Just received new 15" Rev. D Powerbook

[wizz0bang]

Maybe you could buy a used revision C from someone and make it clear to the seller that you want three days to thouroughly examin it... if it's problem free, you should be set...and depending on when they originally purchased it, you might be able to make use of AppleCare as well.

I'm on the verge of ordering a 12" PB... but am afraid of problems and issues. Even the local Apple store has a demo powerbook with a dead pixel... they said they won't take laptops back unless they have seven dead pixels! Nor do they stock them so that I could look at it before purchase, they only have a demo unit, then send all orders to Apple (I think they do stock iMacs and Minis... but no laptops). It's a frustrating world. At least PC companies seem to except returns without arguements... but I don't want a PC lap top 🙁 and I do want an 8x DVD burner built in, so I guess I'll be playing the crap shoot too. Wish me luck!

P.S. I was a student until December, but Apple now says I no longer qualify for the EDU discount, so I'm waiting for Amazon to stock the 12" so I can order through them... and hope they are more reasonable at returns should I have a problem (refund!). But I think they would refer all exchanges to Apple.

 

[matticus008]

Bottom line!
Apple should stop making consumers have to be worried that their computer may have a defect like a dead pixel or bad screen and start having better quality control. And, if there is a defect, they should own up to it and give you a replacement free of any argument. This is the kind of customer service I am afraid I just cannot tolerate.

First, I'm sorry for your run of bad luck! I'm glad you've got the foresight to see a potential return to the platform in your next round of upgrades. That aside, I have to say that Apple's dead pixel policy is pretty standard. It's amazing that they accepted the other units for a return at all (without a restocking fee), unless there were more than 6-8 dead pixels, or more than 1 in a small, central part of the screen. LCDs are not manufactured to be flawless, because then they'd be much more expensive for what could potentially be little to no improvement. It's not a fault of Apple or even the supplier of the LCD, but of the LCD fabrication process. I'd like to see a world where all screens were flawless, but the prices weren't astronomical. The majority of displays have no dead pixels, but of course there are some that have some dead pixels. They are really annoying! I just developed one on my widescreen LCD for my desktop, after having it for over a year. It's in the upper left corner, and it seems to be stuck on black. I generally try to pretend that it's dust.

My last car's front bumper was almost 1/3 of an inch more separated from the front right quarter panel (as opposed to the left side) when I bought it. I didn't notice at first, and I couldn't return it. It doesn't really affect the car's ability to drive and nobody really notices but me, though it's quite annoying. I think if it had been an inch or more, I'd insist on a remedy of some sort, but that's another instance of a minimum threshold before a company will do anything about it.

Now that I've praised Apple for going beyond their LCD defect policy in your case, I'll probably get a dead pixel on my PB when I order it! And I'll be grumpy about it for months, because unlike my car (which really seems to attract all the shopping carts in the parking lot), I expect my precious notebook to be perfect. Here's hoping I don't have the misfortunes you did!

PS - Good luck with your PC! Keeping it secure, clean, and swift isn't impossible, but it takes a little bit of extra work.

 

[PieMac]

I ran across this report this morning. You should give it a read.

I can truly sympathize with your run of bad luck. I had the same thing happen to me with a Palm a while back. It's very frustrating...especially when it involves such an important/expensive purchase. I've had Macs for over three years now and, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I've had excellent experience with a number of different Mac machines. Too, I have called customer service numerous times over the years and have had nothing but stellar service. I think one time I got someone that annoyed me and was of little help. Unfortunately, there's always a bad apple or two (no pun intended 😛 ) in the bunch. If you get a jerk, hang up and call back and hopefully you'll get someone who is more understanding to your needs.

Oh, and one more thing...if you do decide to give Apple another try, order from Amazon.com. That's where I've purchased my last three powerbooks. All dead/stuck pixel free (not to mention any other problems...the slight shadow in the bottom corner of my newest PB dissappeared...perhaps the screen just needed to adjust). Too, they have an exceptional returns policy and no tax (there are four states that they charge taxes for but they escape me...one is Washington).

Anyway, I do hope you'll give Apple another try down the road. I'd hate to see you deny yourself what could be a truly rewarding experience. Good luck with your next machine (whatever it turns out to be).

