Am I at the replacement stage?

Just tried calling the guy. None of the information I had to get through to him was right. The info I had said call XXX and then hit option 8 and then extension XXX but there were only 5 options...no option 8, and then no place to put in an extension.:confused:

So I ended up just getting transferred to a general Apple guy here in my country who's not executive relations and he's checking things out and going to call me back.:confused:

I have to go to work very soon.
 
OK I did get through...the guy I talked to this morning said that #8 was a hidden option. I had tried to press it before anyway when it didn't give me choices and it said that was no good, so I called back and waited til the operator finished with the menu options and then it accepted pressing 8 and I got through to the guy.

He was super nice, and was like yeah usually we don't repair machines this many times, there comes a financial point where it's just not feasible for Apple or the customer to bother with this...so he said what he was going to do was the call the Apple store here where most of the service has been done and verify the service history because his computer was only showing one logic board instead of three (thankfully I've got my papers) so he wants to see what the deal is if they aren't logging repairs properly in the system. He said it was odd even at the store level that they weren't willing to do something other than send in the machine for the third display so he thinks it may have something to do with issues logging the history so he's going to straighten that out and get back to me.
 
Thanks, he seems a bit surprised that Apple keeps wanting to repair it.

I have a feeling though that he may be waiting a while to hear back from the store manager he emailed since people in this country at times seem email incompetent...

Hopefully I hear something soon though, he's just trying to verify the history of the repairs and then will make a recommendation (I should've offered to give him the repair numbers when he said he couldn't get a hold of the store manager, ah well.
 
Actually just heard back. He said he spoke with the manager last night and they were able to arrive at a solution; I asked what it was but he said he would let the store manager tell me about it since he has turned the case over to him now (though he will still keep his open and stay in contact with me and follow up if I don't hear by Monday) and I should hopefully hear within the next 24 hours.
 
That seems ridiculously cryptic.

Maybe the store manager is going to let you have your next birthday party there. LOL

Seriously though, they are probably just going to have you go to the store and pick up a new MBP.

Sounds like an acceptable solution is in the work. LAME LAME LAME that they aren't telling you what it is now, though.
 
FireMedic13 said:
That seems ridiculously cryptic.

Maybe the store manager is going to let you have your next birthday party there. LOL

Seriously though, they are probably just going to have you go to the store and pick up a new MBP.

Sounds like an acceptable solution is in the work. LAME LAME LAME that they aren't telling you what it is now, though.
Click to expand...

Hahaha, I agree. I figure well, I've already said another repair isn't acceptable and the exec relations guy know I don't want that, so what else could it be that they agreed on?

FTR though it'll end up being a CTO if they do replace it since I want some options. I'm really hoping the store manager calls me today, otherwise I have to wait til Monday to contact my rep again and have him follow up. I found it weird that they turned it back over to the store, but I dunno maybe that's just what they do.

Really curious to know what it is!
 
Don't bet on being able to custom order one. The policy is that they will replace what you had with either the same exact product or the closest thing to it. When my Powerbook ended up being replaced, the one I had was no longer in production so I was given the next comparable model, which ended up being an upgrade. If your current machine was a custom order, I'm not sure how it will be handled. the fact that you are going to the store leads me to think that they will give you something out of stock. My replacement was handled through Corp. Customer Care and I needed to sign a few docs and had to fax them to Apple.
 
FireMedic13 said:
Don't bet on being able to custom order one. The policy is that they will replace what you had with either the same exact product or the closest thing to it. When my Powerbook ended up being replaced, the one I had was no longer in production so I was given the next comparable model, which ended up being an upgrade. If your current machine was a custom order, I'm not sure how it will be handled. the fact that you are going to the store leads me to think that they will give you something out of stock. My replacement was handled through Corp. Customer Care and I needed to sign a few docs and had to fax them to Apple.
Click to expand...

I should be able to do a paid upgrade though, no? I've seen many people do that to customize on top of whatever configuration they give you as a replacement.

My current specs are (original 08 unibody):

--2.8 GHz (max CTO option at the time)
--320 GB HDD @ 7200 RPM (max CTO option at the time)
--4 GB RAM (max CTO option at the time but irrelevant now since it's standard)
--512 MB VRAM
--ExpressCard

So the way I see it, forgetting about clock speed matching, the replacement should either be:

1)

--15 inch
--2.66 GHz i7 (512 MB VRAM)
--4 GB RAM
--500 GB @ 7200 RPM (gotta match the HDD speed)

or (perhaps this is a "truer" feature for feature replacement):

2)

--17 inch
--2.53 GHz i5 (i5 in the 17 has 512 MB VRAM but the i5 in the 15 is only 256)
--4 GB RAM
--500 GB HDD @ 7200 RPM
--ExpressCard

Because of the hard drive, either way it would have to be a CTO machine just for a basic replacement, forgetting about my own customization. A further quirk is I need an English keyboard, which even on standard configs isn't *always* available here...it's hit or miss I believe.

