You win John123.....
Your debating prowess is ..........
boring.
1) Experience is always valuable. You don't have to recognize that. It doesn't matter to me. I have been lucky with repairs, except for my Powerbooks, but when I have repaired an older Mac, used parts wasn't a consideration over third party new part with a warranty - and cheaper.
If a motherboard goes on one of my G3-266's, you think Apple would like to sell me a used or even new motherboard rather than sell me a new machine???
Hey maybe Apple has some 6100 Av boards kicking around still?
Aftermarket part suppliers would eat Apple's lunch all day long when it comes to retail parts costs, because Apple simply isn't in the retail parts business. I can buy a newer, bigger, faster hard drive for less than half what Apple charges - and both parties will go to IBM or similar for the drive. The same goes for RAM. I need a new board, I might as well get a third party MB or LB complete with faster, more current features. I can't think of brand names right this second but I know that if I had an older G3 Powerbook, buying used parts would be throwing good money after bad.
Finally there is the question of just how many Powerbooks 400 to 667's are left in basic warranty, even Applecare. I suspect it isn't that many and that is why I believe Apple is making their offer now. Not because they need parts but because the users of thise machines realize they are way behind the curve and Apple saw an opportunity to limit their exposure on repairs and maximize their new product sales in one transaction.
2) It is simple concept, or at least I am capable or I guess in your opinion, incapable of seeing it in simple terms. I break complex themes into simple and easy to understand concepts all day long. If you don't see that or agree, either I didn't do what I say I do or you don't get it. Oh well.
3) Since no one knows why Apple does what they do, I could only speculate that based on my own experience, Apple doesn't find fixing, supporting or dealing with those machines nearly as profitable as it would new trade ups. Paying $700 US for a machine that likely didn't cost a lot more than that to manufacture makes sense. One catastrophic event with these laptops can easily costs over $700 to fix it at retail. Each logic board Apple replaced for me was billed at $1200 CDN. I had 4 done. A screen at $1300. To me the whole idea seems very simple and plausible. But these are only opinions. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have had owned three G4's PB's and if I had to pay out of my pocket to repair them it would have cost nearly as much as two new machines. That wouldn't make me want to serously consider not buying a new one, matbe switching. As the costs are relative back to manufacturing, supporting/repairing these older G4 laptops more than one time starts costing everybody money, including Apple. They design them to last, not to fix them, although they are seemingly simple to repair. Apple isn't in the used parts or repair business. Dealers might be but Apple does it because they maintain control on profit margins by providing the service, most often supplied by a third party. My arguement is about why they might be wanting them back. Don't agree? OK!
4) Your #4 comment isn't even cool but expected I suppose. Since you won't comment on other Canadian Apple issues, why be a d-wad about why I can't get a trade up. THEY DON"T HAVE THE %$#@ PROGRAM HERE. Hey McFly!? And even though I am well connected here with Apple people, that type of decision isn't made here. I can get a First Family Discount once a year which is likely close to the trade amount but that isn't what the point was.
Again, the program isn't available here. I get OSX copies for free and other NFR perks but machines are a different animal. Again very uncool comment.
5) I would expect that experience with users from people that work with a PC and don't know that there is more than one web browser. But in my experience Mac users, especially the users I know are different and these users I know all know some distinguishing characteristic of their machine that helps me know what it is. I simply don't agree with you.
Also, people who live in glass houses pal.....!
Look, the Mac users I know might be a little more knowledgeable about their tools than the people that you helped as a tech support agent. I work in advertising and design where Mac is "THE" tool and your tool is like Snap On wrenches to mechanic, you simply know it is a 3/8 socket or a 9mm box wrench. I can't explain why, but we do.
Maybe Apple markets Macs differently here but the machines have always been referred to by Family Name (PowerMac, PowerBook, iMac, etc) and then Model, usually something distinctive and non technical like 400 or 233 or 1 Ghz or 17" or 2Ghz DP, and then possibly by configuration anomily. Even in your own list, Gigabit Ethernet makes ONE appearance, as it does anywhere else I have seen the complete family of Apple products listed.
6) I have just looked at the Apple Support site and found a PDF
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=50120 that refers to the PowerBook as Gigabit Ethernet as a Family but no reference as a Model after the 550MHz machine, which was my original point. It isn't referred to by the Gigabit term here as it would be like adding 4 cyl or V8 after the car's name. Really a foregone conclusion that after the 550 the PowerBook only came with one new type of Ethernet capability, Gigabit. All the rest since then are referred to as PowerBook XXX.
So your sister doesn't know she has a Powerbook 667 or 800? Lots of people didn't know that there was a Wallstreet or Lombard or Pismo G3 PB, but most know that their machine is 300, 366, 400's.
So, I would call this a technical tie. What we have here is a BORING argument of semantics.
Well John123, like I said, you can win this one. Knowing what I know I don't care anymore and really need to get some real work done. I hope that you have a better day.
