Is Apple hardware still trustful?

[RayIshido]

Hi,

No trolling here but I need an opinion from others users.

During the lasts years I brought an iPhone 4 which was a wonder.

But when I brought the iPhone 5 the problems begins: First a problem with front camera->repaired. Then a problem with the power button-> iPhone changed. Then a problem with the battery life -> iPhone changed again. Then another problem with the battery life -> iPhone changed for the third time.

Now the late 2011 MBP I brought new in february 2012 is showing the GPU problem after only 2 years and half!

As it is the computer I use at work, I need to change it quickly.
But after all this issues I am now wondering if I can still trust apple and buy another MBP that will last for several years, as it is expected for a 2000$ laptop, or if a new MPB will need to be change again in 2 years due to poor engineering and hardware failure.

What are the experiences of others members of the forum? how long can I normally expect a MBP to last?

Thanks.

 

[2984839]

I'm not aware of any serious issues such as the NVIDIA and Radeon problems in the current line. My 2011 13" is humming along nicely. I'm posting this from my 10 year old PowerBook which functions perfectly reliably as my main computer. Barring a known defect (and excluding hard drive failures) computers last a long time.

 

[Wayfarer]

Obligatory post about iPhone 6 bending. Ooo, Apple is doomed! We can't trust them anymore.
/s
Sorry, it had to be brought up somewhere in this thread!

 

[nobodyjustwalks]

You could always purchase the rMBP without the discrete graphics card. Unless of course you need it for work. My personal opinion is that Macs are great machines and they last a long time. I have never had an issue (knock on wood) with any of the machines I have owned in the past.

However, there do seem to be quite a few posts relating to grahpics card failures on MacRumors, though I do not remember if they apply more to the 2012 or 2011 models. Either way, for me, there really is no alternative in terms of enjoyment, build quality, functionality, and aesthetics, so I guess I will continue to gamble on Apple. Good luck on your next purchase!

 

[yjchua95]

I'm not aware of any serious issues such as the NVIDIA and Radeon problems in the current line. My 2011 13" is humming along nicely. I'm posting this from my 10 year old PowerBook which functions perfectly reliably as my main computer. Barring a known defect (and excluding hard drive failures) computers last a long time.

Then you missed the recall programs by Apple (2008 MBP with 8600M GT, 2010 MBP with GT 330M), and also the Radeongate issue which Apple will not acknowledge (2011 MBPs, but they acknowledged it for the 2011 27" iMacs with Radeon GPUs from the same architecture as those in the 2011 MBPs).

And you also missed the Apple replacement programs for the iPhone 5 power button and battery.

The 13" models will not be affected by GPU failures as they lack a discrete GPU.

 

[2984839]

Then you missed the recall programs by Apple (2008 MBP with 8600M GT, 2010 MBP with GT 330M), and also the Radeongate issue which Apple will not acknowledge (2011 MBPs, but they acknowledged it for the 2011 27" iMacs with Radeon GPUs from the same architecture as those in the 2011 MBPs).

And you also missed the Apple replacement programs for the iPhone 5 power button and battery.

The 13" models will not be affected by GPU failures as they lack a discrete GPU.

You missed my point. I specifically mentioned the NVIDIA and Radeon failures and said there have been no issues such as those with the current models.

 

[poematik13]

Were they never not trustful? I've never had an apple product (ranging from ipods to iphones to macbooks) die on me. Sure, they might break or wear down or something but thats expected

 

[leman]

As far as I recall, every product released by Apple has had some sort of issue, and that is absolutely normal (no product ever is without them). If the issues are serious, there are extended warranties and recalls, as it should be (one notable exception so far is the 2011 MBP which appears to have fairly high change of GPU failure). All in all, I don't see why Apple's products should be less reliable today compared to what they were earlier. The engineering has definitively improved and the current rMBP are more robust than the old non-unibody designs.

 

[RayIshido]

Thank you for yours answers.

Of course I am totally aware that all electronics will eventually have a failure but having to change a 500$ computer every 2 years is quite not the same as changing a 2000$. At some point I don't expect them to have the same built quality and the fact that after almost one year and thousands of customer having the same problem, apple still ask to pay for the repair is quite disappointing. Does it mark a change in customer care policy from apple or has it always been like this?

