[drewprops]

So my 1.67Mhz Powerbook (bought new in '04) has had its 2nd motherboard just go tits-up. I took it to the shop today (GREAT shop, btw) and this afternoon I got a call from their resident Wizard who explained that the replacement for the replacement arrived DOA. He had to send the part back and requisition ANOTHER one (which will make the 4th board to go into this unit).

So if you count the one that was temporarily in the machine today that makes 3 dead motherboards for this model in three years.
Plus, they had to replace the DVD drive on it sometime last year.

With my Apple Care running out sometime within the year I fear for what I'll do the NEXT time the motherboard dies (for it will surely die).

What's the opinion of the peanut gallery on this one?
At what point do I freak out and ask for Apple to help me figure out what I'm going to do?
As a stockholder I'm not out to jam the company, but this machine is becoming redolent with the aroma of citrus....



Oh, and I can't reply to any questions until I get back to my work machine tomorrow!!
.

[PB PM]

I believe after four repairs you can request a replacement.

[evan]

just curious... what's the symptoms of a motherboard failure (in G4 powerbooks)?

[apple007]

Sorry for the problems. I had some issues about 10 years ago with a 5300 and it was an ugly, frustrating time.

That said, at this point, it seems like Apple has held up their end of the bargain so far. It's kind of a stretch to say you've had "three" dead motherboards since the repair guy was honest with you and didn't ship it back to you with a DOA motherboard.

I'd just make sure to keep an eye on the AppleCare expiration date and make sure any issues are taken care of before you're flying naked, so to speak. (And/or, if you have another major issue before then, that might be enough to trigger some goodwill from Apple.)

[kscherer]

Apple gets to decide when they actually replace the computer. But that can be expedited with some good, old fashioned griping!

[Wyatt]

Drew, you're in e-mail Steve Jobs territory. Seriously. Be nice, but let him know that you're very disappointed with the problems you've had with this machine and that you'd like a replacement.

It doesn't work every time, but it does work some times.

[apple007]

Originally Posted by fcgriz Drew, you're in e-mail Steve Jobs territory. Seriously. Be nice, but let him know that you're very disappointed with the problems you've had with this machine and that you'd like a replacement. It doesn't work every time, but it does work some times.

With AppleCare still in effect, I disagree. Apple seems to treat people right in these types of cases, but you need to spend your bullets wisely. This is at least a 3-year-old machine that has had two motherboards die, which probably has meant maybe 7-10 total days of downtime. That's not the ultimate Apple experience, but it's also not horrendous compared to people who buy an MBP and need to send it in three times in the first 3 months of ownership.

I suppose emailing Jobs couldn't hurt, but the older the machine, the less likely you're going to get an offer to replace it -- especially if you still have AppleCare in effect and the PB has been returned to you in working condition.

[julesstoop]

A service engineer working with a large Apple reseller in Amsterdam managed to get me my present MBP from Apple (replacement for a PowerBook with a repeatedly faulty screen) simply by writing the right kind of complaint to his Apple representative within a specific communication application they (authorized service engineers) seem to have to communicate customer complaints to Apple.

The message he conveyed was simple: this - upon until now - very understanding and patient customer (me) is fed-up with the repeated problems with his Powerbook and asks for a permanent and satisfactory solution. We can't help him any more, may I offer him a replacement machine on Apple's behalf?

He got a positive answer within a day or two.

[psmith2.0]

I'd begin to push a little, drew.

That's quite ridiculous, IMO, and it has all the markings of a lemon machine. I've had my PowerBook since October 2003 and haven't had a single problem whatsoever, so you've obviously come across a questionable, defective unit...it's not supposed to be that way. And after three times, that - to me - is the official "horseshit" cut-off point, and when I start making a few calls/writing a few letters.

You paid good money for this product, and you use it to make your living...you shouldn't have to be worrying every single day about such things.

One motherboard failure? Hey, it happens to the best of us...just bad luck. Two? Hmmm...that would get me a bit edgy and concerned. But three? Screw that...pick up the phone and make some threats, drop some names, etc.



j/k

But I would start investigating some routes to take. If I was about to put a third (fourth?) motherboard into a machine that was less than three-years-old, I'd be completely out of patience and understanding at this point. But that's just me...I'm low on patience and understanding to begin with, so YMMV.

[apple007]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 One motherboard failure? Hey, it happens to the best of us...just bad luck. Two? Hmmm...that would get me a bit edgy and concerned. But three? ...

The third one was simply DOA at the repair place and apparently never made it into his PB.

I'm certainly sympathetic, I just think it would be wiser to wait a little longer and see if another problem pops up while it's still under AppleCare. If so, I'd immediately be on the phone with Apple complaining that I'm a mobile professional whose PB is in the shop for the __th time and I'm fed up.

Otherwise, he's ostensibly going to have his PB back, in working order and still under AppleCare, very soon, and he runs the risk of looking like a guy with a working 3-plus-year-old PB who simply likes the look of the new MBPs and is angling for a free upgrade. (From what I've heard, requests for replacements tend to spike right after Apple announces new models.)

Either way, good luck. I've been through it and it's not fun.

[Mac+]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 ... [snip] ... I've had my PowerBook since October 2003 and haven't had a single problem whatsoever ... [snip] ...

Didn't you eventually get the screen spots at some point, like most other PBs from that era were sufferring?

