I'm angry (Powerbook SD)

[zRedbullz]

My PB 1.67GHz 17'' (26 months old) superdrive has just cease to work.

I put a CD/DVD in, then your hear a noise of struggle before the SD ejects it back out - happened to every disc I put in.

1. Tried resetting power management
2. Pressed the option key during reboot.
3. Used a compressor to clear the superdrive.

Yet not avail. I'm pissed off. The moment when I really needed to download my new software, only for the superdrive to pack right up at the spot. When you've spent over £2000 for a laptop, this problem is wholly unacceptable.

Any ideas? Disassembling?

Thanks.

 

[Gymnut]

Do you have AppleCare for your Powerbook?

 

[bearbo]

My PB 1.67GHz 17'' (26 months old) superdrive has just cease to work.

I put a CD/DVD in, then your hear a noise of struggle before the SD ejects it back out - happened to every disc I put in.

1. Tried resetting power management
2. Pressed the option key during reboot.
3. Used a compressor to clear the superdrive.

Yet not avail. I'm pissed off. The moment when I really needed to download my new software, only for the superdrive to pack right up at the spot. When you've spent over £2000 for a laptop, this problem is wholly unacceptable.

Any ideas? Disassembling?

Thanks.

all electronic will fail, at some point, it doesn't matter if it's 2000 or 98729384579384579328457, just like everybody will eventually will die, doesn't matter if they are rich or poor. it's a more than 2 yrs old machine, there's nothing acceptable about a component fail. what is unacceptable is your attitude.

if the superdrive failed, disassemble it will not fix it. if you were smart enough to get applecare, call them up, have them fix it.

do you use your superdrive to download new software? perhaps next time you should try to use another mean to download new software...

 

[SMM]

My PB 1.67GHz 17'' (26 months old) superdrive has just cease to work.

put a CD/DVD in, then your hear a noise of struggle before the SD ejects it Iback out - happened to every disc I put in.

1. Tried resetting power management
2. Pressed the option key during reboot.
3. Used a compressor to clear the superdrive.

Yet not avail. I'm pissed off. The moment when I really needed to download my new software, only for the superdrive to pack right up at the spot. When you've spent over £2000 for a laptop, this problem is wholly unacceptable.

Any ideas? Disassembling?


Thanks.

Hardware fails. You should have replaced/fixed the drive when it starting giving you problems last December. I understand it is frustrating, but it does happen. Drives are cheap, so just replace it. If you are in a time crunch, grab an external unit.

 

[Roy Hobbs]

Call AppleCare, simple answer

 

[zRedbullz]

I understand things do come to an end somewhere, but my laptop is only a mere two years old. A good computer they say, should last 5 years. I use my PB everyday which I transport back and forth from work everyday. Many have reported their PB's to be 3-5 years old and never had a problem.

I had AppleCare for one year, before I stopped it as the prices got silly. 12 months later, the drive fails. Got a friend coming around later with an external drive for me to use temporarily - a friend in need, is a friend indeed.

I'll give Apple a ring tomorrow and try my luck. Anyone ever had a replacement free of charge?

 

[Maxiseller]

I understand things do come to an end somewhere, but my laptop is only a mere two years old. A good computer they say, should last 5 years. I use my PB everyday which I transport back and forth from work everyday. Many have reported their PB's to be 3-5 years old and never had a problem.

I had AppleCare for one year, before I stopped it as the prices got silly. 12 months later, the drive fails. Got a friend coming around later with an external drive for me to use temporarily - a friend in need, is a friend indeed.

I'll give Apple a ring tomorrow and try my luck. Anyone ever had a replacement free of charge?

A replacement, when it's not in warranty AND it's 14 months out at that?! No way.

You can buy a new superdrive from here which is my advice. Apple will probably charge you a premium to get it fixed.

The main thing is although you did pay a lot of money for the computer, it's now without warranty. If apple replaced computers after such a long time, they would be in liquidation now. It's just not possible to sustain support over such a long time when you haven't paid for the privilege.

 

[davidjearly]

I understand things do come to an end somewhere, but my laptop is only a mere two years old. A good computer they say, should last 5 years. I use my PB everyday which I transport back and forth from work everyday. Many have reported their PB's to be 3-5 years old and never had a problem.

I had AppleCare for one year, before I stopped it as the prices got silly. 12 months later, the drive fails. Got a friend coming around later with an external drive for me to use temporarily - a friend in need, is a friend indeed.

I'll give Apple a ring tomorrow and try my luck. Anyone ever had a replacement free of charge?

This isn't the entire computer that has broken - it is the Superdrive only, which Apple do not manufacture.

This is all needless to say however, because as everyone else said already, technology fails. Sometimes within one month of purchase, sometimes within a year. It really doesn't matter. Sure, you're gutted when it happens but move on. Get it fixed.

David

EDIT: Or if you hate your PB so much after this perfectly normal incident, sell it to me at a very cheap price sa thats what you are claiming it is.

 

[zRedbullz]

Maybe I should be more philosophical about it, but this is just bloody nuisance happening at an inconvenient time.

I'll see what Apple say, before I yet purchase a superdrive to assemble myself.

 

[PDE]

This isn't the entire computer that has broken - it is the Superdrive only, which Apple do not manufacture.

