Growing frustration with Apple.....

[Gatorman]

I've been a loyal Apple user since my dad brought home an LCIII when I was 9 and have been patient with them. Today....it's wearing thin. In the last month, my MBP battery has gone from 98% Health to 8%. This is my 2nd battery, as well, and it's only lasted 8 months. The first I traded in as part of a recall with Apple. Now, I realize that EXTREMELY heavy use would drain it quickly, but I use it for no more than work (nothing more than Microsoft Office stuff and checking e-mail) during the day, and it's shut off at night.

I got this laptop in 2006 when the Core 2 Duo came out and it worked great. Then just as the warranty expired, my logic board died. I had to get that fixed. Then I had to get the battery replaced...(after it pretty much did the same thing) and now this. My brothers (I have 3) all liked my MBP and got one of their own, though theres was the next revision (rev C? it was Summer 2007). All have suffered similar problems with the battery, two have had to have their monitors replaced, and another one had to have a logic board replaced.

It sounds like we abuse our little laptops, but we're extremely gentle with them and take great care of them. In fact, one of the Geniuses at the Apple Store complimented me with how excellent the condition was of mine.

So are we just unlucky with our products? Or is this common out there too?
I'm starting to wonder if it's even worth getting a new MBP eventually, as my faith in Apple is declining. Apple products didn't used to be like this. My 400 Mhz G4 is still in AMAZING shape and running terrifically.

Sigh.

 

[HLdan]

If you had Applecare then Apple would've have just replaced your machines, believe me it's makes a difference between having Applecare and using just the standard included warranty.

 

[Gatorman]

Well, my point wasn't with having applecare or not...it's the fact that 4 machines are having similar MAJOR problems. It just doesn't seem to be that high quality products would fail like that.

 

[docal97]

If you had Applecare then Apple would've have just replaced your machines, believe me it's makes a difference between having Applecare and using just the standard included warranty.

well his point was in regards to the declining quality of the product. He is not lamenting his failure to purchase AppleCare. And in the first year, there is little practical difference between the standard warrenty and AppleCare, except for phone support after 90days.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I say it's bad luck. My machine, I've knocked it around too many times to count and it's still going strong. Never had any issues that I had to send it in for (except a noisy fan, but I'm living with it for now) and I got a bad battery.

I babies my old laptop, and it always broke. I said hell with it, I'll treat it like I treat everything else, and what do you know, it's still working. I freakin hate electronics

 

[suburbia]

Completely feel your frustration with Apple Gatorman: It wasn't too long ago that Apple products were by far the best of the best-- including the technicians. Now, along with declining quality, design, the technicians-- whether they be Applecare phone support, or the Geniuses at the Apple Store, are, unfortunately, a hit-and-miss

 

[Spanners]

Again, I have to say it seems like pure bad luck. I've had 3 MBP's and all were great. My latest has been dropped down stairs, thrown off the front seat in the car and been generally bashed about and although its scratched to hell and ever so slightly warped its runs like a dream.

Saying that however both my brother and I had dodgy batteries which we both had to have replaced. So perhaps it’s not an Apple engineering issue rather its the battery manufacturers? Sony et al?

 

[Michael CM1]

I think the OP needs to buy an HP computer or two and then complain about Apple. Woo, those were the days.

In all seriousness, I think the OP just has bad luck. Among the 3 Macs I have, they have required a total of two trips to the Genius Bar (one for the battery defect in MBPs last year, the other for a dead power supply in an iMac). My iPhone has had ZERO hardware problems (I think everybody knows the 2.0 firmware issues). Just take a look at the reviews that Consumer Reports and other mags do. Apple is always near the top at customer satisfaction.

 

[magallanes]

Apple is always near the top at customer satisfaction.

This indicator say nothing, specially since the Apple-loyalty factor can bias the resultant.

 

[clyde2801]

With great market share comes great QC problems

Been using macs since 03. With the transfer to intel chips, and everybody else catching on to the stability and-dare I say it-elegance of OS X, Apple's market share has been readily increasing.

Also have heard comments on TWIT and Macbreak Weekly during that time from some of the old mac hands that they worried the increasing market share would create growing problems for Apple.

They've gone from making a few million units a year in California to having tens of millions made in China. I could see the great turtlenecked one occasionally popping into the factory down the road to oversee the production process, but not jetting to Asia very often. So instead of Randy the hippie packing his tofu for lunch on his way to the factory to make the products he's used for ten years, you've got a literal communist wage slave sleeping on a cot and eating his ten grams of state issued ramen per day making them instead.

Apple's gotta make a buck, sure. But if they try to make it making products with flaws and imperfections that their premium paying customers won't tolerate, they won't be making it very long. Let's face it, Apple loyalists are loyalists, but we're also fussy. We're like people who buy their cars from the Benz dealership and holiday gifts from Williams-Sonoma. We pay top dollar, and we expect top quality products and service. Apple will either get things straightened out with their Chinese subcontractors, or they can expect to see their sales drop-especially with all the economic FUD on the news.

All of the above of course is my humble opinion. And thankfully, I'm well satisified with my MBP.

 

[Gatorman]

Well, maybe it is just bad luck....or problems with the battery manufacturer. I mean, in all cases of the battery problems (both of mine, as well as my family's) the batteries were WELL under 300 cycles.

We've had some problems with iPhones, too...and even iPods. Is there a black "Apple" cloud hanging over my head? lol. But anyway, my growing concern is that is it worth to by a next-gen mac here soon and it treat me as mine has....or....go with a crummier line of products (I've heard horror stories about HP!) and put up with it lasting as long as mine has.

I love Apple, I really do. Everything about it is awesome and I have been drooling over the new laptops. Unfortunately, financially it's not a great time for me to get one, but...I still haven't given up hope. Just have a little less of it!

 

[tweekskratch]

Well, my point wasn't with having applecare or not...it's the fact that 4 machines are having similar MAJOR problems. It just doesn't seem to be that high quality products would fail like that.

I think that part of the problem, is that they only have a short time to test everything. With a bad economy, and long waiting lines, I think that they may have slipped into a "just get it out" mode? Now don't get me wrong, their products are very well conceived, but I also have the problem with the battery dying and it IS really frustrating, especially if you need it everyday. I hope that they fix these problems.

Tweek

 

[belvdr]

Maybe I'm the odd man out, but I haven't had any trouble with my HP laptop or their support. That said, I don't have the consumer level, and I feel it is built much better, so maybe that's it.

 

[Gatorman]

I think that part of the problem, is that they only have a short time to test everything. With a bad economy, and long waiting lines, I think that they may have slipped into a "just get it out" mode? Now don't get me wrong, their products are very well conceived, but I also have the problem with the battery dying and it IS really frustrating, especially if you need it everyday. I hope that they fix these problems.

Tweek

Well, these were all purchased before the bad economy. So I'm not sure why they had so many faults. Maybe poor craftsmanship in the factories overseas?