 

[Chrispy]

Cooling down... for now

Again, thank you for all your support in the replies. You have all been positive about the situation and have helped me to find a solution, and this is the reason I love this forum. I know I will not be able to go without an apple laptop. After a day of thinking about it I just cannot do without. I am, however, giving consideration to just getting an iBook this time and using my PC on the 19" display. I have had good luck with iBooks in the past so that may be the way to go. What do you all think about Macconnection? Are they a good reseller to deal with? They offer really good upgrade options for free (like double the memory free 🙂) Also, feel free to chime in or if you think the iBook is a bad plan and I should stick with a powerbook. Thanks!

 

[madmaxmedia]

Hey Chrispy,

You may want to see if any brickstore will let you pull out the PB or iBook and check for dead pixels or other problems. Keep in mind that you will not necessarily have better luck with an iBook, so either way if you can check that will be best.

It really sucks what you went through. Dead pixels are primarily a cosmetic thing but still so annoying, especially with a high-end computer like the PB's. Apple's policy is no worse than anyone elses, but it would be nice to be a little better than average on at least the PowerBook line.

One thing about an iBook- it can only drive external monitors at 1024 x 768. The PB's can drive up to an very high resolution (more than high enough for a 19" display.) That will make a big difference with your LCD monitor. The native resolution of the 19" monitor is surely not 1024 x 768, so it will actually look even worse running at 1024 x 768.

Do you ever buy used equipment? If you buy from a good EBayer you will find plenty of listings for PowerBooks in nice condition with perfect screens.

 

[mcgarry]

iBooks of course have their own sordid chapters to their history, especially with the whole G3 logic board fiasco-- reading some of those stories on this board can make your experience sound almost pleasant!-- but I'd think it's a fairly safe bet that whatever you get next should be fine. The current G4 iBooks seem at least as solid as most people's PBs. In other words, I would suggest not basing your decision on the likelihood of having warranty issues, if you can help it. There are good reasons to get an iBook, but I wouldn't say that's one of them.

 

[PieMac]

Do you ever buy used equipment? If you buy from a good EBayer you will find plenty of listings for PowerBooks in nice condition with perfect screens.

True...I just sold my pixel perfect 17" PowerBook on Ebay just a couple of weeks ago (beautiful screen but I wanted something a bit more portable).

My iBook was the only laptop that I had to send off to Apple for anything. The hard drive failed and was replaced. But it was a G3 iBook which had a number of issues, I believe. Also, I really didn't care for the screen (I had the 14"). The powerbook screen is much better.

I still think Amazon would be your best bet as far as online retailers go. They will take back defective computers without any restocking fees unless it is misrepresented by the buyer-then there is a 15% restocking fee. I did buy a 20" Apple display from them once and it had a dead pixel and I sent it back with no problem for a full refund. That was right before I sold my PowerMac and decided to go totally laptop.

 

[1macker1]

Do you live by a Comp USA. THe'll boot your computer up and check for dead pixals for about 15 bucks.

 

[therevolution]

One thing about an iBook- it can only drive external monitors at 1024 x 768. The PB's can drive up to an very high resolution (more than high enough for a 19" display.) That will make a big difference with your LCD monitor. The native resolution of the 19" monitor is surely not 1024 x 768, so it will actually look even worse running at 1024 x 768.

You can get higher resolutions with an iBook. It's not supported by Apple, but it works just fine. You just have to install Screen Spanning Doctor. Once that's done, it'll allow you to choose any resolution up to 1920x1440@60Hz for the second display. My CRT is running at 1280x1024@75Hz right now using this method.

 

[mcgarry]

You can get higher resolutions with an iBook. It's not supported by Apple, but it works just fine. You just have to install Screen Spanning Doctor. Once that's done, it'll allow you to choose any resolution up to 1920x1440@60Hz for the second display. My CRT is running at 1280x1024@75Hz right now using this method.

But even then, without true clamshell mode, the external screen gets 16MB VRAM devoted to it ... or at least that's what Chrispy said inspired him to get rid of his last iBook, if I remember correctly. Not a huge issue for many people, but maybe it still is to him?

 

[therevolution]

But even then, without true clamshell mode, the external screen gets 16MB VRAM devoted to it ... or at least that's what Chrispy said inspired him to get rid of his last iBook, if I remember correctly. Not a huge issue for many people, but maybe it still is to him?

