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Macbook Pros are a nightmare to service (10 month check in)

A

///alpinepower

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 13, 2007
99
0
OS X? Great, would never put up with windows again.
Mac hardware? Looks cool, and it's aluminum.

I ordered 4 Macbook Pros last July-August and this is my damage report:

#1 - (user error) damaged by liquid spill. took 3 weeks to get parts.
#2 - (defective) screen went bad. took 3 weeks to get parts.
#3 - (defective) keyboard and trackpad are bad. it has been "repaired" twice.
#4 - (defective) does not go to sleep when closed. it has been "repaired" twice.

I figured with 4 machines and Apple's record, one would be a dud. But they all have had major malfunctions compounded by a lack of parts availability. The parts are also never on hand. I feel like I should switch everybody back to Dell/HP/Lenovo for the next iteration and at least get 24 hour onsite service.

This is frustrating. :(

ah - and before anybody asks; all of them have LED screens with no yellowing. so, we dodged that bullet. :rolleyes:
 
This really struck a chord with my experience with the macs in my class. Everybody in our class has laptops. Approximately 40% of the computers in our class are macs and 80% of the macs are macbooks like the one I'm typing on now. I would say that at least 70-80% of those macbooks have all had the cracks along the front edge of the keyboard from the long thin rectangular feet on the LCD and this has happened to everything from the original core duo computers to the most recent blackbooks. Some of my friends have even had the top casing replaced 2 or 3 times only to get the exact same crack a few months later. I'd have to say that I'm very disappointed with Apple about this.

I've been a loyal mac user since my first 16Mhz LC II back in grade 4 with System 7.0 and I hate to bash Apple on this, but this level of failure is unacceptable.
 
topicolo said:
This really struck a chord with my experience with the macs in my class. Everybody in our class has laptops. Approximately 40% of the computers in our class are macs and 80% of the macs are macbooks like the one I'm typing on now. I would say that at least 70-80% of those macbooks have all had the cracks along the front edge of the keyboard from the long thin rectangular feet on the LCD and this has happened to everything from the original core duo computers to the most recent blackbooks. Some of my friends have even had the top casing replaced 2 or 3 times only to get the exact same crack a few months later. I'd have to say that I'm very disappointed with Apple about this.

I've been a loyal mac user since my first 16Mhz LC II back in grade 4 with System 7.0 and I hate to bash Apple on this, but this level of failure is unacceptable.
Click to expand...

no. those complaints don't count - i am talking about macbook pros with hardware failures, not cosmetic damage on macbooks.
 
I've had my fair share of MBP issues from logic boards to optical drives.

In the end, OS X is what holds me in along with innovations such as the iPhone.

In my humble opinion, all Apple hardware needs MAJOR looking at when it comes to quality no matter what anyone says, innovation and design won't win everyone if your stuff doesn't last.
 
///alpinepower said:
I ordered 4 Macbook Pros last July-August and this is my damage report:

#1 - (user error) damaged by liquid spill. took 3 weeks to get parts.
#2 - (defective) screen went bad. took 3 weeks to get parts.
#3 - (defective) keyboard and trackpad are bad. it has been "repaired" twice.
#4 - (defective) does not go to sleep when closed. it has been "repaired" twice.
Click to expand...


No accusation or criticism intended, but everyone has a different way of handling their computers. Some are heavy-handed and might not take enough care, while others are almost too careful about suffering even the most miniscule mark on the exterior. I know amateur photographers who diligently keep their cameras in mint condition, and professionals who toss all their expensive equipment loosely and unprotected in a bag and actually like the beaten-up look of their gear.

The fact you ordered four computers suggests you might not have been using them all yourself. So perhaps some of the problems were due to knocks or mishandling (or spills) by others that you are unaware of?

I'm not knocking you reporting your bad experience – I recently had TWO Macbook Pro replacements faulty on opening, so I have every sympathy for anyone else who isn't getting a perfect machine. But when I see the way many people treat their computers in coffee shops or on trains (or anywhere else for that matter), I'm not surprised so many faults happen.

