So I got my MBP, quite pleased with it actually. Yes, it does have the limp screen, but I never use the laptop at more than a 60 degree angle anyway, so that doesn't effect me. Otherwise, great machine!
So I ordered the base model with 2GB, and had the bigger capacity on order. My vendor only deals with Edge and Kingston, so I got Kingston because it was $100 cheaper. Yes, $100. Edge wants $250 for a 4GB kit.
Anyway, when I went to unscrew the bottom plate, it was ungodly tight, to the point that I actually damaged the screws a bit getting them out. The kicker here is that once I got everything back together, the Kingston RAM was bad, so I had to do this again. And now when I get more RAM from someone else (this time OWC) I have to remove it again.
So I figured I'd call AppleCare, and get some new screws. I made it very, very clear I didn't expect a free-bee, and offered my credit card number for the set of 8 screws.
The first guy, Dave, was very pleasant, and immediately set up a "Genius" appointment for that day. Cool! The Apple tax is worth it for this kind of service, I thought to myself.
Went to the closest Apple Store, which is 15 miles, but takes 45-50 minutes to get there due to construction and traffic.
The "Genius" said they have no screws to give or sell, cannot replace them, and haven't in 4 years. I asked where I could get them then, and he said he didn't know. Then he says "You know, your laptop is going to get scratched up a bit. You'll just have to learn to deal with it".
Huh? WTF?
I don't give a rat's ass if it gets scratched up. But I do care if the screws get so jacked that I can't get into the bottom. Hence me wanting to spend the $5-$10.
Sadly even the second guy I talked to at AppleCare couldn't help, even after again making it very clear I was willing to pay for the screws. He did, however, tell me what screws are required, so I could try and find a source for them on my own. Oddly enough, the dimensions are different than what iFixit lists in their MBP disassembly. So I'm not sure even what to look for. Googling either size turned up nothing. iFixit themselves do not have any, though they appear to get screw sets in eventually, once they get used notebooks in stock.
Ideally this wouldn't be an issue if the screws were not so incredibly tight; I've worked on probably hundreds of laptops by now over the years, and never have any of them been this tight, especially to access a "user-replaceable" part such as RAM.
Now, AppleCare was very nice, even if they didn't really solve the problem. But the "Genius" was an absolute snotty moron, who not only wasn't helpful, but added "insult to injury".
Luckily one tool isn't representative of the whole company, but I certainly won't be going back to that particular store again.
So let me get this straight, Apple fans: thousands of MBP's and MB's all over the world are sold.
A guy goes to change his RAM, and either A. strips the screws getting them out, or B. drops it on the floor, only to have the screw get lost (come on, it happens).
You mean to tell me there are ZERO replacement screws available, and you're left with a floppy case bottom? What if a so-called "Genius" does it when fixing a notebook? They have no screws?
Somehow, I doubt it.
So I ordered the base model with 2GB, and had the bigger capacity on order. My vendor only deals with Edge and Kingston, so I got Kingston because it was $100 cheaper. Yes, $100. Edge wants $250 for a 4GB kit.
Anyway, when I went to unscrew the bottom plate, it was ungodly tight, to the point that I actually damaged the screws a bit getting them out. The kicker here is that once I got everything back together, the Kingston RAM was bad, so I had to do this again. And now when I get more RAM from someone else (this time OWC) I have to remove it again.
So I figured I'd call AppleCare, and get some new screws. I made it very, very clear I didn't expect a free-bee, and offered my credit card number for the set of 8 screws.
The first guy, Dave, was very pleasant, and immediately set up a "Genius" appointment for that day. Cool! The Apple tax is worth it for this kind of service, I thought to myself.
Went to the closest Apple Store, which is 15 miles, but takes 45-50 minutes to get there due to construction and traffic.
The "Genius" said they have no screws to give or sell, cannot replace them, and haven't in 4 years. I asked where I could get them then, and he said he didn't know. Then he says "You know, your laptop is going to get scratched up a bit. You'll just have to learn to deal with it".
Huh? WTF?
I don't give a rat's ass if it gets scratched up. But I do care if the screws get so jacked that I can't get into the bottom. Hence me wanting to spend the $5-$10.
Sadly even the second guy I talked to at AppleCare couldn't help, even after again making it very clear I was willing to pay for the screws. He did, however, tell me what screws are required, so I could try and find a source for them on my own. Oddly enough, the dimensions are different than what iFixit lists in their MBP disassembly. So I'm not sure even what to look for. Googling either size turned up nothing. iFixit themselves do not have any, though they appear to get screw sets in eventually, once they get used notebooks in stock.
Ideally this wouldn't be an issue if the screws were not so incredibly tight; I've worked on probably hundreds of laptops by now over the years, and never have any of them been this tight, especially to access a "user-replaceable" part such as RAM.
Now, AppleCare was very nice, even if they didn't really solve the problem. But the "Genius" was an absolute snotty moron, who not only wasn't helpful, but added "insult to injury".
Luckily one tool isn't representative of the whole company, but I certainly won't be going back to that particular store again.
So let me get this straight, Apple fans: thousands of MBP's and MB's all over the world are sold.
A guy goes to change his RAM, and either A. strips the screws getting them out, or B. drops it on the floor, only to have the screw get lost (come on, it happens).
You mean to tell me there are ZERO replacement screws available, and you're left with a floppy case bottom? What if a so-called "Genius" does it when fixing a notebook? They have no screws?
Somehow, I doubt it.
