Macbook replacement through warranty?

[PockieLoli :3]

Hey, so I checked the status of my warranty today through Apple's website and I found out the one year won't be until February 7.

Anyways, I wanted to know if anyone can confirm/deny the ability to completely replace a MacBook in exchange of a new one with the warranty.

There are so many things that are faulty with my Macbook; ranging from serious to minor problems; but I'm hoping they'll just give me a new MacBook because it all seems to get worse over time.
But to give you guys a list that might help you answer my question...

-The fan produces a noise soon after loading my desktop that come at different intervals.
-Because of the above, my fan seems to not be able to handle simple tasks anymore such as watching Youtube videos; by this I mean it gets incredibly hot just from little things like that. D:
-From one corner of my screen all the way across to the opposite corner, the screen seems to be darker than the rest.
-The trackpad tends to jump; very annoying. -.-
-Finally, one of the screws on the side of my MacBook seems to be screwed in all the way yet it's still not holding that part of the MacBook firmly in place; I can push it in- the other side of my MacBook doesn't do this.

So yes; pretty meaty list, I think.

Lastly, if Apple does replace my MacBook, would there be a way for them to save all my data and transfer it to the new MacBook?
If not, can someone explain how key codes and such work? If the program belonging to that key isn't installed on any computer anymore, will the key work when installed again somewhere else? I have programs like Photoshop and a few games that.

Thanks in advanced to those who give me some input. :]

 

[GoCubsGo]

Let's see.
They won't save any data and transfer it for you, this is your responsibility. They won't replace your machine until they try and fix it three times. However, if they truly can diagnose your machine with each problem you've listed I would venture to guess they may offer a replacement.

 

[PockieLoli :3]

They won't replace your machine until they try and fix it three times.

Hm, by that do you mean having to leave my MacBook with them for maybe days and having it mailed back to me? Or would going to the Genius Bar count towards that? My local Apple store is located in a mall, so my mom and I figured we'd leave it with Apple to have it fixed while going around stores and ideally leave the mall with my fixed MacBook.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Hm, by that do you mean having to leave my MacBook with them for maybe days and having it mailed back to me? Or would going to the Genius Bar count towards that? My local Apple store is located in a mall, so my mom and I figured we'd leave it with Apple to have it fixed while going around stores and ideally leave the mall with my fixed MacBook.

Yes and no.

You must leave your machine with them (99%) of the time for a period of 3-5 days at minimum. Sometimes it's more like 5-7 or more if you have major issues. They will replace almost everything before they hand you a new machine. That's been my experience but I also had a MacPro that failed and after replacing every part they just handed me a new one.

You can leave it and go shopping but you'll be going home with something other than your Mac. I am not sure where you're located but look up the lemon law and see if it applies in your country. If so, then that is what I am referring to in terms of the 3-repair rule. It is 3 independent repairs.

 

[JustanotherJack]

Take it to a genius bar in store and ask them to fix it. If they can't they'll replace it. My experience has been that Apple tend to veer toward replacing their products a lot more quickly that do most other manufacturers.

Good luck!

 

[old-wiz]

3 separate repairs of the same problem is the standard.

 

[miles01110]

3 separate repairs of the same problem is the standard.

Depending on the severity of the problem.

 

[cderalow]

3 separate repairs of the same problem is the standard.

Depending on the severity of the problem.

Correct.

Replacing a battery, hard drive or memory module in a laptop 3 times isn't going to result in a replacement.

replacing the screen, logic board, 3 times will result in a replacement.

As for leaving it and getting it fixed same day... unless it is a very basic issue (faulty memory module for instance), getting it back that day isn't going to happen.



This isn't necessarily directed at you OP, but it seems a lot of people expect to get brand new products after using the ones they legitimately bought for a year, simply because they have minor issues or cosmetic flaws.

I'll break down your issues separately:

- fan noise: unless it is a very audible wobble or problem with the bearings, or the fans don't come on at all, they're going to tell you fan noise is a normal part of having a mac. most users will complain that apple portables get hot, what I haven't noticed is a lot of users complaining about how silent their apple portable is when using it for light tasks such as internet browsing, word processing etc. My MBP is silent until I put a genuine load on it.

- screen brightness: a picture might help here. Is it present with various colors? various windows? various desktops? most likely a faulty backlight or voltage to it. This is probably the only major issue you might have.

- trackpad jumpiness: my wife complains about this frequently, 99% of the time it's that she's not realized her other fingers are touching the pad, and it'll jump to the spot of her other finger. it takes quite a bit of getting accustomed to with the single pad without a physically separate button and how hand placement seriously effects it.

- screw: this may or may not be something that's fixable. Honestly, if it's done it since day 1, I'm not sure why you wouldn't have taken it to get fixed by now. most likely you will be told it's a result of having the machine for 1 year, and they might be willing to attempt to replace the screw and or resolve its holding issue. or, they'll tell you it's normal. never having owned a plastic apple portable, it's tough to say how flexible they should be.

 

[PockieLoli :3]

cderalow, not to sound testy, but I honest to God did a ton of researching on Mac problems to see how serious the faults I'm noticing now are. I know what you mean though, I'm not trying to find excuses just to get a new MacBook before my warranty runs out. D: But I'm hoping and would be very grateful to get my MacBook replaced. Anyways, funny enough, each point you made is something I've already read and taken into consideration when the problems with my MacBook started to really bug me.

- fan noise: unless it is a very audible wobble or problem with the bearings, or the fans don't come on at all, they're going to tell you fan noise is a normal part of having a mac. most users will complain that apple portables get hot, what I haven't noticed is a lot of users complaining about how silent their apple portable is when using it for light tasks such as internet browsing, word processing etc. My MBP is silent until I put a genuine load on it.

The best way for me to think of describing the noise I'm getting now is as if there's a card inside my MacBook and the fans are hitting the card; haha, like, I remember in this old movie, these kids would put cards on their bicycle tires so when the wheels spun, the metal framings in the interior of the wheels would hit the card, so the kids felt like they were driving a motorcycle or something. xD So, I'm not just talking about the humming sound the fan makes when it starts to work on harder loads. And like I already said in my first post, this noise would start up when desktop finishes loading and it would continue even if my MacBook is just sitting there.

- screen brightness: a picture might help here. Is it present with various colors? various windows? various desktops? most likely a faulty backlight or voltage to it. This is probably the only major issue you might have.

Sure, I'll be glad to provide pictures ASAP. I'll have to get my camera from my mom later tonight; expect pictures to be uploaded sometime tomorrow, though. :\ Sorry. Anyways, from what I can describe to you now for the time being, yes, I notice this no mater what is on my screen and I find that after awhile it really puts a strain on my eyes because the the dimmer areas on the bottom of my screen seem to "blotch its way up"; if that makes sense. xD Anyways, I just cleaned my screen right now just to make sure and the above would still remain true.

- trackpad jumpiness: my wife complains about this frequently, 99% of the time it's that she's not realized her other fingers are touching the pad, and it'll jump to the spot of her other finger. it takes quite a bit of getting accustomed to with the single pad without a physically separate button and how hand placement seriously effects it.

Haha, I'll admit, I did this a lot when I first got my MacBook last February. But when it started to do it even after I felt I was used to the trackpad I decided to look the problem up and read a similar story to your wife's situation. And as I said earlier, I took it as a possibility of being my own fault so I became more cautious about it. Plus, it seems fishy to me that the position the cursor would jump to would always be the same spot; which was the very bottom center of the screen, so far down the botton that on the very pointed tip of the cursor would be poking out.