If I said I had four Ford cars and each of them has a clutch problem, how does anyone reading that know if the manufacturer is to blame, or if my constant crashing of the gears is the cause?
 
Yah, finally! At least someone admitted problems. All others just keep praying Apple and say that Apple's products have no flaws. Of course it has and it fails and customer service suck time to time.

Addressing "computer treating". Dropping on purpose probably is not the best way to deal with computers. Spilling liquid is also not a good treating. However Mac is only a thing. It is not a girlfriend/boyfriend and don't get crazy! Protective cases in a protective cases, waxing, polishing, being afraid of getting it etched and so on.
Besides it is called Macbook PRO. When you compare for example Nikon or Canon pro and consumer cameras you see how much they differ. Pro cameras can take more abuse, dust and other rough handling. How about Macbook Pro? It is made like a sissy model. Where is a pro part? 5 times overpriced memory? Outdated video cards? 2 usb ports? Sh**** screen with low resolution and quality issues?

Of course OS X is so much better than anything else, but hardware is so behind. Oh yah, not tell that I am just another Dell user. Never had any Dell product and I am currently using iMac.
 
johnsy said:
Yah, finally! At least someone admitted problems. All others just keep praying Apple and say that Apple's products have no flaws. Of course it has and it fails and customer service suck time to time.
Click to expand...
Well if you want problems:

* I needed a new logic board within three months: any motion would wake my lid-closed sleeping MBP.
* I needed a new battery within six: it precipitously lost capacity and began having charging problems.
* The replacement battery had a comestic ding, so I had it replaced too.

I've never had a laptop, so I don't know if this is a "bad" experience or good. I do know AppleCare had one week turn on the logic board repair (from when I dropped it off at the store to when it was back in my hands). The replacement battery took two days to arrive, after talking with AppleCare.

So their response to my problems has been nearly perfect.
 
I've had lots of problems with my Apple laptops over the years, but none have been so bad that I couldn't use the computer. Mainly quality issues: LCDs malfunctioning (flickering, lines and other anomalies), cases issues (metal bulging,creaking etc), keyboards (keys stop working, keys very uneven), trackpad buttons (not firm or too firm, too much play before click, one side not working) etc etc etc etc. BS quality control issues! I've luckily never experienced a complete failure of something like the logic board.


Apple has embarrassing quality control that really ruins the purchasing experience. I used to be so excited about getting a new apple product - now I dread it because I know that chances are it'll be going back to Apple for a replacement very quickly. Fortunately, Apple does have excellent customer service, but I'd take initial quality over post-purchase defect management any day!
 
I cannot speak on the subject of MBPs, but I can on general laptop macs. I have a 1.67GHz G4 PB, and it is the second replacement of my original. Motherboards have fried twice, HD took a poop and could not be found to replace as-specced so were upgraded.

Yes, my PB has had problems, but I can honestly say that apple covered all the bases rather well. One factor was my drumming the fact that it is/was my prime work computer, and secondly APPLECARE. I expect a laptop to fail in different ways nowadays. That's the price for portability.

I am not clear on what you mean by "10 month check in"? You've owned it for 10 months and those are the problems you've had so far?

Again, APPLECARE is a must for a lappy.
 
It is all relative

It is all relative. Every vendor users the same 10-15 companies in Asia to manufacture their equipment. For the most part the quality is the same, but the 3 Mac laptops I've owned over the last 8 years have held up very very well. My concern is that quality is generally going down across the board, for every computer vendor - again do to the reliance on a single-region source for product.
 
I've had bad luck with AppleCare this year. First, a display issue back in January (bright spots) immediately followed by another ("dirty" spots). My MBP is in service right now, and Apple is claiming that the "dirty" spots were caused by physical damage.

I told them I use a Marware keyboard cover and that I always keep good care of the display - seriously, unless an invisible man caused the damage, I don't see how this could have happened. I also questioned if perhaps my January replacement was with a bad part - Apple said this wasn't possible. WTF. Guess the customer is wrong? Anyway.
 
