th June - but continued to struggle trying to find someone who'd even read my complaint letter... until they finally offered me the hugely insulting gesture of an iPod for my 40+ hours lost income, and only then if I signed a settlement agreement containing a very threateningly worded secrecy clause, referring to Californian Law (for a UK purchase) no less!

I was reasonable & willing to negotiate, & not even insisting they compensate fully for all my lost income, but they refused even to compensate me for the cost of my (expensive) phone calls to their premium rate support number (which they bill as 'complimentary' support by the way)!

Utter disgrace! Worst consumer experience of my life, by a long, long way!

Unfortunatley for me, small claims court will only waste more of my time, & a consumer lawyer advised me that under UK law, the amount of compensation I'd be awarded is at the judges discretion & apparently they rarely award full income lost even if you can prove the figures!

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January 8, 2010 11:39 PM

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I believe Apple did this, because I have had nothing but Apple computers/products since 1992 when I bought my first Apple computer-and know their products are excellent. Good customer service when I had to call with questions. Let's face it, they know their products are top notch, so the employees are loyal also. That has to make their job easier, because they are focused on keeping customers happy so they go the extra mile for us. I use my computer every day; right now I have the MacBook Pro laptop and an iMac G4 desktop. I love Apple products, had to get the iPod touch when it came out. Their stuff lasts, and it takes a beating. I've never had anything major that needed a repair; but have had to get power cords replaced for laptops. My friends and family with PC's are always having problems; and trying to get help from customer service, or warranty repairs is a nightmare for them. And taking a computer in to the shop to get viruses removed is something I don't have to worry about. Apple has sure made my life easier.

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April 26, 2010 6:46 PM

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Although AppleCare does cover many issues, it doesn’t cover them all. If you are looking for better or (sometimes) longer lasting coverage you should instead go with a reputable company like SquareTrade to cover your Apple products. They are cheaper and they cover things that Apple won’t, like when I dropped my iPhone and cracked the screen. Their website is: http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/applecare

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May 17, 2010 11:05 PM

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My previous EMac computer crashed-I'd had it for quite a few years already. My dad bought me a Mac Mini,and he bought the Apple Care Warranty for it-As he does for all his Mac computers. Believe,given the fact that computers are supposed to last for quite some time,the Apple Care Warranty is worth buying.

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July 12, 2010 2:10 AM

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I just bought a Macbook Pro and ended up getting the AppleCare based on everyone's recommendation. However, doesn't it worry people that everyone says you need it so bad? Like the commenter who wrote almost all his components needed replacing. How cheap are the components Apple is using? I have an 9 year old Toshiba laptop still going strong, never once needed anything.

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