Sure, that's true. If you're gaming or want Expose to be silky smooth, you probably don't want to do that. I was just refuting the claim that iBooks can only run external monitors at 1024x768, because they *can* go higher.

 

[Chrispy]

I am happy to see that my past iBook history has been remembered 🙂. Indeed, that was the problem I had with the ibook and prompted me to get ride of it (by the way, I am still fighting with apple to get my money back for that one. They "lost" the computer in the warehouse and even with proof that they got it back, they are making me way 15 business days from when it was received by them before they do anything grrrrr). The 15" powerbook left my posession today and is now in the hands of fedex on its way back to apple. I am now, offically, appless. I have bene reading a lot about issues with the 15" powerbook and I think if I do get another mac it would probably be the good ol' 12" that I had about a year ago for some time. The screen is kinda small, but it seems to be the one most free of issues (probably because it is smaller and there is less of a chance for things to go wrong). I will let you guys know what I decide to do. Whatever it is, I will not be ordering it direct from apple 😉

 

[EJBasile]

I wouldn't give up. I'm on my 3rd iPod!

 

[madmaxmedia]

You can get higher resolutions with an iBook. It's not supported by Apple, but it works just fine. You just have to install Screen Spanning Doctor. Once that's done, it'll allow you to choose any resolution up to 1920x1440@60Hz for the second display. My CRT is running at 1280x1024@75Hz right now using this method.

Oh, thanks for the correction!

 

[Chrispy]

YAY! Working powerbook

GOOD NEWS! I was looking around online yesterday and I found that Macconnection has an offer for a free 512MB memory upgrade and a free printer with the purchase of a powerbook. They had the 12" Rev. D powerbooks in stock so I decided to order one and have it shipped overnight since it only cost $40 more for both the computer and printer together. The powerbook came today and so far it is working perfeclty!!! I'm so happy I could just cry. Thank you everyone for your support through all this.

Now I have my windows machine all polished up and ready for gaming again after using it for awhile ;-) At the moment I am using both and it will probably stay that way. However, it feels so great to have my mac portable back again to take with me everywhere. No more boring lectures 😉 Thanks again everyone!

 

[mcgarry]

GOOD NEWS! ...[snip] The powerbook came today and so far it is working perfeclty!!! I'm so happy I could just cry. Thank you everyone for your support through all this.
...

Hey all. ... [snip] Now, I am typing to you all on that very powerbook ordered just 24 hours ago!! Best of all, it is pixel perfect 🙂 ...

WHOA! Someone at Apple must have slipped up, it appears Chrispy was able to get his hands on a PB without any problems. I suspect they'll be getting right on it, so he'd best keep it in plain sight for the moment ...

But seriously, that's good news, and here's hoping that it doesn't blow up or something (crossing fingers).

 

[PieMac]

Congrats! It's about time!
And on that note, I have another 15" PowerBook on the way from Amazon and am keeping my fingers crossed. Although the dark area in the bottom corner of my original one did improve greatly, it is still faintly visible at times. Too, I just discovered the other day that the lid doesn't close flush (the old warping issue...the left side is about 1/8 of an inch gapped).
Bottom line: even though it's a bit of a hassle, I have the opportunity to return it and get another, so why not take advantage of it? I can't really complain too much...this is the first time I've had a need to exchange one...no problems with the first two.

 

[Demon Hunter]

Worst of all, I am a shareholder for Apple Computer…

That can't be so bad, as of right now. Ride the wave while it lasts, eh?

The people who have been faithful Apple users will remain, but I sometimes wonder if Apple's recent popularity will inevitably see the compromise of quality, as seen here, or some other kind of fallout.

 

[Chrispy]

That can't be so bad, as of right now. Ride the wave while it lasts, eh?

The people who have been faithful Apple users will remain, but I sometimes wonder if Apple's recent popularity will inevitably see the compromise of quality, as seen here, or some other kind of fallout.