This is all needless to say however, because as everyone else said already, technology fails. Sometimes within one month of purchase, sometimes within a year. It really doesn't matter. Sure, you're gutted when it happens but move on. Get it fixed.

David

EDIT: Or if you hate your PB so much after this perfectly normal incident, sell it to me at a very cheap price sa thats what you are claiming it is.

Well, I think that Apple should stand by its expensive products for more than two years like other lesser manufacturers do. To add another $350 to the already high price for two extra years of warranty is criminal. Such an expensive product SHOULD reasonably last for more than two years and that includes components. I never ever understand when people take the blame off apple by pointing out that Apple didn't make the component that failed. They chose it and put it in their computer - if they chose a cheap component and it failed, it's Apple's fault.

Sorry that your drive failed. Luckily it was not your LCD because that would have been crazily expensive. This shouldn't cost you much.

 

[topgunn]

Slim CD/DVD drives used in laptops are very prone to failure. It is just a fact of computing. They do not have nearly the lifespan as their full-size siblings. The same is true of PC laptops. They all use the same parts. You say that since you spent big bucks on this thing, it should last longer than two years. The only problem with that is there isn't a special slim optical drive out there that will last for ten years. They are all prone to failure.

What I would do in your case is buy a cheap desktop DVD burner (or simply DVD reader if you don't need to burn) and a cheap IDE to USB converter or just a USB enclosure and use that. If you are like me, you need your CD drive every 3 months or so. When you need it, pull it out of the drawer and plug it in. If you think you will need to use it on the road, pony up and get a replacement drive. If you are at all confident working on computers, you can do it yourself and not spend more than $80-$100.

 

[davidjearly]

Well, I think that Apple should stand by its expensive products for more than two years like other lesser manufacturers do. To add another $350 to the already high price for two extra years of warranty is criminal. Such an expensive product SHOULD reasonably last for more than two years and that includes components. I never ever understand when people take the blame off apple by pointing out that Apple didn't make the component that failed. They chose it and put it in their computer - if they chose a cheap component and it failed, it's Apple's fault.

Sorry that your drive failed. Luckily it was not your LCD because that would have been crazily expensive. This shouldn't cost you much.

What is hard to understand about this? It's not about vigorously defending Apple. It is a simple concept - technology fails. The warranty is another issue entirely, although you do have a point.

 

[phidauex]

Well... Here are some thoughts:

A. I understand your frustration. I've had a lot of computer hardware over the years, and experienced lots of failures.
B. Don't get angry... It was outside warranty by 14 months. Maybe Apple should have a longer warranty, but its not like they deceived you about the length or anything... Apple won't help you in this case. If you were one week out of warranty, maybe, but not 14 months out.
C. Computer hardware, especially finicky things like DVD burners, fail. It just happens... Especially with the vibration of two years of trucking around on your back.

Finally, here is something that will actually help you.

The replacement part: 149$
http://www.ifixit.com/cart/catalog/product_729_PowerBook_G3_or_G4_8x_SuperDrive_New.html

The repair instructions: Free
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/PowerBook-G4-Al-17-Inch/SuperDrive

Its a 'moderate' difficulty repair. If you've got a few basic computer tools and a steady hand, you'll be just fine. If not, send it to them, and they'll take care of it for a reasonable price. Make sure you verify part compatibility before you tear into it, a quick email to them will make sure you've got the right part.

I'd say a 150$ repair after two years of use isn't too bad for something you carry around on your back everyday.

Peace,
Sam

 

[zRedbullz]

phidauex,
I'm concerned about where it says ''capability''. Will the drive support Leopard?

 

[phidauex]

phidauex,
I'm concerned about where it says ''capability''. Will the drive support Leopard?

My educated guess would be "yes". That part is the same drive that shipped in other Macs, and I have every reason to believe that it will continue to be supported by OS X for as long as the rest of your hardware is supported.

peace,
sam

 

[aristobrat]

I never ever understand when people take the blame off apple by pointing out that Apple didn't make the component that failed. They chose it and put it in their computer - if they chose a cheap component and it failed, it's Apple's fault.

Although I agree with your thought, I don't think it applies to this guys SuperDrive having failed.

Are you trying to claim that Apple picked cheap SuperDrives for PowerBooks and should extend the warranty on them?

 

[PDE]

Although I agree with your thought, I don't think it applies to this guys SuperDrive having failed.

Are you trying to claim that Apple picked cheap SuperDrives for PowerBooks and should extend the warranty on them?

No, I'm saying that Apple, as the manufacturer of the computer and party responsible for choosing components, should take responsibility for the product as a whole. This is really an issue of warranty and I think Apple has a stingy warranty policy given the high price of its computers. I think a minimum warranty on a product of this price should be two years. the warranty policy should reflect the high cost and what is reasonable to expect for that cost - computers should last for two years MINIMUM and if they don't, it's because of poor components, or poor design or something else directly related to manufacturing. The consumer should not have to pay again to repair something that should not have broken in the first place. I just don't think it's too much to demand that a product like this last for more than one year and, if it doesn't, the company fix it free of charge within a reasonable time frame (2-3 years).

The EU is way ahead of the US when it comes to consumer protection in this regard.