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Apple Hong Kong..I don't want to see apple ever again in Hong Kong

R

Raidiant

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 28, 2002
34
0
I am a film student in Hong Kong, and i'm poor so I got an ibook for its reliability and I use it to edit films for my showreel to my future. I've had my ibook for a bit past 1 year and the thing is just dying.

I always convinced my friends that macs are good and after the trouble I had with them. I say screw macs they are expensive the parts are god damn expensive everything is expensive I bought final cut pro for nothing and it wont' even run on any PC now. MY entire showreel is on my book and I don't know what to do becuase I need it now!!!!

EACH REPAIR TOOK 2 WEEKS, and EVERY HONG KONG COMPUTER STORE OFFERS ON SITE SERVICE [copmpaq, dell, sony , etc]and I have to travel way far to collect my computer and they won't even mail it

The people in Hong Kong Applecare are very.....uncopoerative...they can't be negotiated with. They don't seem to have any emotions whatsoever...a guy walked in with a broken ipod without warranty and he was told he needed to buy new one.

Personally I .....really liked macs because i'm in it for the looks but after this...I am just....mentally broken down..


1) The logic board gets damaged, ibook won't turn on, and my computer brand new came back full of huge scratches from miscare [ Warranty]

2) 70 stuck pixels in the center of my screen [ Warranty ]

3) Stuck pixels again!! [ Warranty ]

4) Adapter stops working pays f***king $600HK to buy one replacement [Warranty over]

5) Logic Board breaks, computer doesn't turn on, or turns on with glitchy display [ $600HK (checking) +$4500HK for logic board replacement]

6) LAN doesn't work anymore!!!!! logic board appears to be broken. I didn't fix it

7) Computer won't turn on again i'm going to cry...really.

I don't know if its the weather in Hong Kong thats doing this, but I have a 166mhz compaq laptop, a 2ghz HP laptop, a hand built 3ghz and they have never cease to work in anyway for many years. I don't care if I need to reinstall windows but I really care when my computer is broken disallowing me to work properlY!!!

i'm sorry for the rant but at one point I really loved macs I feel better when I spread my anger out so people will understand what it feels like to pay that amount of money. IMO it is the most expensive item I own and I expect apple to have good quality because I could have just bought a taiwan laptop.

Now my final cut pro is useless and I have to pay $600HK to check my computer!!!!

I need to apply soon and I don't have my demo reel the entire team is on me because I keep all the good quality copies and the demo reel!!! I am in such a bad mood...sorry for my rant...but i'm just here to make myself feel better
 
you (obviously) got a lemon. that happens with any company (how often depends on the QC) so while you have my sympathy for your bad luck, it's not really fair say HK apple = awful.

afterall, if every (not even that, say quite a few) iMacs behaved as you described, apple wouldn't be in business.

and this is too late, i realize, but if what's on your disk is THAT precious, you MUST make a backup copy or two or three or...
 
I do but its in vcd quality, on the ibook its dv quality......I can't afford to replace my logic board again...I don't have a steady income and last time has driven me poor as eating cup noodles every day.
 
don't think it will be better with an dell, toshiba, sony, hp, etc...

all those companies have lemons, no will to repair, no time for you...

that's the result of globalisation... and the result of comlpex computer hardware.

some time ago (10 years) i bought an good cd-player for about $1200.-
nowadays you get an emac with screen, cd burner AND computer for the money...
there's some quality loss for sure!

go get an powerbook, it's better for video editing anyway :)
.a

(my powerbook died half a year ago!)
 
If anything is rough its not me....i'm only 5 foot tall and have the strength of...what? a monkey?
 
Originally posted by .a
don't think it will be better with an dell, toshiba, sony, hp, etc...

all those companies have lemons, no will to repair, no time for you...

that's the result of globalisation... and the result of comlpex computer hardware.

some time ago (10 years) i bought an good cd-player for about $1200.-
nowadays you get an emac with screen, cd burner AND computer for the money...
there's some quality loss for sure!

go get an powerbook, it's better for video editing anyway :)
.a

(my powerbook died half a year ago!)
Click to expand...

sigh...i've always wanted one...only my family can't afford me one....my ibook really does everything. What to do now with the world's most expensive polished toilet tile!?!? :) is it possible for me to manually repair it? anyone know any websites?
 
iBooks are now infamous for their logic board failings (btw, why don't they just call them motherboards already-- I guess it just sounds bad in the press when people have an idea that the problem isn't a simple "piece of the pie", but the whole dmn pie.)

Apple should just recall and replace all the iBooks (especially the 14" ones which seem particularly prone to these issues), but they don't want the bad press.

It seems it's going to take class-action lawsuit....

