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Am I destroying my computer or do I have a lemon?

N

nateharr

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 17, 2009
331
2
Ok, so this is my first Mac. It's an entry-level 13" Macbook Pro.

I love the thing to death and was incredibly excited when I got it. I have always loved iPods and my iPhone and decided to make the switch after waiting 36 hours for my iTunes library to sync.

Now, my baby has suffered its fair share of bumps and bruises. It now has a small dent on the top, a bump on the right palm rest and a ever so slightly warped corner on the screen. This didn't affect the LCD or glass.

Anyways, my MBP has been plagued with the stiff hinge creak since I've owned it. (I got it last September.)

I wrote it off and figured I would get used to it. Then, as I began using it things began to get sluggish. Safari crashes, iTunes freezes, most games and a few third-party programs will crash unexpectedly.

This isn't a random problem, it happens when I do very specific things. Typically they are graphically intensive.

Now, my trackpad has decided to stop clicking. I can hear the button clicking, and the multitouch, scrolling, and tapping all work. It just won't click when I click the button. I can tap to click, but that has always been hit-or-miss.

My Mac hasn't ever been near water or had anything spilled on it. It has however been in a very steamy bathroom against my will.

My question to you guys is, are these problems common?

I've searched and found a few of them addressed, but haven't really gotten a solution.

At the moment I'm saving for an external hard drive so I can back up my info and send it to Apple.

Also, I've always heard Apple has excellent customer service. But, I've also heard they will ignore some problems and right them off with their elitist attitude.

Would the bumps and scratches keep them from repairing my laptop?

Thanks for any and all help you can contribute. I appreciate any and all experience one my have with this situation.
 
A steamy room really wouldn't have done it any good..

As for the crashes, they are most likely to be software related. Try making a new user account and see how you get on.
 
It depends on your Genius. We can't really say anything here that would effect the outcome.
 
vant said:
It depends on your Genius. We can't really say anything here that would effect the outcome.
Click to expand...

That's another huge problem. While New York City just got it's fourth Apple Store, Louisiana only has one which is in Baton Rouge. I don't have 5 hours to drive down there, talk to someone, then have to drive another 5 hours home. Especially because the repair would take more than one day.
 
Steamy room could have done it. That's just asking for water damage.
 
goMac said:
Steamy room could have done it. That's just asking for water damage.
Click to expand...

I know. My brother is an inconsiderate ass.

But there are so many other little quirks and issues. I don't want to be a whiny customer, and I don't expect them to ship me a brand spanking new laptop. (although one can dream...)

I guess the best I can hope for it to back up all my stuff and ship it too them. I just wish I could get it running back the way it was when I got it.
 
goMac said:
Steamy room could have done it. That's just asking for water damage.
Click to expand...

cosmetic damage and potential water damage could void warranty. simple answer is you are too rough on your computer, you never said how those dents got there, and I have no clue how you could even "warp" your screen. My guess is you dropped your computer, and apple doesn't cover clumsiness
 
I have also a MBP since last September, and I am speechless by the number of crashes it encounters.

I went with Apple to see if that "it just works" slogan worked. And well, it does have nice features and a out of this world design, but outside of this, it is just a regular computer with crashes.

On a one week basis, I have almost daily crashes with Firefox with 5 windows opened. I have one iTunes crash, and one Safari crash.

I have spoken with fellow Mac owners and they told me that my computer had a problem. Went to the Apple Store, and nothing was detected. I am not bitter or anything, I just know this is a machine, and it just can't be flawless...

To prove my point, I went with an iPhone and not another brand :)
 
How steamy of a room? I constantly have my MBP to listen to music in the shower. It gets steamy, but not where I can't see. Unless you are taking some crazy long and hot showers I would not worry about the shower thing.

Just call up applecare and they will take care of it.
 
Strange, I've only had one crash in a year of Mac use, and that was on the Mini. The MacBook Pro has been totally flawless, EVEN when running Adobe CS4 and Office 2008!

Perhaps those experiencing crashes are doing something wrong?
 
...

my mac is stable its the same computer you have and it crashed safari for the first time ever today, its no big deal though because unlike windows I just force quit and then reopen and it doesn't crash the whole OS. If your mac has damage on the outside then you have been abusing it, you cant expect it to continue working perfectly when you smash it around. Also the steam would definately cause issues if it builds up enough on the electronic components of the computer and not just on the outside of the case
 
Just blame it on Adobe, that is what Steve says. .......no really j/k. I think you have abused it a little but not enough to cause that many problems IMO. As with windows the more you add programs/apps to it the more likely to cause problems. One reason I like mac is not having to add so many apps to get the job done. I think I do a fresh install on my PC once or twice a yr. Its a pain in the ass but does run better that way. I think mac would be the same way.
 
kellen said:
How steamy of a room? I constantly have my MBP to listen to music in the shower. It gets steamy, but not where I can't see. Unless you are taking some crazy long and hot showers I would not worry about the shower thing.

Just call up applecare and they will take care of it.
Click to expand...

Just a steamy bathroom during a shower. But I freaked out thinking the internal parts could get damaged.

Also all the bumps as scratches were gentle or came about when it was in a case in my bag. It's never been dropped or hit hard.

I was just curious if these were common problems on the Macbook Pro or relativly normal wear and tear could cause them...
 
opinioncircle said:
I have also a MBP since last September, and I am speechless by the number of crashes it encounters.

