Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Researching Methods to Detect 'Consumer Abuse' in Portable Devices

acidfast7 said:
Until you idiots start voting with your wallet, why should Apple change it's philosophy?

Everyone here saying that Apple "has gone too far this time" would never purchase a Zune, and will probably continue to purchase iPods until they (the purchaser) die.

lol
Click to expand...

I second this.
 
Boy are you a fan boy

ViViDboarder said:
On what? The Zune?

We're talking about hardware abuse. From these forums you have probably seen all the people that talk about Apple giving them a new phone for something that the user obviously did. Why should they be getting new phones or iPods or whatever? It's not included in the warranty.

Apple shouldn't have to pay for the stupidity of a user. You break your device at no fault of Apple, then you are SOL. The only issues come from when they blame obvious defects on unrelated damages, but we'll have to see where this goes.

I think it's a good idea. It'll put less strain on Apple to replace unwarranted damages and allow them to operate at a lower cost. Who knows, maybe we'll see a drop in costs. 🙂 Doubtful, but a man's gotta dream!
Click to expand...

You are not dreaming you are having a hallucination! 😛
 
Missing It.

Every single post in here is missing the real reason behind these events.

What we are slowly, but surely watching is Steve fading further and further out of the process, and Tim stepping in.

You think Apple is 1984? Wait till Steve is gone. :apple:
 
noaccess said:
This is nothing like the company I, well, "fell in love with" so to speak, years ago.
Click to expand...

Never fall in love with something that cannot love you back.

That means, companies, gadgets, cars, money, houses, etc.

Apple is a company. It can't love you. Don't love it.

I totally understand why they would want to go this route. People these days don't want to take personal responsibility for their actions. If they drop an iPod and it stops working, somehow that has to be Apple's fault and not the fault of the person who dropped it. Somebody puts an iPhone in their pocket with car keys and the keys scratch it, somehow that's Apple's fault and not the fault of the user. Somebody slams their laptop screen and somehow that's an Applecare repair instead of negligence.

Happens all the time. It's never "You know, I was dumb and broke this. What can I do?"

Add all this stuff up and Apple is spending millions on repairing and replacing things that are actually user problems. These patents seem to be a way to reduce that and return value to the shareholders.

Even better, they can license these patents and make money that way too.
 
Glideslope said:
Every single post in here is missing the real reason behind these events.

What we are slowly, but surely watching is Steve fading further and further out of the process, and Tim stepping in.

You think Apple is 1984? Wait till Steve is gone. :apple:
Click to expand...

I totally agree - and am HATING it. Steve needs to step back into the picture, or Apple is surely screwed (or drastically changing, in a bad way) for the long term.
 
I know a few people who are at fault for breaking electronic devices yet believe they deserve a free replacement so i can see why they would want to do this. (and quite a few break the device on purpose)

A much better option would be for device users to be honest but that will never happen, more likely other manufacturers will increase the levels of such technology added.
 
the vj said:
I have been sending my apple products to repair several times 4 years after the warranty expires and without apple care by just photoshoping the receipts.

Most of my powerbooks have a mayor falure just a month after the one year warranty expires, lets say logic board burned out after a system software update and things like that where I never exposed the device to any abuse.

Apple powerbooks/ mac books pros will have a mayor hardware failure all of the sudden just withing weeks the first year of warranty expire. I have 4 powerbooks and is the same thing with all of them, and Apple wants me to get apple care for selling me disposable equipment? nah, I photoshoped the receipts and they are in warranty again.

I would call that an even deal.
Click to expand...

Creating a fraudulent receipt is committing fraud, period. It doesn't matter why you think you are justified in doing it. It's illegal and immoral.

Apple sells you "disposable equipment" ?? All electronics have a limited lifespan. Apple sells equipment that comes with a warranty for a specific period, and the option to extend the warranty via Applecare. That choice is yours. Anything past the original or extended warranty date is not Apple's problem.

That's how things work in the world of electronic equipment. It's best to try to get over any disappointment you may feel about that, and also best to stop doing things that could land you in the slammer.

Surely your freedom and reputation are worth more than the bucks it takes to get a powerbook fixed?

=========

As far as the sensors are concerned, I don't know what I think. I know I'm weary of hearing from people who are willing to lie about what happened to their device and who think they should get a free replacement because they are such special human beings.

Personally my experience has been that if I am honest with Apple about what has happened to one of my devices, and if I approach the discussion with a reasonable attitude, they are more than helpful.

Apple can already tell a lot about what has happened to a device just by the testing (yes, of abuse!) that they do before they ever roll the thing out. It's too bad that they now seem to think it's necessary to up the ante and install sensors to help support their assessments.

Another round of escalation between the corporation counsel and the counsel for the person who is either the bad guy or an actually aggrieved party) can only mean more expense built into the cost of the next device.

