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Apple Expanding Pilot Program Allowing Repairs of Select Vintage Macs Worldwide, Starting With 2012 MacBook Air

If your gonna make rules, stick to them

I never understood Apple breaking theirs and "coverage extending.." They have more holes and a piece of fly paper.

Apple's the only one i know that does this This is the *only* reason we like Apple products, because they don't play by their own rules.
 
I just ran in this problem with a 2013 MacBook Pro.... just need a battery replacement and wanted the a warranty for the work and battery....

Looks like I’m going to have to go the ifixit route....
 
I still have a 21.5" 2011 iMac.

Still a good machine. Nice and fast with the HDD swapped out for an SSD.
 
The exact reason for the pilot program is unclear, beyond Apple apparently having a surplus of repair parts for these specific MacBook Air and iMac models.
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if they had a surplus they won't be telling folks to decline if they can't get the parts. it's more likely trying to head off lawsuits. especially when some of those 2011 computers had a couple of their 'quality program' things
 
Oblivious.Robot said:
Thankfully it’s not that, I tried the verbose mode? And it was something on the count of - disk1 i/o error. It stars up fine, and then always gets stuck on apple start up logo screen even if the loading bar completes to 100%.

Weirdly I can’t even access disk utility with command and R.
But I know for a fact that ssd should be good, as I had just checked last with the repair disk on Macintosh HD, as I was checking on a new HDD I got.

Gonna take Mac in for diagnosis, I hope it’s just the SATA cable and I can at least retrieve some files.
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If you are referring to the mid 2012 MBA 13" there is no SATA cable as far as I can remember, since i had upgraded the stock SSD to a OWC one. The blade-type SSD has pins at the side that plug straight into the connector, with a screw fastened at the other end.
 
Imo the 5-year cut-off feels a bit draconian, especially today when there's not really a huge leap in performance year on year. A 2012 Mac with SSD can still run most of today's programs fine. 5 years might feel okay a decade ago where there are significant jumps on almost a yearly basis, but even intel has gone into tick-tick-tock cycle.
 
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011) in my work office. After 7 years of usage I feel my work has had good value for money, especially given the amount of typing I've done on it.
 
oneMadRssn said:
Despite the soldered RAM, the Macbook Airs are actually very repairable. The battery isn't glued and very easy to replace. The trackpad is easily accessible and replaceable also. Both are common failure points on an old MBA. The screen is also easy to remove. The power board (also with the USB port on that side) is seperate from the main logic board. None of it is super layered. It's actually pretty modular inside.
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Yeah, Mac-haters have this misconception that the majority of Macs are difficult to repair. It's ironic, because it's a total nightmare to work on most non-Apple laptops.

My 2012 15" rMBP had a busted right-side fan and a loose screen hinge. I easily opened up the computer, replaced the fan, and then removed the entire screen + assembly—a mere 4-6 screws to do so. I tightened it up, placed it all back, and now have everything behaving like new again. Sad thing is that, with many non-Apple laptops, you have to carefully pry off the screen's bezel in order to gain access to screws.
 
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6 year old computers are still extremely usable as long as they still work at all. There's nothing "vintage" about them. I've spent the last 5 days working on a few G3 PowerBooks and a Newton MessagePad, and I want to integrate at least one of each into my workflow. (Ok, maybe not the Newton). With my mind in TRUE vintage computer mode, I read "vintage" in the headline and had a glimmer of hope that Apple was beginning to care about preserving computing history. Maybe opening up repair options (at Apple cost of course) for some of the most iconic Macs of yesteryear. *sigh* I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. Apple is still Apple, and calls computers "vintage" that would still be perfectly fit for the vast majority of users.
 
PowerMac G4 MDD said:
Yeah, Mac-haters have this misconception that the majority of Macs are difficult to repair. It's ironic, because it's a total nightmare to work on most non-Apple laptops.

My 2012 15" rMBP had a busted right-side fan and a loose screen hinge. I easily opened up the computer, replaced the fan, and then removed the entire screen + assembly—a mere 4-6 screws to do so. I tightened it up, placed it all back, and now have everything behaving like new again. Sad thing is that, with many non-Apple laptops, you have to carefully pry off the screen's bezel in order to gain access to screws.
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It is true though modern Macs are essentially non repairable compared to those of pre 2012. Take the 21.5" iMac for example

mid 2011 21.5" iMac (repairability score 7/10)
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iMac_Intel_21.5"_EMC_2428

late 2012 21.5" iMac (repairability score 3/10)
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iMac_Intel_21.5"_EMC_2544

Supporting the Right to Repair.
 
This is a great strategy for the customer and Apple. This means the customer can get their older mac fixed if they want to. Apple can benefit because this brings these customers into store, and can allow the staff to up-sell new products. Brilliant idea.
 
Does anybody how to find out how this works? Simply bring the laptop in and strongly suggest they repair it? And does anyone know if this implies Apple will do the repair AND charge you for it, or are these repairs gratis?
 
I'd like to see some regulations that require longer warranty periods for non-standard parts. There should be no reason a customer has to rely on Apple for access to parts, especially on a machine they no longer want to support.
 
PowerMac G4 MDD said:
Yeah, Mac-haters have this misconception that the majority of Macs are difficult to repair. It's ironic, because it's a total nightmare to work on most non-Apple laptops.

My 2012 15" rMBP had a busted right-side fan and a loose screen hinge. I easily opened up the computer, replaced the fan, and then removed the entire screen + assembly—a mere 4-6 screws to do so. I tightened it up, placed it all back, and now have everything behaving like new again. Sad thing is that, with many non-Apple laptops, you have to carefully pry off the screen's bezel in order to gain access to screws.
Click to expand...

Due to Apple's brand popularity and various other reasons I truly don't understand, people seem to hold Apple to a materially higher standard than any other consumer electronics company. Maybe they get their rocks off from it, I don't know.

All the whining about the 2018 Macbook Pros is a prime example. It launched with issues - I haven't ever once heard of a laptop of any OEM launching with zero issues. They use the fact that Apple is addressing and fixing the issues as evidence that the MBP is forever defective; ignoring the fact that Apple is one of the only companies that actually bothers to spend time addressing and fixing issues. As if acting like Dell and HP - totally ignoring the issue and the complaints and promoting the next iteration of the laptop instead - is better. It's crazy and totally backwards. They also use the fact that Apple's pace of spec-bumps and updates is slowing as evidence that Apple isn't focused; ignoring the fact that other OEMs that have monthly spec-bumps and dozens if indistinguishable skus are putting out crap products. Putting out one product and sticking with it, supporting it, and fixing the issues is a lot more focused than meaningless spec bumps and sku adjustments.
 
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The reason for this move? To delay all of the countries and states that are working on implementing right to repair laws from passing such laws by being able to say: "See, we play nice." I hope the don't fall for it and implement such laws, they are really needed.
 
Webster's Mac said:
Well, I think they have a point. How would you explain this to an average Joe< "Hi, uhhh... your macbook is classified as vintage which means it can't be fixed...wait, hold on a sec, apparently it can be fixed even though it is vintage." Average users will be confused out of their minds.
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I scanned the article and understood it right away. My 10 year old son understands it. If your confused, it's your fault.
 
This MBA is very close to the current one- using multiples of the same part. Except for the logic board, there's no real reason not to offer this.
 
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