I'm kind of surprised after all the initial problems you didn't get AppleCare. If your iBook is hosed, I'd pull the harddrive out and put it in an external firewire/usb2 enclosure and then hook it to someone else's Mac to get the film projects. Of course, working with FCP, you face vendor lock-in again.

Look on the brightside.. now you'll be willing to work with better video editing software like Avid or Discreet (with cross platform support)
 
That's not true

I'm from Hong Kong too. I used an ibook before and it's a rugged machine. I have it fixed once and the service is good. You gotta remember that Hong Kong is small and it is common that we don't have on site repair services.
 
Re: That's not true

Originally posted by Cheetah
I'm from Hong Kong too. I used an ibook before and it's a rugged machine. I have it fixed once and the service is good. You gotta remember that Hong Kong is small and it is common that we don't have on site repair services.
Click to expand...

no. just being in the same area doesn't say much about the product at all. it's possible a family of 5 with two iBooks could end up with two lemons while a school of 5,000 with 500 iBooks won't have any. it's all statistics. so both cheetah and raidiant are "correct."

that said, legion's assertion is also correct. even if it's the same info being circulated around MR, i've heard of a number of iBook mobo problems. raidiant - i strongly urge you to be polite but firm and insistent with any apple customer rep and ask your machine be classified a lemon. go up the ladder if the need be. it sounds like you really need this machine back in working order asap...
 
Originally posted by legion
Look on the brightside.. now you'll be willing to work with better video editing software like Avid or Discreet (with cross platform support) [/B]
Click to expand...

Better editing software programs, hmmm I guess you could say that if you've got 15K to drop on good AVID software...and as for discreet it is limited usage I only know of one production house using it and the have it set up on 50k per station fiber channel network.

Thre are so many software titles around that do video edting that it is hard to say who is the best as they all have certain strengths and weakness.

But at this stage on the low end the two main contenders are FCP and DvExpress. FCP is better than DvExpress, in my opinion. especially with FCP 4.0.

With more capital investment FCP rivals the midrange AVID products. FCP is gaining a greater following, so look at what people will be using 3 years from now when the current line of software and hardware ages beyond pratical use in a business setting, that is the path you want to go, it is speculative I know but it better than assuming the standard today will be the standard tomorrow.
 
I am from Hong Kong too. My ibook just broke down too. The apple care center sugguested to replace the mother board and they ask for HK$4300 for it since my warranty has expired. I have give up repairing it. I had 3 pc notebook since 1998 altough this does not make me an expert but I do think I no rooky. There are a few things I want to say:

1. I am disappointed with the reliablity of the ibook. I have replaced my ibook battery earlier. The guy at the shop told me that there have been case where the battery was overcharged and was damaged. He suggested me to remove the battery when using power supply. I was amazed. I have never heard of overcharging a lithium-ion battery. The thing to remove the battery when using the power adapter is simply unthinkable. At least I never have to do that with my pc notebok.

2. Now when I think about it, it is quite possible that it has alway been problem with the motherboard. When I send the ibook back I was really expecting the guy to really check the computer but he think it was a battery problem and replaced it. In less than 2 months the ibook was finished. Of course I can't prove anything but this do give me a bad impression.

3. Although I have not too much experience with apple care center but I do agree that some of those people are quite rude.

4. On site service from PC maker are getting common. This is not a luxury anymore.

5. If you think that I am being rough with my ibook all I want to say is that I have done all the same thing to my PC before and they survie

6. I am quite unhappy with some design of the ibook. The lock for the battery seem to be design for quick-release but this makes it unreliable. I have at least two cases where the battery fall off when I remove it from my bag. My opinion is that this quick-release design has no real advantage and should not be used any more. Second thing is that the lack of a pc card slot was surprisingly inconveient. Those USB/Firewire devices were bit of a mass in the field. Hey, don't tell me you have no problem these things in your office. I am talking about in the field.

7. The performance of the G3 was less than impressive. I mean I just don't see enough advantage over the pc.

Anyway I am through with my ibook. If I do buy a mac again it will be a powerbook because to me the ibook is simply a toy.
 
The problem is I don't have any friend with mac....alas I did use discreet products at one point and really liked them, but final cut pro 3 was like the best editing software I ever had, next to premiere, while some editing is done by steven my pc lover friend they trusted me with the demo reel. I haven't even told anyone but steven that my mac has broke again. Avid was never in my reach anyway. I wanted to be unique by buying a mac, since nobody else I know uses one but I guess I just ended up with the special problems

I do not think the ibook is engineered to be rough at all.....it probably just didn't stood the humidty and heat of Hong Kong because it didn't have the reliability of other computers. Since it was designed in a less harsh condition. It does not explain anything really after all my HP laptop is hotter perhaps its because the heat is released?

