I'm ready to throw my MBP out the window.

[TraceyS/FL]

It's a Feb 2007 17" 2.33. Its showing purchased Feb 28 - so maybe that is when Apple Care runs out. Better than tomorrow like i thought....

So back in September my fans flipped out. The computer sounded like an Airplane taking off.

I ran a Super Duper backup with it sounding like that - and went off to the Apple store.

They ended up replacing:

Speakers
Speaker Window
Speaker Window
I/O Window
Fan
Fan

In the process, they broke my shift key.... which wasn't apparent until i typed on the keyboard (it sits mostly on a griffin elevator and I use an extended keyboard.

So that was another trip to the store (60-90 miles one way). He replaced the key - showed it to me sorta and I left. I got home and the edge of it was basically under the Z. Great.

Make another appointment.... they decide to order me a new keyboard.

Great, another 120 miles... they agree to give me the one appointment a week with a same day "repair". So it was cool being there at 8am. Empty and quiet. oh and now it's November.

BUT, the keyboard looks like crap. Honestly, if he had shown it to me i would have taken the crappy shift key over this. He stated it was within Apple Specs and they were done with the keyboard.

I can't stand to look at it - I'd never BUY something that looks like this at all. Not for a $2700 flagship laptop (with an oh so precious matte screen! ), it would have gone back.

The problem is, they are refurb parts..... which means it's a crap shoot.

SO, meanwhile, the fans keep freaking out. I just did a reboot because it is beyond slow - and on reboot they are STILL running like crazy.

iStat is showing 3851 right now, with a CPU temp of 151 - wait, now they are up to 4875. CPU is running at 51% with just safari running. Now up to 5527.

They never used to do this until the big replace of them. NEVER.

So i guess now i have to make another appointment - at least they can also replace my new Touch because the ambient light sensor appears to be busted.

Oh and the battery. The one that they replaced... 18 cycles and iStat says 77% health (whatever that means), all i know is that with wifi off, BT off, and using the "better energy settings" it lasts about an hour.... but the numbers are apparently within specs. Good thing i don't NEED it...

ANYWAY.... i just needed to vent. I called the Apple Care guy to verify the end date and he told me to try the store and then call back if i need too. I'm not sure i'm up to the store. It hasn't been a good experience except for iPod "repairs". I ended up at Corporate Care support the first time around.

Oh look, back ramped up while importing pics into Aperture. At least i expect it in that.....

Here, I did a picture with some of them marked with my issues. I dunno, maybe i'm just being anal?? Or are these flaws within the "acceptable norms" that Apple goes with on keyboards? Yuck. I'd put a piece of paper over it if it wouldn't cause it to overheat more

 

[mikem7522]

apple care is one of the biggest scams in retail.

 

[Sneakz]

apple care is one of the biggest scams in retail.

Just wait till you need a logic board replacement. I must say it is absolutely useless to buy early. I say buy it 1-2 weeks before you 1 year warranty runs out.

 

[lionheartednyhc]

Just wait till you need a logic board replacement. I must say it is absolutely useless to buy early. I say buy it 1-2 weeks before you 1 year warranty runs out.

What's the difference? You are out the same amount of money, but you have phone support if you need it.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Just wait till you need a logic board replacement. I must say it is absolutely useless to buy early. I say buy it 1-2 weeks before you 1 year warranty runs out.

The repair i had done was $310 - paid for the AC (bought at edu pricing). AND, when it was bought i could have afforded to fix it out of pocket - but now, no way i could have fixed it and i'd not have a computer.

I just don't like the fact that i'm having all these issues with the fans and it's running out.... and the keyboard makes me want to puke....

ANyway...

 

[smithmax13]

If you're having issues and you're still covered get it fixed now. Have you considered doing the mail in repair instead of driving to the store?

 

[Gloor]

What's the difference? You are out the same amount of money, but you have phone support if you need it.

