Wow, it sounds like you've had an interesting experience with Apple! haha.
I can't say I'll be buying AppleCare though. Extended warranties should never be a requirement when purchasing computers or electronics. The equipment should be built well enough to withstand years of regular use. After my experience with Apple so far, I really can't say I want them having any more of my money.
I really like my iPods (even if my 3G 8GB iPod nano is on the second replacement because of tilted screens and it still has a tilted screen!), and I do like my iPhone. I like Mac OS X on my MacBook. But so far the customer service and hardware just hasn't been up to snuff. Certainly not what I would expect from a company that charges $1408 after taxes for a notebook with only 1GB of RAM and a DVD writer.
I mean, Diana S. and Nate Doss have been good, but Ken Bell was a real jerk. Both of the other two have only come into affect after things went bad with regular customer service. I really don't see why AppleCare's phone support closes at 6PM Pacific and is not open on the weekends. Theres also the fact that Apple uses Flextronics to repair systems sent out for repair.
And then the build quality. I can understand my "SuperDrive" going bad in my first MacBook. But the case discoloration and falling apart? Whats up with that? Even a $450 Everex from Wal-Mart won't just fall apart or have the case come unsealed. You also don't have to worry about case discoloration, warping, or cracking from heat with a $450 Wal-Mart system.
I really don't know how to feel about Apple. Only a year ago I viewed Macs as superior and thought Apple could do no wrong. Now, 11 months after purchasing my first Mac, I can't say I would do it again. I really do like OS X. But Apple's hardware and quality control is very substandard and the repair depot strikes fear into the hearts of millions of Apple owners.
My experience with Apple actually turned out to be incredibly ironic. The Mac was originally purchased out of frustration with HP. Each HP had hardware failures and, despite repairing them properly, HP offered a replacement as an apology for the inconvenience it caused me. With Apple, aside from the optical drive failure, all failures have been build quality issues or destruction caused by those who were supposed to repair it.
HP really went above and beyond what they had to do. I originally purchased a system with a Turion64 ML-37 (2GHz), 1GB of RAM, 100GB 4200 RPM drive, DVD writer, ATI Xpress 200M w/128MB dedicated memory (integrated GPU but dedicated memory, still better than the X3100 2 years later), and a TV tuner. I ended up with a Core 2 Duo 2GHz (Santa Rosa), 2GB of RAM, 160GB 5400 RPM drive, DVD writer, TV tuner, and GeForce 8400M GS (that is HDCP compatible, HDMI output, all that good stuff). I ended up with a system that was several times faster than the original purchase, all because HP was apologizing for what had happened.
With Apple, I ended up with one replacement that was really what the computer should have been in the first place, and it only happened because Flextronics kept destroying their repairs.
I do truly wish that Apple would release OS X as a separate operating system that we could install on any computer that meets the requirements. Even if they charged $199 retail for the stand alone install anywhere version..
At this point, I can't say my Apple computer experience has been good. Despite the hardware failures, my HP experience has been good because, even though they repaired the systems properly, they replaced them as a good will gesture when they didn't have to. So far, this one I have now has been running absolutely beautifully with no problems of any kind at all. I put on XP on it and it absolutely flies and plays every game I throw at it.
I really don't know what I will do with my Mac. I like it. I want to keep it. It's a great little machine, despite the lack of a dedicated GPU. But all of the build quality issues I have had, as well as Apple's repair depot's reputation make me uncertain it. Whats the point of buying AppleCare when all it really does is guarantee me that Flextronics can continue to destroy my system for the next couple of years? I'll also be even more nervous about using the system even more now that I've had more build quality issues.
If it comes back in bad shape, I might just take Apple up on that refund offer. If it comes back in good shape, I might just sell it as well as my iPods and possibly my iPhone too. OS X sure is nice. I really wish Apple would put as much money into quality control with all of their products as they put into polishing OS X. It doesn't matter how good the software package is when the hardware has more quality control issues than systems costing nearly $1,000 less (or even more in the case of the MBPs) and that systems costing several hundred less, or even half as much, come with more memory, more storage space, more features, etc.
I was happy to be a part of the "Mac community" a year ago. But now.. I just can't have faith in a company or their products after having so many build quality/QA issues with two separate computers and 3 iPod nanos.
Forgot to add that my MacBook repair is currently "on hold - need more information" so we'll see what happens with that on Monday.
