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New 15" powerbook

An Apple-branded hardware product is considered DOA if it shows symptoms of a hardware failure, preventing basic operability, upon its first use out of the box. If you believe that your product is DOA, please call Apple Care Technical Support at 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273) within 30 calendar days of the invoice date. Apple Care Technical Support will determine whether the product is DOA and offer you the following options:

Replacement: The same product that you ordered will be shipped to you at Apple's expense. An Apple Store Sales Support representative will contact you within 24 hours of your call with the replacement product delivery time and the procedure for returning the DOA product.


Service: You may have the product repaired; however, once serviced, the product is no longer eligible for replacement.


I found this on apples website
 
Originally posted by latergator116
An Apple-branded hardware product is considered DOA if it shows symptoms of a hardware failure, preventing basic operability, upon its first use out of the box. If you believe that your product is DOA, please call Apple Care Technical Support at 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273) within 30 calendar days of the invoice date. Apple Care Technical Support will determine whether the product is DOA and offer you the following options:

Replacement: The same product that you ordered will be shipped to you at Apple's expense. An Apple Store Sales Support representative will contact you within 24 hours of your call with the replacement product delivery time and the procedure for returning the DOA product.


Service: You may have the product repaired; however, once serviced, the product is no longer eligible for replacement.


I found this on apples website
Click to expand...

Argh this is so annoying. Cuz I know apple isn't going to accept the idea that the clicking sound and trackpad problems are "preventing basic operability". But I still don't think I should have to pay for a product that arrives defective.

I'm sitting here listening to my PB go "click click click click" as I type this. Apple is supposedly sending me a box so I can ship it back to them for repair but it just seems so unfair. I don't see why I should have to go through all that hassle and wait for 7 business days or whatever it is. It seems to me this is THEIR problem, not mine.

I am very upset.
 
Originally posted by latergator116
Id call apple and ask them to replace the machine. my iBook was a lemon and they never replaced it and now it is shot and the warranty is over. Be stern with the person on the phone and tell them you want a new computer. I think they have a policy somewhere that if your computer arrives defected you can request a new one.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm worried about - that this machine is a lemon and it's never going to be quite right, no matter what apple does to it. But it just seems like we have no rights as consumers. I am basically at their mercy.

I'm worried that when apple gets it back in their shop to repair it that they won't even pay attention to the problem. I'm worried that they will just dismiss my complaint and not listen to the clicking sound.

And I'm worried they won't care that the track pad is messed up. They might say that as long as it's technically usable, it's not their responsibility to fix it.
 
I know exactly how you feel. If I were you I would not send the computer back becase as it says "once its has been repaired it can not be returned." I would just leave it how it is and wait until the hardrive crashes if it should crash.(ironically my harddrive just crashed). If it is too annoying call them up and tell them that it is impossible to work with the noise and it is not usable. they are sometimes very flexible. Just remember to be stern and thats its ok to stretcch the truth a little(or a lot). Also, it cant hurt to call them up so give it a shot. the worst that can happen is that they dont want to replace it.
 
When I got my PowerBook G3, right out of the box it would make a high pitched hum that would get louder/softer as you adjust the lighting of the LCD. I called Apple and they replaced it with a new one with overnight shipping with no questions asked. They usually seem pretty good with that when a product arrives defective. I'd definitely get on them over that.
 
it's a shame that we're hearing about all of these problems... it's starting to sound like Apple rushed the release... or tried to get cheaper components or something... but i'd like not to think that.

i'm still concearned about the screen moving when it is closed. the new PB's have a built in gap so that the keys don't touch the screen... but i still think that the screen shouldn't move at all when closed. the TiBooks screen never moved when it was latched, shouldn't the new PB's behave the same?

i'm sticking to my story that there's too much 'looseness' in the latching mechanism. :rolleyes:
 
I've cancelled my 1.25 order, and developed a renewed love for my iBook. I am always a cutting-edge early adopter to new technology, but there seems to be too many problems with the new Powerbooks (15"). Just read the stories on Apple's own message boards. Battery. Latch. White spots on display. Clicking noises. Nightmare. Think I'll sip on some cold lemonade while waiting on Rev.B.
 
I assume this is normal, but if I put weight (say from my wrist) right toward the front-right edge of the PB, where the slot-load is, it depresses and makes an odd clicking noise. I assume this is just the nature of the slot-load, but I wanted to make sure.

So everybody with a 15 go push right on the edge in the middle of the drive area and see if it goes down and clicks. And then let me know. :)
 
I can't believe someone would cancel their order just from hearing some people complain. You must realize that people with good PowerBooks don't go on Apple's forum and say how great it is. Out of the thousands received, only a handful have had problems. Mine is great and I've talked to many who also got great systems and I love mine to death. But it's your choice, I suppose. Just don't take the few reports you hear as the norm since it is pretty skewed with the people who report problems v. the people who simply got great systems and have no need to complain.
 
We've sold about 125 15" Powerbooks since release, and I've seen a much larger percentage of defects than with any other Apple product. The majority of the problems are bad latches, with that problem affecting about 10% of the population. I've also seen a large number of bad pixels, in the old days you were unlucky if you got a bad pixel and nowadays you're lucky if you didn't. Several of my employees bought the new SuperDrives, and all four of them have at least one bad pixel. Luckily our demo model is perfect, but we had to reinstall the OS immediately because Internet Explorer and every other program took 20 bounces to launch. Sloppy.

