Quantity vs. Quality?

[williamtcforsyt]

1997 was the year I received my first Apple. Of-course back then Apple was certainly not as mainstream as it is today, we had an apple reseller in our town that was empty 90% of the time.

I've noticed that over the years my purchases of Apple notebooks has raised my eyebrows over quality as time has passed. I remember buying my first tangerine ibook and graphite SP. The build quality was superb, most people I know agreed that returns due to faults out the box was a rare occurrence.

However I've noticed in recent years, I've found myself complaining over more and more defects out-of-the-box -

ibook first generation - dead pixels, faulty trackpad
Titanium powerbook - motherboard burnt out
Macbook Pro - discoloration on speaker grill
Macbook - small scratches on screen, discolored aluminum case.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Apple fan and have been for over 10 years, but I can't help but wonder how the manufacturing process has evolved with the complexity of constructing a laptop.

Just wondered if anyone else had found the quality over the years with Apple laptops?

 

[Tallest Skil]

The unibodies haven't been around long enough to factor in, but the Pismo was the epitome of laptop quality.

Some people still use their Pismos.

 

[numbersyx]

Don't forget the machinery is far more sophisticated than it was 10 years ago with far more potential for things to go wrong.

 

[drlunanerd]

...but the Pismo was the epitome of laptop quality.

Perhaps, but remember they were much more expensive in real terms than today's Apple notebooks ($3499 in 2000).

 

[drlunanerd]

Don't forget the machinery is far more sophisticated than it was 10 years ago with far more potential for things to go wrong.

Not really, if you look at the basic components that still make up a notebook.

New models have some extra parts included like wireless network and bluetooth modules + antennae, ambient light sensor, keyboard lighting and webcam. Beyond that the basic parts are similar with same potential for failure.

 

[Sesshi]

91% Applecare requirement for my laptops purchased for my use in this last year alone - and that's by machine, not the number of times any machine has had to be Applecare'd. I think that pretty much says it all.

The remaining 9% is two working days old, so early days yet