I'm on my third MBP (or is it 4th, I've honestly lost count). All the previous ones had the screen yellowing problem for which they were duly returned. After all the shipping and returns, it took two months from when I first placed my order to finally get my current MBP. I've had my MBP for about 6 months now and have been pretty happy with it, but recently I've noticed that the right part of the track pad and hand rest is starting to rise up as if something below is pushing up (I suspect it's due to the crazy heat this thing generates). I've also had problems with getting the computer to sleep properly as well as waking from sleep. I'd take it in for repairs but I can't really afford any computing downtime right now...

As the OP noted, you definitely can't beat the MBP's looks and OS X... I only wish I could say the same about Apple's quality control...definitely something to keep in mind for those contemplating a MBP.
 
powz said:
I'm on my third MBP (or is it 4th, I've honestly lost count). All the previous ones had the screen yellowing problem for which they were duly returned. After all the shipping and returns, it took two months from when I first placed my order to finally get my current MBP. I've had my MBP for about 6 months now and have been pretty happy with it, but recently I've noticed that the right part of the track pad and hand rest is starting to rise up as if something below is pushing up (I suspect it's due to the crazy heat this thing generates). I've also had problems with getting the computer to sleep properly as well as waking from sleep. I'd take it in for repairs but I can't really afford any computing downtime right now...

As the OP noted, you definitely can't beat the MBP's looks and OS X... I only wish I could say the same about Apple's quality control...definitely something to keep in mind for those contemplating a MBP.
Click to expand...

Have you checked your battery? There is a known problem with batteries failing and "swelling". A swelling battery could cause "rising up" problem you mentioned.
 
Profit

Everyone has to make profit, so does Apple. I don't want to bash Apple, but I think it is the truth.

Remember to much thermal grease on the first MB Pro's? The plastic strip on the heat vents on the early MB's and MBPro's? Remember the keys in the corners to be not aligned properly on the first MBPro's? Early battery problems? Heat problems?

Surely, Apple looks great, it works great. But it's fragile if you ask me. I think they cut on QC (quality control)...they must have. In the early days I never encountered such weird annoyances.
 
I had my first mac for my first year in college. Over the year I had it I replaced the battery and magsafe adapter. Then I sold it and bought a newer model MBP. No problems yet.
 
Have you checked your battery? There is a known problem with batteries failing and "swelling". A swelling battery could cause "rising up" problem you mentioned.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I checked the battery. It seems OK to me. Plus the rising up seems to be occurring to the right of the battery. I should really get this thing checked out...
 
I had Sharp laptop for 4 years. It was running like a beast. I have dropped it a few times and did some crazy things you definitely not suppose to do with computer- jumped on it while it was closed (I had a stupid bet with my friend that nothing will happen to it). Guess what - it was running like a charm. I had only two issues- 10+ pound weight and windows xp. When laptop was about 3.5 years old, dvd drive died. Then shortly- keyboard. The last thing was power supply failure. In any case 4 year laptop was technically obsolete. I couldn't play any newer games, it essentially became just Word and internet computer.

Now try to gently press against back of macbook or Macbook pro- you will get vibrations on lcd. It means that there is nothing in between an lcd and case. there is no protective frame. That has a good thing- it can be made thinner and bad thing- you can damage lcd easier. Look at IBM models. It has magnesium frame.
Try to post such comments on Apple forums. Your post will be deleted! Apple censors comments.
 
I recently became an Apple fanatic but the more I hear about these problems, the more I get pissed off. I don't simply cannot understand how a company can have so many faults in their products. My iPod recently had to be replaced due to a loose headphone jack, and while the service was great, Apple shouldn't rely on good service to win people's hearts. They should make sure the problems don't happen in the first place. How can they expect anyone to take them seriously as a high end computer manufacturer if a significant percentage of their products, be it an iPod, iMac, or Macbook, have at least one fault in them. I'm sure all these problems cost Apple too so I wonder why they haven't woken up, smelled the coffee, and improved their QA. When I buy something so expensive, I expect it to work! Having a MBP lid that isn't flush with the rest of the computer and calling it 'within spec' is unacceptable! It's just buying a car whose door can't close properly -- these things just shouldn't happen! HECK, even my sister's $500 Acer hasn't had any hardware problems!

