[BC] Warning on Apple

[James Snyder]

I've never had this kind of trouble with Apple products and I've been 
using the Macintosh line since 1990.  I've never had a problem 
getting parts when needed, and I've found that signing up for the 
Apple Care program for laptops is money very well spent and is one of 
the few "protection" programs for electronics actually worth the 
money.  The only thing it doesn't cover is abuse damage and LCD 
screen cracks (which nobody covers since it happens so often...they 
are glass after all).

I have run into date issues with Apple when dealing with warranty 
protection, and that is because their computers list items by serial 
number and when they were SHIPPED, not when they were purchased.  All 
I have to do when there is a date issue is send them a photocopy of 
my purchase receipt or purchase req and the issue goes away.

Although I do send in my mail-in rebates, I usually only buy items 
that have an 'instant rebate' or none at all.

 From an operational perspective, all of my PowerBooks have been very 
well designed and some of them (like the Wall Street model and my 
current TiBook) have been built like tanks and have taken a lot of 
abuse in my extensive travels around the world.  Even running Windows 
in emulation has been better than lugging a company Wintel laptop 
computer around with me.

I absolutely recommend PowerBooks and Macintosh in general to anyone 
who wants to give it a try, with the caveat which applies to ALL 
electronic equipment in my experience: 10% will fail out of the box, 
another 5% will have problems in the first 30 days, another 5% will 
have problems in the first 90 days.  After 90 days, you are usually 
golden and only have problems if you damage the computer in normal 
use (like dropping it in a TSA airport screening line!).

If you can accept that kind of risk, the machine is worth purchasing.

James Snyder


><x-flowed>Hey folks,
>    Just thought I'd send you out a warning on Apple.  First thing was a
>PowerBook that was 6 weeks old that went bad.  Took them over 3 weeks to
>get the parts to fix it.  Power supply input issues which I'm now told
>is a known problem with their laptop machines.  Second issue is their so
>called rebate.  If you buy a machine they'll give you an iPod or a
>rebate to cover the cost of one right?  Wrong  Seems they are selective
>in who they will pay and I'm not one of their chosen few.  The only
>thing I have been able to get out of them is they don't like the date it
>was sent on.  I asked why and she says she doesn't know why. I said it
>was within a week of purchase and you state I have 45 days she says she
>knows that but can't change the order to decline.  So basically I have
>no rebate and a machine that is now just over 2 months old that has
>spent nearly half it's life in the shop.  I started talking to others on
>campus and I'm hearing all sorts of nightmare stories on Apple and not
>having parts needed for repairs.  One of the guys says they have had his
>iBook for over a month and can't give him a return date because his
>parts are back ordered.  With that said you have been warned.  Just when
>I thought they were on their way up they take a plunge off the edge of
>this flat world into oblivion.  Never again for this guy or any facility
>he ever touches.
>Rant off
>Later
>Mike
>
>P.S.  During this time we had a drive issue with a Dell laptop and less
>than 3 hours after I called a guy walked through the door and fixed it
>and walked out.  Wonder who I'll buy from next time?