If I were to get a 15 inch, I would like to pay for the hi-res glossy screen. If I were to get a 17 inch, I would like to pay for the i7, further forcing CTO on both. I do use expresscard a lot for esata and CF cards--it would be hard to lose it so I'd need to think about it (if offered) because 17" is a huge machine. I'd like to pay for 8 GB of RAM but I have other things to pay for (possible engagement ring?) so I can manage without it for now and upgrade later, though it would be really nice to get it from the factory.

I should be able to get from what they offer to what I want exactly by paying for the difference, correct?

But all the above aside, I've still yet to find out what the proposed solution is...no guarantee it's a replacement machine at this point.
 
I honestly don't have a clue what will happen. I do know that they try to give you something out of stock that closest resembles your machine. That was how it was for me but that was over 4 years ago. So I guess you'll just have to wait and see.
 
Still no call. Bummer. I could call them but I don't want to be pushy since I know the store is a complete zoo on weekends, exec relations said the store should get in touch with me by yesterday, and if they don't by Monday, get a hold of exec relations again and he would follow up. Really would like to know what the proposed solution is, particularly if it involves going to the store since I can only get there on weekends.
 
puma1552 said:
Still no call. Bummer. I could call them but I don't want to be pushy since I know the store is a complete zoo on weekends, exec relations said the store should get in touch with me by yesterday, and if they don't by Monday, get a hold of exec relations again and he would follow up. Really would like to know what the proposed solution is, particularly if it involves going to the store since I can only get there on weekends.
Click to expand...

I've been following your story for a week or so now. Dude, tough breaks. BUT you are so close. I'd just sit tight. You got the corporate exec guy on your side. Do as he says and I'm sure it'll work out fine.
 
Mac-key said:
I've been following your story for a week or so now. Dude, tough breaks. BUT you are so close. I'd just sit tight. You got the corporate exec guy on your side. Do as he says and I'm sure it'll work out fine.
Click to expand...

Yeah, if I don't hear today then I'll just let him know tomorrow morning and then he said he will follow up on it, at that point I think things will really get moving. Getting anxious to know what the solution is.
 
Just got a call from a genius.

They are going to replace the machine.

But, they want to replace it with a low-end 2.4 Core i5, 320 GB @ 5400 RPM, 4 GB RAM, 256 MB VRAM, 15" machine.

So the hard drive is a downgrade because mine is 7200 RPM, and the VRAM is a serious downgrade. I also lose the expresscard that I need.

I said the HDD was a downgrade and they were like "Hmmm this is the only computer we can give you" and then they told me 256 MB VRAM and I said that's a big downgrade and he tried to tell me that it was a smaller number but better RAM which I don't think is the case--the card itself might be better, but VRAM is VRAM, and they are only offering me half of it. I then told him I need my expresscard and he said it was impossible since they don't have it anymore and I said they do on the 17 and he said it was impossible to give me a 17 inch machine because mine was a 15 inch machine.

So basically they want to give me a machine that's a downgrade in three areas.

Thoughts? Particularly on the VRAM?

He said he would have to talk to his store manager again and that it would "take a few days" before he calls me back.

EDIT: He just called me back, said the manager said nope, take it or leave it, the other option is repair my computer.
 
You have an broken ass crappy old 2008 machine and they're offering you a brand new Core i5 and you're calling it a downgrade?

I think you started getting greedy thinking you deserve a 17" because of the expresscard slot and VRAM. What do you use the extra VRAM for? Those lesson plans? If whatever device you use the express card slot is more important than a new core i5, then get your machine fixed yet again. Otherwise, get a USB version of that device.

Upgrade the hard drive and be happy you got a new computer for free. I'd surely give up 256MB of VRAM I don't use and an expresscard slot for a core i5.
 
//shrug

I was certain they would have given you atleast a 15" i7 (w/ 512 vRam) and maybe even the 17" because of the expresscard slot (which really isn't even a stretch).

Guess its up to you to decide whether or not the faster architecture brought by the core i series is worth 256 mb vram , ex and slower disk, but you dislike the size of the 17 inch....cf cards can be replaced by firewire 800 solutions. eSata obviously not so much.

Sounds like it may just be best to give your machine another repair.

btw, depending on what you actually do with your machine, the vram isn't really that big of a deal. If you play games, then it probably isn't a big deal. if you dual screen with a 30" display or use photoshop CS4/5 with multiple layers then it's a very big deal since opengl features change depending on the amount of vram available, etc.
 
Let's be fair here…

The fact that you've been looking for a replacement means you should have thought about the possibility that you would be getting the base configuration.

The base configuration is faster than your older machine. I'm sure Apple will happy to fix it again for you if you are not satisfied with the replacement you're offered.
 
sdsvtdriver said:
You have an broken ass crappy old 2008 machine and they're offering you a brand new Core i5 and you're calling it a downgrade?

I think you started getting greedy thinking you deserve a 17" because of the expresscard slot and VRAM. What do you use the extra VRAM for? Those lesson plans? If whatever device you use the express card slot is more important than a new core i5, then get your machine fixed yet again. Otherwise, get a USB version of that device.

Upgrade the hard drive and be happy you got a new computer for free. I'd surely give up 256MB of VRAM I don't use and an expresscard slot for a core i5.
Click to expand...