It was bad enough when I had customers waiting six weeks for Powerbooks, and I had hoped that they would all be happy with what we gave them. Now, people are questioning if the wait was worth it or not. Luckily, every 15" Powerbook leaves this store with Applecare since we have good bundle deals, so I don't worry because I know they will be taken care of by Apple when they have time to send it in for repair, and I just have to put up with the complaints for just a little longer...
 
Originally posted by natebailey11
I assume this is normal, but if I put weight (say from my wrist) right toward the front-right edge of the PB, where the slot-load is, it depresses and makes an odd clicking noise. I assume this is just the nature of the slot-load, but I wanted to make sure.

So everybody with a 15 go push right on the edge in the middle of the drive area and see if it goes down and clicks. And then let me know. :)
Click to expand...
Ya same thing..
 
Good to know I'm not the only one, oldschool. The more I think about this, the more I'm sure it just be because of the drive. If anybody knows differently, please let me know.

Also, do we have anything conclusive on heat/battery life? Mine seems, to me, to get quite hot often and the battery life is at most 2:15. I've let it run down to empty and then fully recharged it twice, so I don't think calibration is an issue. With the heat, I haven't had a chance to do anything "intesive" on it yet at all. Mostly it just sits next to me with iChat, Mail and Safari open. Ideas or tips here would be helpful -- I'd like to get to that 3.5/4 hr range on the battery and cool case that others seem to have.
 
Re: Re: Re: Defective PB

I think almost every new alum makes this clicking noise and people arent' listening to it. It can only heard in a very quiet environment. I have the same noise and am still debating whether it is just normal and will happen again if I get a replacement/repair? Anyone have more updates?
 
How many people have noticed bright areas or white spots on their screens?

I'm a pixel-pusher by trade and my brand new 15" has 3 bright areas that are kind of annoying to deal with. I didn't notice them at first becasue i was using a bright white background image, but after making some changes, they're clearly visible.
 
Make a Stink

I purchased a 23" Cinema Display from a local Apple reseller... got it home, and noticed some kind of "dirt" between the LCD layer and the illuminant. I took it back the next day, and the reseller said they'd have to send it back to Apple for repair.

I didn't accept that response, asked for the manager who said the same thing, and finally started getting upset and raised my voice so other shoppers could hear my frustration. At that point, they agreed to give me a new display, and I insisted that they open it and power it up so that I could see that it was perfect.

I think it's unfortunate that we spend so much money and get defective products. It's very important that, if you feel you are entitled to a new unit, you make your feelings known and continue escalating through the corporate chain of command until you reach someone who will make the right decision for you.

I think the number of dead pixels you have, although under Apple's repair limit, is unacceptable for the price you're paying regardless. And since you noticed it immediately, out of the box, I think they should send you a new unit -- you may wish to go back to the place where you bought it, and ask them for an exchange.

If anyone gives you crap, tell them that you made a conscious choice to give them your business over their competition, and that you've recommended them to your friends and family, and that they owe you some consideration. Any good businessman will jump to keep you happy.

Good luck.
 
Originally posted by latergator116
Id call apple and ask them to replace the machine. my iBook was a lemon and they never replaced it and now it is shot and the warranty is over. Be stern with the person on the phone and tell them you want a new computer. I think they have a policy somewhere that if your computer arrives defected you can request a new one.
Click to expand...

They were prepared to DOA my 5-day-old 15.2" because it had a broken latch and 2 dead pixels, but I couldn't wait 3 weeks for another one.
 
Originally posted by Fall
They were prepared to DOA my 5-day-old 15.2" because it had a broken latch and 2 dead pixels, but I couldn't wait 3 weeks for another one.
Click to expand...

3 weeks? did they quote you 3 weeks as the turn-around time? i talked to them today and they said 1 week.
 
Originally posted by oldschool

BTW, anybody here successfuly gotten a new LCD? What did it take?
Click to expand...

Me. I took it to our nearest apple retailer (i'm in a small town), to get the latch fixed. they checked the support databases and found an article that stated all displays with faulty latches are to be replaced entirely.

Certainly takes care of those two dead pixels too! Two birds /w one stone!

They're replacing it next week.
 
Originally posted by jbomber
3 weeks? did they quote you 3 weeks as the turn-around time? i talked to them today and they said 1 week.
Click to expand...

I see I already replied in this thread, hehehe

Yeh, mine's the 15.2" Combo with backlit keyboard, the backlit adds two weeks to delivery time. thus 3 weeks. I told them just to give me the superdrive model then, they laughed...I wasn't hopeful of that deal goinfg through.
 
Re: Re: Re: Defective PB

Originally posted by somecows
Really? I don't know what to say. I can't say for sure that there is something wrong with a machine that makes that noise, but I can tell you that it sounds very different from the sounds my other macs have made.

If anyone has any advice please respond.
Click to expand...
I don't know about you, but I just ordered a PowerBook and if mine has that problem I will probably nicely ask the merchant to replace it with a new one. If they refuse, and you have tried to be cordial with them, threaten to call your credit card company and do a charge-back. Most credit-card companies will allow you to do this which gives you extra protection if you receive a product that is defective or not working as advertised. In fact a lot of credit cards actually extend the return period to something like 90 days on all purchases. The merchants know this and usually when they hear the magic word (chargeback), they all of a sudden get super cooperative.

I wouldn't recommend using this tactic unless you have exhausted all possible options, but that's one reason why you should always make big purchases on a credit card. You have a lot more power as a buyer that way and you can't be shafted as easily.
 
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