Sigh...🙁 -- but bring on the next Apple device, I'm ready 🙂
 
ViViDboarder said:
On what? The Zune?

We're talking about hardware abuse. From these forums you have probably seen all the people that talk about Apple giving them a new phone for something that the user obviously did. Why should they be getting new phones or iPods or whatever? It's not included in the warranty.
Click to expand...

I've seen them - heck, I worked at a school and I couldn't get over how many teachers and students treated their expensive piece of equipment so roughly. Not cleaning it, banging it around in their bag like a rugby ball. I swear it is as though no one cares for any thing they buy these days and when something does go wrong, its apparently everyone else's fault except their own.

Apple shouldn't have to pay for the stupidity of a user. You break your device at no fault of Apple, then you are SOL. The only issues come from when they blame obvious defects on unrelated damages, but we'll have to see where this goes.
Click to expand...

I've seen people deliberately break their computer, kick up a stink, just so they can get the latest version. People who do that are the same people who try and rip off insurance companies which ends up hiking up the premiums for the rest of us.

I think it's a good idea. It'll put less strain on Apple to replace unwarranted damages and allow them to operate at a lower cost. Who knows, maybe we'll see a drop in costs. 🙂 Doubtful, but a man's gotta dream!
Click to expand...

Well, I just think it is unreasonable that some expect Apple to pay for end users stupidity - the user screwed it up themselves and thus they should have to cover the costs themselves.
 
goinskiing said:
ASUS has accidental damage warranty on their laptops.
Click to expand...

Our corporate Dell contract includes 3 yr next day onsite warranty repair and accidental damage repair.

One of the people in my group was hurrying to work one morning, and set his Latitude laptop on the roof of his car while he loaded other stuff.

Forgot about the laptop on the roof, and headed for the office. A couple of blocks from home, he had a hard left turn. The laptop slid off the roof, bounced on the bonnet, hit the road and slid into the curb.

He collected the large pieces into a paper shopping bag, and when he got to the office called Dell.

Next morning, the Dell rep showed up with the new laptop, and took the shopping bag full of fragments.

(No sensors had to be checked 😉 )
 
neiltc13 said:
Make no mistake - the warranty on your device is an insurance policy (which is only there because of laws in certain countries) and like any other insurance company Apple will use this new technology to get out of covering the cost of problems.

You got the infamous iPhone cracking issue? No replacement if your water sensor is on, because damn that water caused your phone to crack.

Your Magsafe connector exploded? Oh yeah, the day you got caught in a freak rain storm on the way home from work caused that to happen.

The Genius Bar is going to become an even worse place to be.
Click to expand...

Maybe this is the reason why they're implementing it because there are too many false positives when it comes to those moisture strips.

The warranty isn't an insurance policy; the only thing the warranty provides is an a limited agreement that if there is a problem due to a manufacturing fault within a given time period, they're obliged to fix it. It is NOT an across the board insurance against anything outside a manufacturing fault.
 
I really dont think this will ever hit consumers. Even if that's the goal it will probably end up in custom iPhones from Apple for LARGE enterprises with 1000+ employees and the gov etc where device-care and can save $.

Wishful thinking maybe. 😎
 
Alternate Power Source

Hey there are other uses for it...😱
Say you want to find out if a theme park ride is too rough... the software can do some reporting for you g-forces... just duck tape it to the seat...😛
Or when you though that plane flight was a bit too rough... iPhone will corroborate it for you when you want your money back from that dodgy pilot...😎
or that ocean liner trip through that tropical storm.... you're trying to get your money back... show the judge your rough and tumble log... 🙂
Or maybe in the back of the cop car and they're on a chase... you're locked in the cage out back... you tell the judge... I don't deserve this... shows judge rough and tumble logs... gets out of jail 😀
It can be your personal black box flight recorder...🙄
But commercially when you buy your phone, register it... the phone can record the journey from manufacturer to your pocket... so that them Apples will know if the distribution process was too rough...🙁
 
Hey Apple... Stop being a knob!

Wow... This is annoying. I get that they're trying to protect themselves. I also get that this is a little too far. One of those color-changing water sticker things is fine. If my gizmo looks beaten up, then fine. Otherwise, stop looking for excuses not to make good on your warranty. They're starting to look like an insurance company.

Apple's also rejecting everything worth having from the App store. I'm a big boy... let me decide what I get to have on my phone. Women in bikinis is not adult content and I don't care if something duplicates functionality... If I like item B better, then I will chose Item B.

I understand that it's their store and they can sell what they want.. I really do. But if I can express my displeasure and hope that my favorite company can fix their newly found ******* ways, then I'd like to do that.

I only mention the app store because it looks like Apple is on a roll. They better have some really really good news soon because they're not an underdog anymore and some of these tactics are starting to stink.
 