But actually, what worried me is that it seems that the problem in the 2011 models seems to be related to lead free solder. As this type of solder is still in use, I am wondering if buying a new MBP, I will not have the same problem in 2 years.

Also, I am not sure if only the discrete GPU is affected or if the intel also have the problem at some point. Do you know if there is any record of such failure with the intel cards?

Thanks again.

 

[saturnotaku]

Do you know if there is any record of such failure with the intel cards?

There isn't, at least not on the scale of the Radeon ones. The newer Ivy Bridge and Haswell CPUs tend to run cooler, so they would not be as susceptible to radical temperature changes. Though powerful, Sandy Bridge processors ran quite warm, as did the 6-Series Radeon GPUs. Put these two things in the confined space of a MacBook Pro, you have a recipe for widespread GPU failure.

 

[Yotsuba]

I've had my Early 2011 17" MacBook Pro since November 2011 and haven't had a single issue with the system. November 29 of this year will make it exactly three years that I've had my computer. The only maintenance, aside from OS maintenance, that I've done is monthly cleaning of the fans.

 

[RayIshido]

I've had my Early 2011 17" MacBook Pro since November 2011 and haven't had a single issue with the system. November 29 of this year will make it exactly three years that I've had my computer.

You are lucky but be aware that the 3 years mark seems to be the problem.

 

[nudoru]

I've had a mixed bag over the years with my Apple products but I still choose to buy and support them.

The biggest one was with my late 2011 MBP 15" - the GPU died after only 19 months and 3 logic board replacements and about a year later, they replaced with with a new retina. So that's great customer service. If you have the patience to work with them.

The list:

I inherited a PowerBook G4 from my brother and had the lower RAM slot go out. Was a common problem.

I had a G3 iBook that was fine.

I had a G4 iBook that had a bad charger and if the battery went under 50% it was a series of SMC resets to get it to charge again.

I had a 2007 iMac 21" that never had a problem.

My wife's 2008 white MacBook is still going with only one issue despite living in the kitchen and multiple splashes of cookie dough. The fan is going out but I think that's due to the punishment she gives it.

I inherited a 2008 unibody 15" MBP that's still going strong.

My 2011 15" MBP that was a disaster.

My current 2014 Retina that's so far so good (after 4 days).

iPhone 3g, 4, iPad 1, iPad Mini - no issues

Apple replaced my iPhone 5 due to the lock button becoming unresponsive

iPhone 6 - so far no problems.

 

[RayIshido]

I've had a mixed bag over the years with my Apple products but I still choose to buy and support them.

The biggest one was with my late 2011 MBP 15" - the GPU died after only 19 months and 3 logic board replacements and about a year later, they replaced with with a new retina. So that's great customer service. If you have the patience to work with them.

The list:

I inherited a PowerBook G4 from my brother and had the lower RAM slot go out. Was a common problem.

I had a G3 iBook that was fine.

I had a G4 iBook that had a bad charger and if the battery went under 50% it was a series of SMC resets to get it to charge again.

I had a 2007 iMac 21" that never had a problem.

My wife's 2008 white MacBook is still going with only one issue despite living in the kitchen and multiple splashes of cookie dough. The fan is going out but I think that's due to the punishment she gives it.

I inherited a 2008 unibody 15" MBP that's still going strong.

My 2011 15" MBP that was a disaster.

My current 2014 Retina that's so far so good (after 4 days).

iPhone 3g, 4, iPad 1, iPad Mini - no issues

Apple replaced my iPhone 5 due to the lock button becoming unresponsive

iPhone 6 - so far no problems.

Thank you for your comment which gave a clear background.

 

[maflynn]

So far, I'm very happy with my apple hardware.

I've been using Apple stuff since the Macintosh SE days and with only a few exceptions, all the machines including my 2012 rMBP laptop has been rock solid.

 

[Anitramane]

I think the latest laptop failure stuff I’ve seen on Macrumors are the screens being bad (yellow or burnt in pictures) I think that’s resolved now, and I’ve also seen some posts about 650m gpus giving up very early and the heat spreaders being very ******.

 

[MacInTO]

I think the latest laptop failure stuff I’ve seen on Macrumors are the screens being bad (yellow or burnt in pictures) I think that’s resolved now, and I’ve also seen some posts about 650m gpus giving up very early and the heat spreaders being very ******.