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by apple007 The third one was simply DOA at the repair place and apparently never made it into his PB.

Just a strange thought, but how did they know it was DOA if they never installed it?

[apple007]

Originally Posted by PB PM Just a strange thought, but how did they know it was DOA if they never installed it?

The OP said it arrived DOA and then said it was in his PB temporarily.

I'm not a techie by any means ... what could cause multiple motherboard failures, anyway? Is this just dumb luck happening twice on the same unit, or could it be a power management issue or something like that? (And if the latter, wouldn't the problem manifest itself a lot more frequently than once every 1.5 years?)

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by Mac+ Didn't you eventually get the screen spots at some point, like most other PBs from that era were sufferring?

I thought I did, but I'm looking at it right now and it's really hard for me to see where they are. I probably should've clarified a bit and stressed the mechanical/functional aspect (motherboard, ports, drives, wireless, keyboard, etc.) all working wonderfully with no problems.



Definitely never had any issues like Drew (and others) have had. Never had to take advantage of AppleCare, in other words.

I cleared my desktop a few seconds ago, dropped a medium-gray background on. It's weird...if I sit back and kinda look to the side or above the display, I get the faintest hint of those diamond-shaped spot clusters, but it's very weak. When I look at the screen, I don't see them.

And when I have my Mail, iTunes, Safari, etc. windows all in place (like I do most of the time), I don't notice any spots. I wonder if that's something, over the course of three years, that can lessen or lighten? It must not have bothered me too bad because I never sent it in for screen replacement (they were offering that for a while.



I remember at one time, well over two years ago, they seemed more sharply defined and easier to see. I have to look for them now it, seems. And even then they're not easy to see.

[drewprops]

Logged in using a borrowed machine.... ahhh, the internet
::soaking it up::


Absolutely!!
I agree with the assessment that the THIRD motherboard didn't go defective inside my machine, while under my care. That was a bit of a stretch on my part.

While it's troubling that they shipped the licensed Apple Repair Team a broken component, it IS the real world and shit happens. Still, it frightens me that I might be looking at large expenses if I find myself repairing this device on my own nickel, months after my Apple Care has expired.

At the very least I'm going to phone up Apple to confirm the remaining time I have left under the extended warranty period of Apple Care, while sharing my concern over a recurrant known problem with this particular model.

As I'm confident that no one will remember this incident in 100 years I've decided not to get all worked up about this

::goodnight sweet internet::

[apple007]

I'd definitely reconfirm the AppleCare expiration date. Hopefully you have at least a few more months for after you get your PB back.

Going forward, to me, the best time to hit Apple is when you're at your most sympathetic -- e.g., about 6 seconds after the next major problem/downtime. It's always better to hit them when you're in the middle of a crisis/downtime -- especially a non-AppleCare-covered crisis -- than when you have a newly-returned PB that's in working condition.

Again, been there with the problematic PB. I certainly sympathize and hope you have better luck going forward.

[drewprops]

Oy vey, new motherboard = all Adobe product registrations are wanked..... ARRRGGHHH!!!
I'm clicking the registration thing, but don't know if there's some kind of alarm bell going off in the Adobe bunker saying that somebody is using my copies of the software illegally.....

Oh shit, will this count as ONE MORE machine on my iTunes account??
If I have to replace many more motherboards all my iTunes allowances will be used up!!!

.

[AWR]

Originally Posted by drewprops As I'm confident that no one will remember this incident in 100 years I've decided not to get all worked up about this

Pure wisdom.

Listen up, you young-uns out there.

[Gargoyle]

WOW, Some of you peeps are really unlucky. I have had to send 1 powerbook in for repairs in the last 10 years... Lets have a think...

* Graphite iMac purchased in 1999, sold in 2000 in perfect working order (repaired in 2000 outside of 12 month warranty, by Apple FOC)
* White iMac the funny dome one purchased in 2002(Ish) (Went PC for a while to play games)
* Silver G4 PowerBook 15 inch purchased in 2003 (Still going strong (gf has it now) - has had 1 screen replacement due to uneven brightness)
* 20" iMac purchased in Jan 2006 sold in April 2006
* Black MacBook purchased in April 2006, still going strong (HD Died last week but for £30 I decided to replace myself not send to Apple even though HD has 5 year warranty)

OK, not quote 10 years, but not far off now

[PB PM]

Yup some people are very unlucky indeed. I've never had an HDD fail in one of my machines. G4 tower is 7 years old this July with no hardware failure, had an iBook G4 for 15 months, no hardware problems, and no problems (knock on wood) with my 6 month old MBP. My folks had to use Applecare once with their G3 tower, but it was a minor problem.

[dapole]

I have been trying to get a replacement for my powerbook for a while. I have a last model powerbook, and have had my fans fail 4 times, 2 hd failures, and 1 superdrive replacement. I just had my superdrive fail again, so its time to go visit my local genius bar and see if I can find a nice genius.

[Kyros]

I'd express my concern over the Applecare expiration and kindly inquire whether you could get a replacement. If they tell you that they don't want to give you a replacement until your applecare expires, make sure that you really will get a free replacement if you have further problems, and I would say that it is not unreasonable to see that in writing. From what I hear, as long as you are reasonable and get a half-decent guy on the other end, free replacements in these situations are not uncommon.