</rant>
 
kockgunner said:
Having a MBP lid that isn't flush with the rest of the computer and calling it 'within spec' is unacceptable!
Click to expand...

This is a non-issue. All you need to do is flex the front of the lid very gently and very slightly (using both hands, thumbs pushing up at the center, fingers pulling down at the edges) and the "problem" is solved. That's what they'll do if you take it to an Apple technician. We're only talking a degree or two.

Aluminum is very soft. The latches can cause the lid to flex in the middle if locked down for weeks at a time time (having the effect of pushing the outer edges up). When it first comes out of the box, it might have been latched without relief for months. The aluminum's physical "long-term memory" will hold that new shape unless relieved (by opening) at more regular intervals (as in normal usage). All that's necessary is to do what I mentioned above. Once it is "back to normal", and the computer is being opened and closed with something approaching regularity, it shouldn't occur again as the aluminum's "short term memory" will keep it as intended.
 
Sir Cecil said:
No accusation or criticism intended, but everyone has a different way of handling their computers. Some are heavy-handed and might not take enough care, while others are almost too careful about suffering even the most miniscule mark on the exterior. I know amateur photographers who diligently keep their cameras in mint condition, and professionals who toss all their expensive equipment loosely and unprotected in a bag and actually like the beaten-up look of their gear.

The fact you ordered four computers suggests you might not have been using them all yourself. So perhaps some of the problems were due to knocks or mishandling (or spills) by others that you are unaware of?

I'm not knocking you reporting your bad experience – I recently had TWO Macbook Pro replacements faulty on opening, so I have every sympathy for anyone else who isn't getting a perfect machine. But when I see the way many people treat their computers in coffee shops or on trains (or anywhere else for that matter), I'm not surprised so many faults happen.

If I said I had four Ford cars and each of them has a clutch problem, how does anyone reading that know if the manufacturer is to blame, or if my constant crashing of the gears is the cause?
Click to expand...

Like I admitted in the original post, one service appointment was for a liquid spill. The other three were not. Can you see why it would not matter that problems were due to knocks or mishandling? A failure covered by warranty after inspection is still a failure, regardless of the cause.
 
kockgunner said:
I recently became an Apple fanatic but the more I hear about these problems, the more I get pissed off. I don't simply cannot understand how a company can have so many faults in their products. My iPod recently had to be replaced due to a loose headphone jack, and while the service was great, Apple shouldn't rely on good service to win people's hearts. They should make sure the problems don't happen in the first place. How can they expect anyone to take them seriously as a high end computer manufacturer if a significant percentage of their products, be it an iPod, iMac, or Macbook, have at least one fault in them. I'm sure all these problems cost Apple too so I wonder why they haven't woken up, smelled the coffee, and improved their QA. When I buy something so expensive, I expect it to work! Having a MBP lid that isn't flush with the rest of the computer and calling it 'within spec' is unacceptable! It's just buying a car whose door can't close properly -- these things just shouldn't happen! HECK, even my sister's $500 Acer hasn't had any hardware problems!
Click to expand...

Because there are enough fanboys who support them without any questioning. It is like some kinda religion. Look at the stuff they sell- Macbook Pro design is 7 years old. OK people will say that titanium model doesn't quite look like current one, well then how about 2003 model? So still 5 years. Macbook's design is 2 years old. And don't misunderstand me- it is not about HOW old the design is, I would hate Apple if they would release new design every 3 months. It is about addressing problems in design. Titanium Powerbook model had problems with hinges, it was fixed with updated design. try for example Macbook in a store. Almost all of them have hardly responding trackpad. Then shell cracks, so on, there is tons of issues Apple should work on. For example usb plug. It looks nice, but 2 plastic parts tend to get separated very easily. Mine broke off after a few times I plugged a keyboard and unplugged it. The same time I had hard drive replaced, so I took keyboard with me , but in Apple store they said that cosmetic things are not covered! Man, just take some glue and glue it! I didn't expected them to swap keyboards or anything. The question is why should I glue it if it is faulty product?

Cosmetic thing would be scratch on a case, but broken usb plug affects usability, because there is some exposed wires.
 
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