My recent experience with Apple hasn't been good. I had the 2011 GPU failure and then recently the retina image retention problem on a 2012 retina MBP which has been cleared up with a new screen. I'm still a bit wary of the quality, but I'm invested and know a Windows machine would be inferior.

Before this I've not had any problems since the mid 80s when I started using Apple products.

 

[iamMacPerson]

Hi,

No trolling here but I need an opinion from others users.

During the lasts years I brought an iPhone 4 which was a wonder.

But when I brought the iPhone 5 the problems begins: First a problem with front camera->repaired. Then a problem with the power button-> iPhone changed. Then a problem with the battery life -> iPhone changed again. Then another problem with the battery life -> iPhone changed for the third time.

Lucky. My worst Apple product was my iPhone 5. 14 replacments. I won't go into detail about the issues, but I will say this. Apple kept blaming my environment at home. I bought the 5s and the issue disappeared instantly.

Now the late 2011 MBP I brought new in february 2012 is showing the GPU problem after only 2 years and half!

This is an issue with AMD, not necessarily Apple's hardware. Who knew these chips would fail prematurely? If they knew that they wouldn't have used them.

FWIW, my early 2011 MBP (2.3GHz, 4GB of RAM, 128GB Apple SSD) went through 6 logic boards in the first year. They were fed up with it and replaced it with my first Retina MacBook. The one was replaced because it had graphics issues too (2012 15" Retina). The second logic board's discreet GPU was DOA and KPed whenever you tried to kick it into high gear.

I'm on my second rMBP (late 2013 15") and it has been my most reliable Intel Mac portable to date (knock on wood). The heat sink and thermal sensors were replaced earlier this year because of overheating issues. Apperently the factory used too little thermal grease when they assembled the machine so instead of chancing it later down the road, the replaced the motherboard too even though it had no issues.

As it is the computer I use at work, I need to change it quickly.
But after all this issues I am now wondering if I can still trust apple and buy another MBP that will last for several years, as it is expected for a 2000$ laptop, or if a new MPB will need to be change again in 2 years due to poor engineering and hardware failure.

What are the experiences of others members of the forum? how long can I normally expect a MBP to last?

Thanks.

I know my stories might be scary, but I have heard great things from friends who have bought he 2014 Retina computers and I love my 2013 model so I'd go for it.

FWIW, I bought my Mac Pro 2009 (tower) at a recycler and it still kicks butt. I find that it's a hit and miss with Apple's QC. At least the support is good when something goes wrong. Can't say the same for PC vendors… Yeah, I'm looking at you Dell!

 

[mofunk]

Its a gadget and things like that will happen. When a company doesn't address an issue then I don't want to spend any money on their products. My last two Macs I had issues with and Apple repaired them. The first two Macs I had no issue. In the last 8 years they might have had an increase on MacBook sales, so much that the failure rate would be higher. More volume = possibility of failure. Like I said, it can happen with any gadget.


brought = to bring
bought = to buy

 

[ryannel2003]

I've owned many Apple products in the last 10 years and though I do feel that to a certain extent quality control was better during the PowerPC era (not to mention they were a much smaller company), all of my Mac's have been great in one way or another. The only issues I ever had with my MacBook's were the plastic models that chipped on the edge of the case and my Unibody plastic MacBook cracked at the hinges. I can't recall one instance of having a hardware failure, and I've owned pretty much every model of MacBook in the past 5 years or so.

The only hardware failure I ever did have with an Apple product was an iPod Mini (remember those?) that continuously failed over and over. After 3 replacements it never had the issue again.

 

[Atomic Walrus]

(...)But when I brought the iPhone 5 the problems begins: First a problem with front camera->repaired. Then a problem with the power button-> iPhone changed. Then a problem with the battery life -> iPhone changed again. Then another problem with the battery life -> iPhone changed for the third time.(...)

I don't really want to get into a broad discussion of device reliability (it's complicated, I'm lazy), but I did want to mention that your iPhone 5 replacements for poor battery life were most likely a case of "you complain, Apple replaces," which is something they do a lot more than other companies.