I agree that now is a good time to be a shareholder. Now, with the 2 for 1 split, things are looking even better. I just fear, as do you, that as Apple grows larger they will start to treat even more customers the way I was treated. In the end I still bough an apple product but I didn't buy it direct from apple because my customer service with them was so terrible. As a matter of fact I am still trying to get my money back for a return from a return from a month ago. While on hold with them tonight, after waiting for 20 mins, they hung up on me!! So far, they are still sticking true to their horrible customer service that I have experienced so far. Oh well, when you do get a product that works it kicks A$$. For this reason, I will still put up with the bad experiences to have a superior computer. Oh well, as long as my powerbook keeps working then all is well 🙂

 

[wizz0bang]

Chrispy:

Have you experienced any abnormal fan behavior with your rev. D 12"? I've read a few alarming posts here about people with Rev.D PBs reporting that the fans are on much more frequently (and at lower temps) than people with rev. C PBs. This could also be a 10.3.7 vs 10.3.8 issue rather than a rev C rev D issue. Thanks!

 

[PieMac]

Chrispy:

Have you experienced any abnormal fan behavior with your rev. D 12"? I've read a few alarming posts here about people with Rev.D PBs reporting that the fans are on much more frequently (and at lower temps) than people with rev. C PBs. This could also be a 10.3.7 vs 10.3.8 issue rather than a rev C rev D issue. Thanks!

I can't really vouch for the 12" but I have yet to hear the fan come on in the rev. D 15" that I currently have. However, the fan was constantly coming on in the 5 month old rev. C 17" PowerBook that I recently sold...go figure. I have noticed that new PB gets a little hotter than my old one but I figure that's due to the faster hard drive.

I'm still going back and forth on whether I should send back my current one for the new one that arrives Tuesday. The slight shadowing in the bottom right corner of the screen rarely shows itself now and apparently the "warping" (lid not closing evenly) is supposidly "normal". And the one I have now doesn't have any pixel problems which is always a relief; however, it kernel panics whenver I try and boot off of any other DVD/CD other than the factory restore one that came with it...strange. I wonder if I should I be concerned about this?

I guess it's pretty bad to be worried that a new one might have problems worse than the one you have...although I really think this concern isn't exclusive to Apple. Seems like when it comes to any brand electronics/computer device, you hold your breath until you test it out.

 

[SurfAddict]

Perfection is beautiful

Hey I'm sorry to hear about your guy's problems I guess its a good thing that I opted for the 17" in the last second of the order process (checkout) rather than the 15". For anyone intrested about the 17" the screen has absolutely no problems I get around 2:40 on battery time with everything on the max setting while surfing and using itunes. With 1 GB of ram I get around 30-45 fps on WoW for all you gamers hopefully that will go up once outpost ships my 2 1GB sticks 😀

 

[jaromski]

I bought the Rev. C 12" PB in April/04. That was my first foray back into Mac computing since a PowerMac 7200 80mhz. I had even upgraded to a 17" monitor which was really pricey at the time.

But I sold my 12" PB to my brother who is getting ready for college and upgraded to the new 15" PB 1GB mem 80GB drive + 128MB VRAM. I have been extremely lucky with all my apple purchases (bought straight from their online site) and never had a problem with the displays on the powerbooks. This machine is flawless and the 1GB memory really makes it crank.

Well I lied. I bought a 23" ACD a few years back when they first came out and it had problems. Part of the screen would intermittently go green and haywire. It was really frustrating because I couldn't get anybody at Apple to believe me that I had a monitor defect so soon after purchase. So I can relate to your story of going through hell with Apple Support. Finally I was able to take digital photos of the problem and send them in and after that they didn't question me anymore and fixed it within a week. After that it has never given me grief, but god almighty it was an exercise in pure frustration at the time.

-jaromski

 

[Chrispy]

Hello again everyone. Thankfully, I have yet to experience anything strange with the 12". The fan does not come on unless I am in bed with it for awhile and I have it sitting on my blanket. Even then, it comes on and goes back off again quickly. I cannot really notice any head differences between the 1.5GHz and the 1.33GHz my girlfriend has. I have to say, I'm afraid to go with a 15" ever again after the string of luck I have had with them.... maybe with the next full revs of powerbooks (dual core or G5s) I will consider it. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that this powerbook last me a long time 🙂

 

[jaromski]

Well I may have spoken too soon about this new 15". I have noticed something strange...the backlight flickers sometimes. It is kinda strange. Has anybody else experienced this with their powerbook?

It is weird, it just pulses slightly. I don't know how to explain it better than that.

-jaromski