Known issues for white 2006 MacBook?

[cubeowner]

Hello,

I have a white MacBook that I bought in June 2006, and am wondering if anyone knows whether the following problems are known issues in a MacBook?

Basically, the SuperDrive quit on me this summer by sucking up CDs/DVDs and then not reading them (I had to use the paper-clip eject method to get them out again). Then this past Monday, the laptop just plain wouldn't turn on, which the Genius Bar diagnosed that evening as a failed logic board.

So now I have a dead laptop that will cost about the same as a brand-new MacBook, to fix.

This laptop is only two and a half years old, which kind of incenses me. I know about the whole concept of planned obsolescence (basically, stuff being made to break after a few years), but I've never had reliability problems with any of my other Macs (Mac Classic, Mac Performa, Mac Cube, etc.).

And, in looking through the forums and a few informal polls here, it seems that most people haven't either. So, I'm trying to find any kind of research that will tell me whether or not this doggone machine is a lemon. For example, is there a site where I can find research/stats for known issues with the first generation of MacBooks...?

Any help or feedback you might provide would be much appreciated. Thank you!

- unhappy Mac user in San Francisco


P.S. The Apple Store manager said that because I'm beyond the one-year limited warranty, and because I don't have Apple Care, there isn't anything they can do for me. ("These things happen... it's not unheard of.")

 

[dubhe]

Well you can buy a logic board on eBay for £289 here interestingly, and I know this is UK, but the item location is Telford, where I think the apple UK repair depot is!

 

[cubeowner]

eBay

Well you can buy a logic board on eBay for £289 here interestingly, and I know this is UK, but the item location is Telford, where I think the apple UK repair depot is!

That's kinda nutty. That's about $435 USD, which is less than half of what the Apple Store estimated a new one would cost!

 

[dubhe]

I personally would go for it myself, there are so many photos online of MacBook disassembly, it can't be that hard, and you will save so much money

 

[silverblack]

To the OP, frankly, even though you find a few other posts on similar problem, Apple will not change their mind. Computers in general (Apple or not), do break down, some sooner than others.

As you said, it will cost way to much to have a repair center fix it. Your options are, either sell your MB as parts on ebay (and buy a new one), or try to find cheap parts from ebay (or other internet suppliers like ifixit.com) and fix is yourself. You have to be patient and comfortable with opening up the computers to do it though. The good news is there are instructions on the web to completely take apart and re-assemble your MBs (ifixit.com for one)

 

[cubeowner]

thanks

thanks very much for your replies. i still plan to complain, but it's good to know that there are much cheaper options out there!

(and to the poster from Norwich -- I studied abroad at UEA, small world!)