Aaaaaaaaaargh, Battery!!!

[TommyLee]

first is was iBooks, then is was ipods, now it's Macbooks.

WHEN WILL APPLE STOP?!

I heard somewhere that Apple would replace the original Macbook battery free of charge even though AppleCare was expired. Is that true? If so, what hoops of fire must i jump though to get that?

[karenflower]

Here's what Apple says:

http://www.apple.com/support/macbook...batteryupdate/

If you have any of the listed problems, and you've had your Macbook less than 2 years, take it to an Apple Store or call them and you'll get a new one free.

Edit: And no, I don't think it's a scam. It's not unusual for defects to occur when a new product is introduced.

[iTim314]

Battery technology is far from perfect, and there are too many possibilities that would cause a faulty, or slightly defective battery.

As far as getting a new battery, simply go to the Apple store, tell them you need a new battery, they'll do a few checks and give/ship you a new one.

[ZiggyPastorius]

I don't understand your concern, as you didn't describe your problem very well...A battery fails occasionally, so you think Apple is purposely putting faulty batteries to make the customer pay more money? Don't you think if your 1 year of Apple Care is gone and you're having battery problems, it may not be because it's faulty? Or if it is, maybe you could just try calling them, instead of wondering what hoops you may have to jump through? All just speculation on my part, as I really have no idea what the issue is.

[TommyLee]

Originally Posted by ZiggyPastorius

you think Apple is purposely putting faulty batteries to make the customer pay more money?

look at their track record with THE IPOD:

Originally Posted by wikipedia

Battery issues

The advertised battery life on most models is different from the real-world achievable life. For example, the fifth generation 30 GB iPod is advertised as having up to 14 hours of music playback. An MP3.com report stated that this was virtually unachievable under real-life usage conditions, with a writer for MP3.com getting on average less than 8 hours from his or her iPod.[31] In 2003, class action lawsuits were brought against Apple complaining that the battery charges lasted for shorter lengths of time than stated and that the battery degraded over time.[32] The lawsuits were settled by offering individuals either US$50 store credit or a free battery replacement.[33]

iPod batteries are not designed to be removed or replaced by the user, although some users have been able to open the case themselves, usually following instructions from third-party vendors of iPod replacement batteries. Compounding the problem, Apple initially would not replace worn-out batteries. The official policy was that the customer should buy a refurbished replacement iPod, at a cost almost equivalent to a brand new one. All lithium-ion batteries eventually lose capacity during their lifetime[34] (guidelines are available for prolonging life-span) and this situation led to a small market for third-party battery replacement kits.

Apple announced a battery replacement program on November 14, 2003, a week before[35] a high publicity stunt and website by the Neistat Brothers.[36] The initial cost was US$99,[37] and it was lowered to US$59 in 2005. One week later, Apple offered an extended iPod warranty for US$59.[38] For the iPod nano, soldering tools are needed because the battery is soldered onto the main board. Fifth generation iPods have their battery attached to the backplate with adhesive.[39][40]

[mkrishnan]

The iBook batteries had a (rare, but documented) fire issue caused by supplier process. That's well documented, and it hit others (Dell, particularly) harder than Apple. It wasn't a conspiracy. Aside from that, they were, by design, excellent batteries -- long, consistent battery lifetimes -- and the recalled ones were replaced for free.

[TommyLee]

Oh, I'm not done...

Originally Posted by wikipedia

iPods have been criticized for their short life-span, fragile hard drives, and planned obsolescence.[52][53] A 2005 survey conducted on the MacInTouch website found that the iPod had an average failure rate of 13.7%. It concluded that some models were more durable than others.[54] In particular, failure rates for iPods employing hard drives was usually above 20% while those with flash memory had a failure rate below 10%, indicating poor hard drive durability. In late 2005, many users complained that the surface of the first generation iPod nano can become scratched easily, rendering the screen unusable.[55][56] A class action lawsuit was also filed.[57] Apple initially considered the issue a minor defect, but later began shipping these iPods with protective sleeves.

the original iPod held 10GB and now it's up to 160. The technology's sitting on the shelf in Japan waiting for next Christmas when they release the 200GB model.

don't even get me started on notebook logic boards.

