I went through just as many of the original iPhone before I got one that "just worked" but conversely have had no problems with my other 2 generations of phones, 2 MBPs or iPods. It sucks, but it is just a string of bad luck.
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Macbook Pro Quality Control Issues
- Thread starter Andyflip
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I went through just as many of the original iPhone before I got one that "just worked" but conversely have had no problems with my other 2 generations of phones, 2 MBPs or iPods. It sucks, but it is just a string of bad luck.
FWIW, it's nothing new. Here's a MacWorld review from 2003.
http://www.macworld.com/article/27456/2003/12/15inchpowerbookg4s.html
There are other users here (iGary, PDE) that have had inexplicable bad luck with Apple products too.
I hope that Apple is able to sort everything out for the OP!
So, my sales rep called me back today saying they reviewed my case and have DECLINED to give me a replacement. At this point, I don't completely blame them. However, I do not appreciate being given a replacement then Apple going back on their word a day later. I truly feel another replacement would not have solved these quality control issues. I told the guy that Apple just lost my customer loyalty. Next time I have $2000+ to spend on a computer, I will definitely NOT buy Apple. What disappoints me the most is Apple's constant inability to deliver a computer without faults. They're behaving like McDonalds, the actual product never seems to look like the picture on the menu. 
Apple cannot control every single unit out of the factory, Foxconn manufactures millions of units per year
they pick MBP randomly for quality control
0 defect does not exist anywhere
if you are not in luck, your machine will be replaced, that's all, there is no one to be blamed
they pick MBP randomly for quality control
0 defect does not exist anywhere
if you are not in luck, your machine will be replaced, that's all, there is no one to be blamed
Did you even bother to read the thread? Second question would be are you familiar with sampling? The odds of that many in a row assuming a random sample and lack of bad ones is quite slim.
So, my sales rep called me back today saying they reviewed my case and have DECLINED to give me a replacement. At this point, I don't completely blame them. However, I do not appreciate being given a replacement then Apple going back on their word a day later. I truly feel another replacement would not have solved these quality control issues. I told the guy that Apple just lost my customer loyalty. Next time I have $2000+ to spend on a computer, I will definitely NOT buy Apple. What disappoints me the most is Apple's constant inability to deliver a computer without faults. They're behaving like McDonalds, the actual product never seems to look like the picture on the menu.
Here is what I don't understand. After that many bad units, they couldn't do a thorough check on what is being sent out to you?
I asked repeatedly on different occasions if there's a way to monitor the build of the machine and it was always a firm NO.
One thing I have not included in the story of my situation is that over the course of all these replacements, Apple has been very generous with free upgrades and merchandise whenever I kindly asked for them. I stopped asking for anything for free about halfway through all this mess just so they wouldn't get the wrong impression when I voiced my concerns. I feel like with all the freebies and now this ending, they've essentially boughten me off. Essentially, the final impression I've gotten is "We're not changing the manufacturing process, 95% perfection is the best we are going to do so here's some free stuff, now leave us alone". This was not what I wanted but its what I got. C'est la vie, it's all finished now. now on to more important things like curing world hunger.
Although with what I know now, I'm interested to see the fate of Apple in the next ten years.
One thing I have not included in the story of my situation is that over the course of all these replacements, Apple has been very generous with free upgrades and merchandise whenever I kindly asked for them. I stopped asking for anything for free about halfway through all this mess just so they wouldn't get the wrong impression when I voiced my concerns. I feel like with all the freebies and now this ending, they've essentially boughten me off. Essentially, the final impression I've gotten is "We're not changing the manufacturing process, 95% perfection is the best we are going to do so here's some free stuff, now leave us alone". This was not what I wanted but its what I got. C'est la vie, it's all finished now. now on to more important things like curing world hunger.
Although with what I know now, I'm interested to see the fate of Apple in the next ten years.
My early 2011 MBP has had a logic board replacement due to a faulty USB port, and a couple of months later the left speaker needed to be replaced.
How kind of you to assign the blame erroneously to Foxconn, thereby absolving Apple from any responsibility.
In my case I paid Apple for my new MBP, not Foxconn. The real truth is that Foxconn builds to Apple standards. When they fail to do so, & Apple fails to hold them responsible the consumer gets screwed.
Oh sure I find Apple customer service helpful, yet it's a huge waste of my time to go through the process as I had to do last year. Returning a seriously defective computer, charging another new order to my credit card, then waiting weeks while they built the BTO replacement, and processed the refund on the first one.
Not to mention the bad impression it left on those I work with who had no such problems with their premium Windows Laptops.
Oh well, Apple only cares about the App Store business model now, and it's massive profits.
I've deployed about 15 Macbook Pro 13" and 15" models in the last fiscal year; many of them had defects fresh out of the box.
The most common:
1. Misaligned displays that hung over the edge of palm rest when closed.
2. Warped chassis that do not sit flush on glass tables and rock when typing.
3. What I consider excessive backlight bleeding.
4. Various scuffs, dents, chips and scratches on top cover and edges.
Less common:
1. Dead pixel(s).
2. Poor brightness uniformity.
The most common:
1. Misaligned displays that hung over the edge of palm rest when closed.
2. Warped chassis that do not sit flush on glass tables and rock when typing.
3. What I consider excessive backlight bleeding.
4. Various scuffs, dents, chips and scratches on top cover and edges.
Less common:
1. Dead pixel(s).
2. Poor brightness uniformity.
Whoops, didn't mean to give the impression that I blame Foxconn. But I feel exactly like this guy! My wife has an old Vaio that she swears by. I told her in the beginning that an Apple computer would give her less headaches and, well, I couldn't have been more wrong. Out of curiosity IXODES, did you ever get a satisfactory unit in the end? I'm currently STUCK with a unit with a bright pixel, slight colour unevenness, an ugly backlight keyboard and intermittent pops in the audio (about twice an hour), but I have great free upgrades and free accessories. Apple finally bailed on me. TBH, not sure how I feel about it all
Ironically since you mentioned Sony, I must say I have a 18 month old 13.3" i5 / 4GB / 500GB @ 7,200RPM / 2.9LB VAIO Y. Found it on sale including free shipping & no tax. Bought it on the SonyStyle Online Store for only $749. Quiet the bargain.
Build quality & materials are excellent. It has a great keyboard, touch pad & display. Frankly I'm truly surprised how good it is. I've had a few VAIO's along with my 15" & 17" MBP's. With Sony about half the lineup are very well done, others are only average at best. The S, Y, & Z are the best ones in my personal experience.
My new $3,300 15" i7 / 8GB / 750GB @ 7200RPM hi-res anti-glare MacBook Pro runs really well (unlike the first one) but it came with very noticeable scratches on the palm rest & lid. My Brothers also came with scratches so rather than rejecting it and having to wait another month, we kept them.
While the very high price is hard to justify, I do have a huge preference for OS X. I don't dislike Windows 7, in fact it's quite good.
I have mixed feelings. On one hand I'm a long time Mac enthusiast, but I'm not impressed with Lion. iCloud hasn't lived up to the hype yet, and the look & feel of the iOS like influence cheapens the experience. It slows my work flow, and requires several settings to be disabled or enabled to make it more like a serious computer OS.
Before I pass judgment I'm taking a bit of a wait & see approach as Apple continues to debug Lion. At the current rate I believe by 10.7.5 or 10.7.6 they may have improved it's weaknesses.
That's my take on it presently.