...

On a one week basis, I have almost daily crashes with Firefox with 5 windows opened. I have one iTunes crash, and one Safari crash.

...
Click to expand...
oneprouddaddy said:
Just blame it on Adobe, that is what Steve says. ...
Click to expand...

Oddly enough ... I share an iMac with my seven year old daughter. I use it for everything, coding, home video editing, DVD ripping, web browsing. I even run MySQL and Tomcat servers on it.

My Library/Logs/CrashReporter shows my last application crash was Front Row, on June 12, 2009. Her CrashReporter shows daily Safari crashes, often multiple times a day.

Hmm, what could the difference be? Same computer, different accounts. She mainly plays Flash games (NickJr etc). On my account, I use ClickToFlash and hardly ever use Flash at all.

Could it be related? What do you think?
 
nateharr said:
That's another huge problem. While New York City just got it's fourth Apple Store, Louisiana only has one which is in Baton Rouge. I don't have 5 hours to drive down there, talk to someone, then have to drive another 5 hours home. Especially because the repair would take more than one day.
Click to expand...

You don't have to go to one of Apple's own retail stores. There are LOTS of Apple authorised repair centres around the planet.
 
plinden said:
Oddly enough ... I share an iMac with my seven year old daughter. I use it for everything, coding, home video editing, DVD ripping, web browsing. I even run MySQL and Tomcat servers on it.

My Library/Logs/CrashReporter shows my last application crash was Front Row, on June 12, 2009. Her CrashReporter shows daily Safari crashes, often multiple times a day.

Hmm, what could the difference be? Same computer, different accounts. She mainly plays Flash games (NickJr etc). On my account, I use ClickToFlash and hardly ever use Flash at all.

Could it be related? What do you think?
Click to expand...

Sounds like a flash issue.

I don't totally have flash crash issues, just crash issues in general.

I think either way, my Macbook is cursed. I wouldn't normally send it in for the stiff hinge, but that was the original issue. I think with all the problems I just need to suck it up and call Apple.

I just hate to be the whiny customer.
 
I get the feeling flash crashes are pretty standard. I get them sometimes but it's fine, I just don't go on the (sometimes pointless) flash intensive sites
 
Op

I think you have two separate issues. The track pad may be bad which will require service from Apple or an authorized center.

The crashing could be a number of things. You have told us that the crashes happen during graphic intensive application runs, but nothing more specific than that. We also don't know much about your computer: when purchased, system version, RAM, etc. Go under the apple to "About This Mac" then to "More Info." Copy and paste the info here so we have more to go on.

If you restart the computer do the crashes go away? For how long? How many and which programs do you usually run when you get crashes? What exactly do you mean by crashes: does your software quit, do you have to force quit, does the computer freeze?

I like the idea of setting up a new user account to see if you still get crashes, but give us more info before you bother. I keep wondering how much RAM you have.


Mooch
 
nateharr said:
I know. My brother is an inconsiderate ass.
Click to expand...

I suggest you make an appointment at the Apple Store, take your brother with you, and ask how much it costs to fix the problem if it is not under warranty.

It would be very inconsiderate of you to not make him pay for the damage, because it is better for him to learn a lesson that costs him a few hundred dollars than to learn a much much more expensive lesson later in life.
 
Moocher said:
I think you have two separate issues. The track pad may be bad which will require service from Apple or an authorized center.

The crashing could be a number of things. You have told us that the crashes happen during graphic intensive application runs, but nothing more specific than that. We also don't know much about your computer: when purchased, system version, RAM, etc. Go under the apple to "About This Mac" then to "More Info." Copy and paste the info here so we have more to go on.

If you restart the computer do the crashes go away? For how long? How many and which programs do you usually run when you get crashes? What exactly do you mean by crashes: does your software quit, do you have to force quit, does the computer freeze?

I like the idea of setting up a new user account to see if you still get crashes, but give us more info before you bother. I keep wondering how much RAM you have.


Mooch
Click to expand...

I did tell you how much ram, system version, and CPU I have. I have an entry level MBP bought in Sept 09. (Told you that too.)

That means I have a 2.26 GHz, 2GB of RAM and running the latest version of Snow Leopard.

My computer doesn't freeze on a schedule, just when do things that mostly like require some sort of heavy graphic processing.
 
nateharr said:
That's another huge problem. While New York City just got it's fourth Apple Store, Louisiana only has one which is in Baton Rouge. I don't have 5 hours to drive down there, talk to someone, then have to drive another 5 hours home. Especially because the repair would take more than one day.
Click to expand...

Since your laptop is still under warranty. I would suggest you call Apple. No need to travel 10 hours round trip to the nearest store. If they can't fix your issues over the phone they will send you a free shipping box, repair your laptop, and return shipping is for free also.

Since there are issues with the trackpad etc., some of the repairs might not be for free however.

I have no idea where you got the idea that there is an elitist attitude attitude on Apples part on repairs.
 
nateharr said:
That's another huge problem. While New York City just got it's fourth Apple Store, Louisiana only has one which is in Baton Rouge. I don't have 5 hours to drive down there, talk to someone, then have to drive another 5 hours home. Especially because the repair would take more than one day.
Click to expand...

Louisiana has an apple store in new orleans (well metairie) in lakeside mall next to victoria's secret. i am going soon as a matter of fact. :)
 
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