Be prepared to wait for a hardware fix
Just received an update from my local apple store regarding the graphic card replacement. Lets just say that the news is disappointing but not surprising.
The "genius" says that they are having a difficult time acquiring a new card. They have called the other apple stores in the area and no luck (the graphics card they ordered from apple is on backorder). He said it could take an additional week before they have one.
So it appears that more and more people are getting fed up waiting for the next magical software update and having apple repair them. If you are thinking about getting the computer fixed via hardware be prepared for a longer wait.
What a pain...