[mkrishnan]

So basically, you're going to rant until one of us loses patience with it, and we wasteland this thread?

[ryannel2003]

Batteries die, and even Apple isn't immune to that. I had an HP laptop with a battery that lasted 4 months before it started losing charge. During that time, I had an iBook G4 with a battery that still carried at 100% charge after 4 months. I've had 7 iPod's and never dealt with any of these battery issues.

[TommyLee]

For 14 years, I've spent well over $10k on Apple... My story needs to be heard.

Originally Posted by wikipedia

The MacBook and MacBook Pro series of laptop computers in particular drew considerable criticism for problems associated with malfunctioning fans, surface discolouration, excessive heat production, and warping cases and batteries, particularly among "revision A" models. The Dublin office of the European Consumer Centre (ECC) consumer body has reported a rise in complaints about products made by Apple, many of which relate to an alleged design fault in some Apple laptops that causes the computer to break down after a year's usage, just outside the company's warranty period. ECC Dublin claims there is a problem with "built-in obsolescence" in some well-known Apple products such as laptops and iPods.[90] It is difficult to estimate the proportion of faults per unit shipped due to the naturally self-selecting tendency of the sample of a consumer base reporting faults. However, the existence of a website, AppleDefects.com, dedicated solely to the discussion of faults with Apple's post-Intel transition product portfolio would appear to vindicate some of the claims being made.[91][92] In conjunction with the above, Apple has been criticised for treating early adopters of new hardware like "guinea pigs" - in effect using their experiences to iron out bugs in subsequent revisions. One website states that "The conventional wisdom is to not buy "Rev A" Apple hardware".[93] The iPhone was particularly subject to this accusation after the price of the phone was reduced by $200 just two months after its release, resulting in a flood of complaints to Apple.[94] Apple did however attempt to rectify complaints by offering $100 store credit to early iPhone customers.

[clevin]

Originally Posted by karenflower

Here's what Apple says:

http://www.apple.com/support/macbook...batteryupdate/

If you have any of the listed problems, and you've had your Macbook less than 2 years, take it to an Apple Store or call them and you'll get a new one free.

i might add, since I have personal experience.

when apple said in that page "couldn't hold charge"

they mean "battery die in ~ 10 minutes".

My 22months old MB's battery only holds 1.5hrs (doing so 5 months ago already), and apple rep refuse to exchange it, saying its "acceptable".

[TommyLee]

Originally Posted by ryannel2003

Batteries die, and even Apple isn't immune to that. I had an HP laptop with a battery that lasted 4 months before it started losing charge. During that time, I had an iBook G4 with a battery that still carried at 100% charge after 4 months. I've had 7 iPod's and never dealt with any of these battery issues.

Listen to yourself.

I've also got an HP. My battery works fine. I believe yours doesn't. HP should stand behind their product. Apple tries to sweep their mistakes under the carpet. Before iPods Apple was a very accessable company that loved to help their customers.

I feel like Apple should give me a new Macbook Pro. The Macbook 1,1 i have doesn't hold a battery life for over 10 minutes, the audio is almost non existant and here's a picture of my screen:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4...3924pk1.th.jpg

[MacHappytjg]

well mine was dead when i bought it but it was a floor model at the local bestbuy but the idiot who put it on display ****ing left the battery but i could care less cause i bought it for like 400 less than it was worth and they gave me a mbp charger on top of that but since it was registered to bestbuy i couldnt get a free one so i went down to the local apple seller machelper (apple store of winnipeg but not really) and they lik got in bestbuys warntee and got me a big discount from the actual price but it didnt matter

[ryannel2003]

Originally Posted by TommyLee

Listen to yourself.

I've also got an HP. My battery works fine. I believe yours doesn't. HP should stand behind their product. Apple tries to sweep their mistakes under the carpet.

Before iPods Apple was a very accessable company that loved to help their customers.