Antares said:
Well, more information is always better. It may help determine why a device is failing or has failed. Actually, such technology could be really good. Especially with the idea of devices being able to detect an "abuse event."Automatically cutting-off electricity if a liquid is detected could save the device from damage. Shorts due to contact with a liquid cause many failures in mobile devices. The possibilities are endless. This is great!
Click to expand...

Funny people said the similar things about sudden motion sensors on hard drives.Yet that tech now gives you auto rotation on your iPhone, wiimotes and any number of other things.

Exactly the technology itself is not "evil" it could be used to help you, protect your property from damage. Also if it public knowledge that the records exist then you have as much right to use them in your own defense as Apple does.

It can only ever be used to protect the right either party has under the contract.It would be a very silly or arrogant company who thinks they could implement some like this to abuse their rights in the contract.
 
logs must be open

MattInOz said:
Also if it public knowledge that the records exist then you have as much right to use them in your own defense as Apple does.
...
It would be a very silly or arrogant company who thinks they could implement some like this to abuse their rights in the contract.
Click to expand...

The only problem would be if said company kept the records secret, so that only they could use them (against you).

If there's a public interface to see the logs, then you'd be able to see them and use them. If they're secret, you're at their mercy.
 
This technology can be abused. That's the problem.

What if you one day drop your phone but it survives fine, no problems.

Then eight months later, because of reasons completely unrelated to the drop, the battery malfunctions and the phone stops working.

Will they deny the battery claim because the drop sensor said it was dropped? Will they take the EIGHT MONTH interim into account? (assuming the sensor records the date and time of the drop).

With laptops, will they blame a hard drive failure on you accidentally bumping the laptop against the desk too hard three months ago?

This has serious potential to be abused. Especially since it's your word against theirs, since they can make their "sensor log" say whatever they want it to say, technically.
 
MikeDougherty said:
I said it in a forum without a citation, so yes, it is my opinion and experience.

Dell: Had an issue with the logic board and DVD drive, they had a technician at my desk within 24 hours to repair the problem.

Apple: Similar problem with DVD drive an logic board. They wanted me to leave my MBP at an Apple Store for 5 to 7 days. After a few heated emails and phone conversations, i negotiated that down to one day. Which in my opinion is still unacceptable.

My computer is not just a toy, it's my livelihood. If I don't have my computer for 5 to 7 days, I do not work for 5 to 7 days. If I do not work for 5 to 7 days, my clients get very unhappy with MY level of customer service. Survey's might be nice if I didn't have my own experience with which to base my opinion.
Click to expand...

5-7 Days is nothing, try taking a cpu to Best Buy for service and say goodbye to it for 4-6 weeks. If it's your "livelihood" than you should have a backup cpu no two ways about it. Professionals are prepared and don't run their business on the cheap. Don't try to blame Apple for you not being prepared for the unexpected... it's because of unrealistic people like this with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement that I don't miss being a tech.
 
Since when has apple become the government???

And I do oppose this thing, because their "anti-consumer-abuse device" can wind up the prices... it's like we haven't paid enough.
 
paulypants said:
5-7 Days is nothing, try taking a cpu to Best Buy for service and say goodbye to it for 4-6 weeks. If it's your "livelihood" than you should have a backup cpu no two ways about it. Professionals are prepared and don't run their business on the cheap. Don't try to blame Apple for you not being prepared for the unexpected... it's because of unrealistic people like this with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement that I don't miss being a tech.
Click to expand...

5-7 days is unacceptable for a simple job like a mainboard swap, assuming parts are in stock.

If they're not I understand, but you should be able to call around to another store to find one that does have stock if this is an emergency.

When I was a lad my 486 system's power supply died. Brandsmart USA took two MONTHS to replace it. I was without my computer for TWO MONTHS. Needless to say from then on I always ensured I had a spare, and never trusted any third party to fix anything I could fix myself.

I can swap a mainboard on a system in a few hours. 5-7 days? That's just pathetic, especially for experienced techs with all the right tools.
 
zorinlynx said:
5-7 days is unacceptable for a simple job like a mainboard swap, assuming parts are in stock.

If they're not I understand, but you should be able to call around to another store to find one that does have stock if this is an emergency.

When I was a lad my 486 system's power supply died. Brandsmart USA took two MONTHS to replace it. I was without my computer for TWO MONTHS. Needless to say from then on I always ensured I had a spare, and never trusted any third party to fix anything I could fix myself.

I can swap a mainboard on a system in a few hours. 5-7 days? That's just pathetic, especially for experienced techs with all the right tools.
Click to expand...
Upper case replace that took 3 weeks and they claimed the MacBook hadn't been given to them in the first place. They had to track it down.

Dell on-site next business day is a wonder to have when you need it and are willing to pay for it. Working in education was great.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back