Apple QC going downhill?

[bjjp2]

First let me say I'm not a hater. If anything I'm a fanboy. But in the last couple of months I've had a rash of hardware failures on different Apple devices that's unprecedented in my many decades of experience with computers and consumer electronics. In recent weeks:

1. My wife's 1-month old iPad developed a large gray band on the screen and had to be replaced.

2. My daughter's 6 mo. old white MacBook developed similar screen issues and needed a screen replacement.

3. My other daughter's brand new MacBook pro couldn't see it's hard drive any more. Whole thing was replaced.

4. My brand new iMac never worked properly and had to be replaced for a faulty heat sensor.

Now, I will say that in each case Apple customer service has been excellent. Each of the above items was promptly replaced without any cost to me and without any hassle whatsoever. But is this reflective of a larger trend? I sincerely hope, as an Apple fan, that their enormous success and the need to crank out millions of units of various popular products has not led to a decline in focus on basic reliability and quality control. I'm very concerned. (I might send this same note to SJ for what it's worth )

 

[sysiphus]

First let me say I'm not a hater. If anything I'm a fanboy. But in the last couple of months I've had a rash of hardware failures on different Apple devices that's unprecedented in my many decades of experience with computers and consumer electronics. In recent weeks:

1. My wife's 1-month old iPad developed a large gray band on the screen and had to be replaced.

2. My daughter's 6 mo. old white MacBook developed similar screen issues and needed a screen replacement.

3. My other daughter's brand new MacBook pro couldn't see it's hard drive any more. Whole thing was replaced.

4. My brand new iMac never worked properly and had to be replaced for a faulty heat sensor.

Now, I will say that in each case Apple customer service has been excellent. Each of the above items was promptly replaced without any cost to me and without any hassle whatsoever. But is this reflective of a larger trend? I sincerely hope, as an Apple fan, that their enormous success and the need to crank out millions of units of various popular products has not led to a decline in focus on basic reliability and quality control. I'm very concerned. (I might send this same note to SJ for what it's worth )

This is a pretty common topic around here. Personally, I'd just argue that their consumer-oriented products don't get the same QC attention as their high-end stuff. My family's two Powermac G5s have been perfect, as have the two Apple-branded LCD displays. Conversely, the plastics in my father's Macbook were awful, and the fit and finish left something to be desired. My Macbook Pro had fantastic QC, but the engineering was awful--an important distinction. The bottom line is that you'll get lots of anecdotal evidence, but people with problems are far more inclined to speak up than those who are entirely satisfied.