The difference is that if you buy it with the computer then you have it for 3 years all together so when something happens to the computer at the end of the 1st year they replace it but you still have 3 years in total.
If on the other hand you don't buy it with the computer and they do replace the machine near the 1 year warranty then the new machine has again another 12 months warranty. So if that machine will be working correctly and you end up buying the warranty for the new machine at the end of its year's warranty expires then you are getting 4 years in total (from the purchase of your new machine). You can rinse and repeat if your machine is getting replaced withing the first year as long as you don't buy the applecare before that

Its a mind game but it extends it when you run into trouble. Otherwise if the computer is running flawlessy then you are right and there is no difference

 

[2contagious]

Hi,

My MacBook Pro (1.83 GHz, first generation from 2006) died on me two weeks ago. Guess what? Logic board failure - 640 pounds to replace it.
Also, my MBP had a crapped up keyboard like yours since day 1... spacing in between the keys not equal, keys have different heights (too high?!) or are higher on one side of the key compared to the other...

duuuhhmm.

 

[smithmax13]

I'm pretty sure it's 3yrs from purchase date, not 3 years from when you get your last replacement computer. If you get a repair one day before AC expires, then you are covered for some length of time (30-90 days usually) for that repair.

 

[iLog.Genius]

I'm pretty sure it's 3yrs from purchase date, not 3 years from when you get your last replacement computer. If you get a repair one day before AC expires, then you are covered for some length of time (30-90 days usually) for that repair.

The post you're referring, the poster was talking about if the computer gets replaced as a whole rather than a repair. If you get your computer replaced, it's considered as a new computer with a new one year limited warranty. But if you decide to purchase AppleCare at the beginning and get a replacement, you can either get a refund for the remaining time or transfer it over to the replacement.

With the keyboard, I guess you can complain if it annoys you that much but that would be the last thing I'd worry about. First generation unibody owners experienced similar defects where the keys were not all leveled/aligned the same but it was something minor, as long as the keyboard worked.

 

[Azmordean]

Just wait till you need a logic board replacement. I must say it is absolutely useless to buy early. I say buy it 1-2 weeks before you 1 year warranty runs out.

I never mess with Apple Care. Why? Because American Express (and most other credit cards) will double your warranty when you use them to purchase. It's a little known fact. So built in Apple Care the first year, then Amex warranty the second. After two years, at least for me, when I consider how much Apple Care costs compared with the chances of the laptop breaking, it is in "better to just buy a new one if it croaks" territory.

My MBP (also Feb 07 model) was having bad screen flickering. I called up Amex, they told me to take it to the Apple Store... I did, they sent it in for a "flat rate repair" ($395 I believe), where they ended up replacing the logic board (I suspect 8600M GT bug).

I paid for the repair with my Amex, and Amex credited the amount of the repair back before my payment was even due. Very easy.

 

[1appleAday]

I never mess with Apple Care. Why? Because American Express (and most other credit cards) will double your warranty when you use them to purchase. It's a little known fact. So built in Apple Care the first year, then Amex warranty the second. After two years, at least for me, when I consider how much Apple Care costs compared with the chances of the laptop breaking, it is in "better to just buy a new one if it croaks" territory.

My MBP (also Feb 07 model) was having bad screen flickering. I called up Amex, they told me to take it to the Apple Store... I did, they sent it in for a "flat rate repair" ($395 I believe), where they ended up replacing the logic board (I suspect 8600M GT bug).

I paid for the repair with my Amex, and Amex credited the amount of the repair back before my payment was even due. Very easy.

Thanks for the good tip! very helpful! wish i know it sooner as I did buy my MBA with Amex but then bought the AppleCare on ebay before the 1st yr is up !

 

[auero]

I never mess with Apple Care. Why? Because American Express (and most other credit cards) will double your warranty when you use them to purchase. It's a little known fact. So built in Apple Care the first year, then Amex warranty the second. After two years, at least for me, when I consider how much Apple Care costs compared with the chances of the laptop breaking, it is in "better to just buy a new one if it croaks" territory.