Oh well.... I'm just going to wait a while and see what to do.....at least I still got a vcd quality thing to show.....but it gets pixely on television....sigh
 
Radiant,

Didn't you say that you have had the logic board replaced once already? Check with Apple, because I am not sure, but I think that you get a new warranty on repaired items...ie your logic board. That would mean that Apple will fix it at no charge. I know that you have a 90 day waranty.

Anyway, I have had the dreaded logic board problem as well. Don't let anyone tell you it is your fault or even infer it because the faulty logic board is a known issue!

Try MicrodocUSA for a cheaper alternative. http://microdocusa.com/ibooks.html
 
good point, but I think my ethernet port is broken too, and I don't know why does anyone know about the ibook ethernet port issue?, it can't really connect.
 
Ha Ha... I have a few things that need to declare,

first: i am a HK
second: HK ppl are very clever of making $$$... hint, even if is a very little problem, they will state a bigger issues then it is...
third: is not APPLE HK, is the HK people that you are dealing with... up to 95% of non-HK ppl will get rip off & up to 50% of HK ppl will get rip off, too... that's why there are so many fake stuff at ASIA...

I feel sorry for everyone but that's how HK operate!
 
That point I know Hong Kong people are definetely *******s, see they charged that guy for 4300 and 4500 for me, probably some unknown profit. They charge me 600 when its obvious that my logic board is broken, yet there is definetely nothing I can do about it. All they need to say is these are apple prices. So you can see why I blame it on apple hk not apple.

Anyway my lan port is broken, but it will still connect a bit, however it cannot seem to work properly, so like the information shows in the network panel, but any other internet service does not work. My other laptops work on the same connection, and I have been using this connection for almost a year. Ibook owners does that ring any bells?
 
Okay, my best advice to you is... do the following, but I am not sure how many apple service centre at HK... but, go to a few places that could fix your ibook, i am sure there is a 3rd parties that selling apple and servicing it as well... not just APPLE HK, so check a few price and then, said to the store that you choice to get it fix/purchase. This store is offering me this price, can you matcch it.. they normally would... and HK ppl like bargaining with ... trust me, every HK stores/shops can be BARGAIN. even the most famous STORE still can... the way ASIA work in trading. Something non-Asian dont deal much... btw, I am talking about $50 - few hundreds $ not, your avg, $1 - $10 discount that you get else where... e.g. SONY STORE @ HK sell a digital camera for $8000, you can purchase the same camera at some little shop for $6500. I done it at the beginning of this year with a 717 camera. but I still got ripp off by $200 becos I walk another 10 foot, the next door willing to do it for $6300... get the hint?
 
In Hong Kong I heard that the support is very bad for apples. Hong Kong people like to be cheap and cheerful. Thats why the PC market is strong over there. There is a huge amount of boot leg VCDs, DVDs and CDs. I think Apple support is Generally quite poor in asia. I can never find a proper sales staff that I can question about things, in asia that is. Sorry Raidiant, but I think you have a lemon. Anyway where is a good place in HK to buy macs from? I went to "Sum sui po" I think thats how you spell it. last winter to buy a Power book 15" super drive, but wasnt released, in the end I bought it in Tokyo.
 
"Sum Sui Po" is the biggest computer place at HK but is also the biggest fake/priates stuff as well... also you may be buying a lot of LEMONS from there as well... becos ppl at that place are the most RIP OFF... if you are non-experience with computers or the stuff that you want to buy, my advice, avoid that area... you will get RIP OFF... they will sell you praites software as original... and is the same amount of $ too... do not buy there unless you know what you are dealing with!
 
I wrote to Steve Jobs......

When a technician for an Apple dealer damaged the analogue card on my iMac. Did he reply? Of course not but my email was forwarded to somebody who did deal with it. I won't bother with all the details but the mac was out of warranty - I didn't even have a receipt. It was meant to be a trade-in. The people who damaged have now repaired it. They if collected and returned it.
It took two months and I haven't got the trade-in yet but Euro Apple were very patient and very helpful.
I don't suggest going to the very top, but try going higher than you have.
 
Your etherport is connected to the logic board. That is why it is failing.
 
I don't know how old your computer is, exactly, but if it is 1 year and 1 month old, and your warranty has expired, then beg Apple to take your lemon back. When you talk to someone over the phone, ask to speak to the manager. Tell him that despite the warranty running out, you had bought a lemon that has never worked well. If he can't help you, then ask for HIS manager.

That's your only hope. :eek:
 
BlackPeopleLoveUs
Click to expand...

Great site, but are there really black people in Canada?:D

Anyway, you are going to need to speak with customer care, not tech support. I know that when I experienced issued, I took my problem to the Director of Customer Care in Cupertino. Do a little research, and I guarantee you can find the equivilent person in HK.
 
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