The 5 and 5S just have worse battery life than the older models in many usage cases. The things keep getting faster (and there was a small screen size increase from 4S->5), but until the 6 the batteries weren't getting any bigger. Apple tries to deal with this by keeping CPU load as low as possible and optimizing the low load power consumption (a lot like Intel's Haswell), but when you do anything that puts serious load on the CPU you'll see extremely fast battery drain.

It's never really been an issue for me (turn off all the background stuff!), but I definitely noticed the decrease in battery life from 4->5 and again from 5->5S (in this case it was less of a straight trade; The CPU is so much faster that in some situations it does better, in others worse).

 

[RayIshido]

I don't really want to get into a broad discussion of device reliability (it's complicated, I'm lazy), but I did want to mention that your iPhone 5 replacements for poor battery life were most likely a case of "you complain, Apple replaces," which is something they do a lot more than other companies.

The 5 and 5S just have worse battery life than the older models in many usage cases...

That's the point. I don't want to have to complain in the first place. If I buy a first price product, I know what I am paying for and don't complain when it break. But we are talking of Apple.

The image that Apple is selling trough its notoriety and through its prices, is to be one of the best tech company, selling high end product, not a cheap Chinese electronic company.

If you buy a BMW or a Mercedes you don't expect it to be made of cheap plastic that break apart within 6 month or to have critical engine failure during this time-lapse.

I paid the price to have a quality that wasn't there. Twice.

But as several comment pointed out, in the past apple was a very trustful company, and in my case, I will probably go on once again with a macbook pro. But clearly my trust in the band has been hurt and if any other problem appears I'll certainly switch for another band which price will be in accordance to the product real quality.

The battery problem of the iPhone wasn't due to usage but to battery failure as in stand-by mode it last less than 12 hours. Twice. During the last repair I had to stay a week without any smartphone. Such an easy thing nowadays for a freelancer to stay without such communication device...

 

[KUguardgrl13]

iPod Classic: A beast. It's dented from being dropped on my tiled bathroom floor, but it's still going strong at 7 years old. I also have a 1st gen Shuffle so where that probably still works.

MacBook Pro (2009, 13"): I thought it was a goner last year after several hard drive cable and two hard drive replacements. It also had an annoying recurring sleep/wake issue for a while. This is where Apple was awesome and continued to replace my hard drive cables and a hard drive even after my AppleCare expired. After I replaced the original battery and upgraded to Mavericks, it seems to have extended its life. Maybe because I don't carry it with my anymore. Supposedly the 09s have hard drive cable failure issues because of he internal design. From what I've heard it wasn't an issue starting with the 2011 models, and the rMBPs use a completely different system to connect the SSD to the logic board.

iPhone 5: Overall an excellent device from my experience. No scuffgate with the silver model. Also no sleep/wake button or battery issues. Just had the home button replaced last year.

MacBook Pro with Retina Display (late-2013, 13"): Love this machine. No display color issues. I did have some trackpad issues early on, but that was a Mavericks problem that they fixed with an update.

My advise is to buy AppleCare. Without it, I would have been SOL with my 09 MBP. Instead it's still working as a secondary desktop replacement at five years old. Also, issues will either appear immediately, or sometimes it takes a few years. Apple is pretty good about taking care of their customers (see the article about the warranty checks that older iPhone owners are getting for being denied repairs because the moisture indicators were set off). Granted they seem to be better about iOS devices than Macs (Radeongate and the hard drive cable failures come to mind). Also realize that by using adhesives instead of screws and clips, Apple is making their products more throw away than before. They're pretty much saying that of a part breaks due to age, you might as well buy a new computer. Annoying, but true.

 

[simonsi]

If you buy a BMW or a Mercedes you don't expect it to be made of cheap plastic that break apart within 6 month or to have critical engine failure during this time-lapse.

BMW and Mercedes service departments have plenty of warranty work going on to....

It sounds like you have a history of devices being swapped out almost without question - that is excellent service.

If you get excellent service from a cheaper manufacturer then you can be assured it is made of cheaper components...

 

[MacMan988]

From my experience, NO. My 2011 MBP's screen got damaged recently and it has a vertical green line running from top to bottom. My iPhone 4S has so many issues (signal drop, battery dies at 50%, etc). When it comes to software, messages in the Messages app appears out of order. I saw this issue when they introduced iMessage and I still see it in Yosemite. One device gets an iMessage and the one I'm actually using gets the same message several minutes later (on the same wifi network)