I can't say I'll be buying AppleCare though. Extended warranties should never be a requirement when purchasing computers or electronics. The equipment should be built well enough to withstand years of regular use. After my experience with Apple so far, I really can't say I want them having any more of my money.
I really like my iPods (even if my 3G 8GB iPod nano is on the second replacement because of tilted screens and it still has a tilted screen!), and I do like my iPhone. I like Mac OS X on my MacBook. But so far the customer service and hardware just hasn't been up to snuff. Certainly not what I would expect from a company that charges $1408 after taxes for a notebook with only 1GB of RAM and a DVD writer.
I mean, Diana S. and Nate Doss have been good, but Ken Bell was a real jerk. Both of the other two have only come into affect after things went bad with regular customer service. I really don't see why AppleCare's phone support closes at 6PM Pacific and is not open on the weekends. Theres also the fact that Apple uses Flextronics to repair systems sent out for repair.
And then the build quality. I can understand my "SuperDrive" going bad in my first MacBook. But the case discoloration and falling apart? Whats up with that? Even a $450 Everex from Wal-Mart won't just fall apart or have the case come unsealed. You also don't have to worry about case discoloration, warping, or cracking from heat with a $450 Wal-Mart system.
I really don't know how to feel about Apple. Only a year ago I viewed Macs as superior and thought Apple could do no wrong. Now, 11 months after purchasing my first Mac, I can't say I would do it again. I really do like OS X. But Apple's hardware and quality control is very substandard and the repair depot strikes fear into the hearts of millions of Apple owners.
My experience with Apple actually turned out to be incredibly ironic. The Mac was originally purchased out of frustration with HP. Each HP had hardware failures and, despite repairing them properly, HP offered a replacement as an apology for the inconvenience it caused me. With Apple, aside from the optical drive failure, all failures have been build quality issues or destruction caused by those who were supposed to repair it.
HP really went above and beyond what they had to do. I originally purchased a system with a Turion64 ML-37 (2GHz), 1GB of RAM, 100GB 4200 RPM drive, DVD writer, ATI Xpress 200M w/128MB dedicated memory (integrated GPU but dedicated memory, still better than the X3100 2 years later), and a TV tuner. I ended up with a Core 2 Duo 2GHz (Santa Rosa), 2GB of RAM, 160GB 5400 RPM drive, DVD writer, TV tuner, and GeForce 8400M GS (that is HDCP compatible, HDMI output, all that good stuff). I ended up with a system that was several times faster than the original purchase, all because HP was apologizing for what had happened.
With Apple, I ended up with one replacement that was really what the computer should have been in the first place, and it only happened because Flextronics kept destroying their repairs.
I do truly wish that Apple would release OS X as a separate operating system that we could install on any computer that meets the requirements. Even if they charged $199 retail for the stand alone install anywhere version..
At this point, I can't say my Apple computer experience has been good. Despite the hardware failures, my HP experience has been good because, even though they repaired the systems properly, they replaced them as a good will gesture when they didn't have to. So far, this one I have now has been running absolutely beautifully with no problems of any kind at all. I put on XP on it and it absolutely flies and plays every game I throw at it.
I really don't know what I will do with my Mac. I like it. I want to keep it. It's a great little machine, despite the lack of a dedicated GPU. But all of the build quality issues I have had, as well as Apple's repair depot's reputation make me uncertain it. Whats the point of buying AppleCare when all it really does is guarantee me that Flextronics can continue to destroy my system for the next couple of years? I'll also be even more nervous about using the system even more now that I've had more build quality issues.
If it comes back in bad shape, I might just take Apple up on that refund offer. If it comes back in good shape, I might just sell it as well as my iPods and possibly my iPhone too. OS X sure is nice. I really wish Apple would put as much money into quality control with all of their products as they put into polishing OS X. It doesn't matter how good the software package is when the hardware has more quality control issues than systems costing nearly $1,000 less (or even more in the case of the MBPs) and that systems costing several hundred less, or even half as much, come with more memory, more storage space, more features, etc.
I was happy to be a part of the "Mac community" a year ago. But now.. I just can't have faith in a company or their products after having so many build quality/QA issues with two separate computers and 3 iPod nanos.
Forgot to add that my MacBook repair is currently "on hold - need more information" so we'll see what happens with that on Monday.
I bought my first HP before my Mac. The motherboard in the HP went bad, so I bought my Mac while I went through the motions to get the HP repaired. 