Of course I don't use it for lesson plans.

--Adobe (photo/video)
--External monitor
--Gaming

As an example, the 256 doesn't cut it even just watching a movie on the ACD at full screen--it gets very choppy and stutters, and always need to switch to the discreet card. Maybe you would give up expresscard and half of your VRAM, but not everyone else would.

Eddyisgreat said:
//shrug

I was certain they would have given you atleast a 15" i7 (w/ 512 vRam) and maybe even the 17" because of the expresscard slot (which really isn't even a stretch).

Guess its up to you to decide whether or not the faster architecture brought by the core i series is worth 256 mb vram , ex and slower disk, but you dislike the size of the 17 inch....cf cards can be replaced by firewire 800 solutions. eSata obviously not so much.

Sounds like it may just be best to give your machine another repair.

btw, depending on what you actually do with your machine, the vram isn't really that big of a deal. If you play games, then it probably isn't a big deal. if you dual screen with a 30" display or use photoshop CS4/5 with multiple layers then it's a very big deal since opengl features change depending on the amount of vram available, etc.
Click to expand...

Is a 2.4 GHz Core i5 even that much faster than a 2.8 C2D? I don't think it's much different (which is moot anyway because it would be the closest feature-for-feature processor)?

I don't know--I paid for these features for a reason, that being that I have used and needed them and will continue to need and use them. In any regards, I told the store to just hold off for now because I want to discuss this a bit more with executive relations.

alphaod said:
Let's be fair here…

The fact that you've been looking for a replacement means you should have thought about the possibility that you would be getting the base configuration.

The base configuration is faster than your older machine. I'm sure Apple will happy to fix it again for you if you are not satisfied with the replacement you're offered.
Click to expand...

It actually didn't even cross my mind because it seems like every post I see about replacements are about Apple's 'feature-for-feature' and 'never downgrade' policy.

I'm not going to repair this computer again. I'll take the replacement, but I want to talk about it a bit more with AppleCare.

EDIT: for the record I AM thrilled that they are replacing my machine perhaps more than I made it seem, but I just thought it would be with something closer to what I have given the experiences I've read about with everyone else who's been down this road.
 
Osarkon said:
Why not compromise, and offer to pay the difference to get the 17" ?
Click to expand...

That may be possible, as I want to do a paid upgrade anyway on whatever they do give me because on a 15" machine I want a hi res screen, and on a 17" machine I would happily pay to get the i7. Thing is, both of those options are CTO and the store is offering the replacement, not AppleCare. Although I want to do a paid upgrade regardless, I also would like to minimize the amount out of pocket to do so.

That was one thing that we didn't get around to discussing today--what becomes of my remaining AppleCare and what about if I want to do a paid upgrade. Ideally I would assume they would refund the remaining AppleCare, and then I could apply that to any paid upgrade I'd like to do. However since the offer is coming from the store it doesn't appear that I have a chance to do any kind of paid upgrade, but I'm not sure. I just asked about that in the email I sent to ER so we will see what they say.

Like I said, I just want a replacement that is close to what I have, not downgraded, and in several areas at that. I'm not trying to be greedy--you have to keep in mind, until April of this year, 1.5 years after I bought it, my computer was still the high end configuration in Apple's line up, so it hasn't fallen that far--it's still a pretty high end computer by the standards of Apple's current line up, and IMO it should be replaced with something similar; I'm not looking at this as "I bought the top CTO, so I should get the top CTO now." Not at all. I should get the closest match to what I have, which because Apple updates so infrequently, the closest match to what I have is still a higher end machine. Part of the reason for this is because Apple updates pretty infrequently, and part of the reason is because the original unibodies were strong, each with 512 MB VRAM on the discreet graphics chip, and all with expresscard slots, and Apple chose to delete the expresscards entirely, and halve the VRAM on all but the high end model, and not even include a discreet chip on the lowest one. In other words, Apple went backwards bigtime on what they offered in their machines. So using the closest machine to my current one as a starting point, I then would want to add a paid upgrade.

Again I'm happy to be getting a replacement, I just want the features I paid for. I've had too many hassles and too many headaches with this machine, the least they could do for all my trouble is give me the same features in the replacement.
 
Or alternatively if they can't do that, which is reasonable as it's coming from store, perhaps they could refund you the original cost of your machine in apple store vouchers, allowing you to order a new CTO one?

Seeing as you want to spend even more money with them they should be happy in theory?
 
That would be awesome given that this machine was almost $3k with AppleCare and they have since cut features and prices quite a bit. That would never happen though lol.

I sent the ER guy a nice email that was just saying I really appreciate the replacement but given what I've seen about replacements I was thinking the closest match would be this or that, and these things are important to me, what do you think?

So I'm sure I'll hear tomorrow morning, he's been great about being timely and getting back to me on stuff through this whole process.

EDIT: But yeah, as you said any paid upgrade represents a profit margin which helps offset the price of the replacement on their end so yeah in theory they should be happy if someone wants to do a paid upgrade on top of a replacement machine.
 
And of course if they refuse to budge you can just take the replacement, sell it, and use the funds towards the better one anyway.
 
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