I can understand your frustration, but I've deal with Apple since 2004 and they have always been helpful and informative. I received a defective iPod Mini 3 years ago and they were glad to swap it out for another. Turns out, they next 2 they shipped me were defective as well. Every time I called they were polite and helpful, and its the same situation when visiting their stores. I eventually got a perfect iPod Mini and it really helped me respect Apple even more.

As for HP Support, all I'll say is that its terrible. Along with that, the last 2 laptops i've purchased have had piss poor built quality. I'll go with Apple's superior support and products, even if they sometimes "sweep problems under the carpet"

[clevin]

Originally Posted by ryannel2003

I received a defective iPod Mini 3 years ago and they were glad to swap it out for another. Turns out, they next 2 they shipped me were defective as well.

...mmmm....I can't imagine being happy and consider "good quality" when I got two consecutive defect products, no matter how nice the rep on the phone. I think you are a very kind person

PS. why my rep wasn't that nice? they guy who took my call about battery was a total ....., he didn't even know his own policy... and I had to tell him letter by letter the url to that page...

[ryannel2003]

Originally Posted by clevin

...mmmm....I can't imagine being happy and consider "good quality" when I got two consecutive defect products, no matter how nice the rep on the phone. I think you are a very kind person

PS. why my rep wasn't that nice? they guy who took my call about battery was a total ....., he didn't even know his own policy... and I had to tell him letter by letter the url to that page...

Haha, I can be a little "too patient" when it comes to Apple. I love the products to death, but I can say the support has gone down the drain in the past couple of years. I called a couple of months ago when my iMac didn't receive iLife '08 disks, and the wait to talk to somebody was 30 minutes. Hell, I could call years ago and I would be immediately connected to somebody. Guess this is what happens when a beloved company continues to expand.

I hope my MacBook doesn't have any of these issues. I hate calling tech support lines, pretty damn annoying.

[TommyLee]

meanwhile, everyone's hyped up about the 3BG iphone when Apple has the 60GB iPhone sitting on the shelf for Fathers day 2010.

[Benjamindaines]

You realize that apple doesn't make any batteries right? They don't make any computer components... they just put them all together into a box and sell the final product. So if there are any defects in a battery it's the manufacture of the battery itself at fault.

[TommyLee]

WHO CARES?! THEY SELL THEM and my cycle Count is 277

[theLimit]

A cycle count of 277 is pretty high.

[MacHappytjg]

Originally Posted by Benjamindaines

You realize that apple doesn't make any batteries right? They don't make any computer components... they just put them all together into a box and sell the final product. So if there are any defects in a battery it's the manufacture of the battery itself at fault.

explains how it says apple battery on it but like ram and hdd and proccer and stuff like that they dont ...

[MacHappytjg]

Originally Posted by TommyLee

Listen to yourself.

I've also got an HP. My battery works fine. I believe yours doesn't. HP should stand behind their product. Apple tries to sweep their mistakes under the carpet. Before iPods Apple was a very accessable company that loved to help their customers.

I feel like Apple should give me a new Macbook Pro. The Macbook 1,1 i have doesn't hold a battery life for over 10 minutes, the audio is almost non existant and here's a picture of my screen:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4...3924pk1.th.jpg

ever think to send it or take it back to apple and bitch at them and they will probably send u a referb one thats waht they do with most of there things

[Benjamindaines]

Originally Posted by MacHappytjg

explains how it says apple battery on it but like ram and hdd and proccer and stuff like that they dont ...

I really hope you're not serious...


BTW, hard drives in Macs do have an apple logo on them .

[aethelbert]

Originally Posted by TommyLee

meanwhile, everyone's hyped up about the 3BG iphone when Apple has the 60GB iPhone sitting on the shelf for Fathers day 2010.

Yeah, maybe they should just sell it now and lose money on it... After all, they're only a business trying to make a profit...

[mags631]

it's = contraction of it and is
its = possessive of it

You wanted the latter in the survey text. Perhaps it had too high of a cycle count though.