My MBP (also Feb 07 model) was having bad screen flickering. I called up Amex, they told me to take it to the Apple Store... I did, they sent it in for a "flat rate repair" ($395 I believe), where they ended up replacing the logic board (I suspect 8600M GT bug).

I paid for the repair with my Amex, and Amex credited the amount of the repair back before my payment was even due. Very easy.

I do the same! I love amex They've helped me once before too. They also cover the item if its stolen.

 

[srexy]

Post a screenshot of your activity monitor when the fans are freaking out. I bet there's some runaway process that's causing it.

With Safari running you're seeing 51% that's definitely excessive - do any of the pages open in Safari have a flash element in them? - What happens if you close Safari and open the same web-page(s) in Firefox/Opera?

I recently gave up on Safari and went over to Opera because I was sick of all the beach-balling bollix and slow load times I was experiencing...

I had a late 06 2.33ghz MBP and I also noticed that there were frequent fan "spin-outs". I would often use it in bed on my lap w/the vents partially blocked by a duvet and that would exacerbate the problem. My first line of defense was usually a repair permissions - have you done this?

If it's any consolation my late 08 unibody does not have any such issues.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

So last night i attempted to watch a show on Syfy.com.

the fans jumped to almost 7000 in the first few minutes. I had to give up and watch it on my mini - driving a 22" screen.

It also wouldn't stream - it paused every few seconds and it was on N because neither of the Touches were connected to the net. Unlike right now - i can't get it to stream at all for more than 5 words at the most. (i'm in the same room as the time capsule - like, 15 feet away).

So i have a screen shot of iStat from the start of the wind-up last night. 65 degrees C and 6000 rpm. Right now it's running 70 degrees and only 2000rpm.

With everything else the same app/tab wise. I'm going to let it play and will see what activity monitor is doing...... :::banghead::: It is intermittent for sure. The shot below with the activity monitor is from "right now".

And, the keyboard is still bugging the crap out of me and I seriously would have returned it had it looked like this at the get go.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I had a late 06 2.33ghz MBP and I also noticed that there were frequent fan "spin-outs". I would often use it in bed on my lap w/the vents partially blocked by a duvet and that would exacerbate the problem. My first line of defense was usually a repair permissions - have you done this?

If it's any consolation my late 08 unibody does not have any such issues.

I will do the repair permissions later... It's sitting on the Griffin Elevator so nothing is blocking the vent - the Apple Care guy suggested blowing the vent out. I'm not sure i have canned air around the house.

 

[alent1234]

On my Hp laptop cleaning the fan always fixes the noise problem. A lot of dust gets in there

 

[killerrobot]

I have the same model and have had almost the same problems: fans, battery, and some keys.

Some of my keys were replaced and left a little crooked and uneven. If it works they won't change anything about it unfortunately.

When they replaced my fan, they forgot to reset the SMC so it was still acting a little weird. After I did it, things returned to normal. You might want to give that a try.

If that doesn't help out, you should definitely take it back to have them look at it again.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I have the same model and have had almost the same problems: fans, battery, and some keys.

Some of my keys were replaced and left a little crooked and uneven. If it works they won't change anything about it unfortunately.

When they replaced my fan, they forgot to reset the SMC so it was still acting a little weird. After I did it, things returned to normal. You might want to give that a try.

If that doesn't help out, you should definitely take it back to have them look at it again.

Thanks - I'll try the SMC thing tomorrow. I had forgotten about that. It didn't have any issues with the video tonight. I know it didn't have them before because i was on an Eureka watching marathon on SciFi and hulu, and there wasn't an issue - even while doing other stuff.

Seriously, until the big fan blow-up, i had had NOTHING wrong with it. It is just frustrating because i had no qualms about not being able to replace it until then, it was just going to last. Heck, the backlight is even even - unlike the others around that time.

So on the list for the morning, repair permissions and SMC reset and see what happens.