Send macbooks in

[dafgal]

Hi guys,
I just got a new macbook for christmas and WOW!!!! I love it! I had never known that a computer can be so easy to use. But still, I have some concerns... I bought the AppleCare Plan, because I will travel around a lot and stay in different countries for a certain time (mostly germany).
Now my question is, if I ever have a problem with it (something breaks, battery, Fan, whatever...) can I get that replaced and repaired in Germany without any extra charge?
And, more important, should I backup my files? Do the Apple ppl look into my files? Do I have to provide them with a password? I mean, some of the files are simply private... are they allowed to do that? Or should I maybe remove all the p2p content I have? I know those are a lot of questions, but I couldn't find an answer to that. I hope you guys can help

P.S.: Go ! I love it

 

[Aperture]

Not sure about getting it fixed but if you send it in, definitely backup your files. You also have to provide them with your password before you schedule the repair.

 

[devilot]

Congrats on your new machine.

.. if I ever have a problem with it (something breaks, battery, Fan, whatever...) can I get that replaced and repaired in Germany without any extra charge?

Assuming the damage is not accidental or user-inflicted (abuse), then yes, there should not be a problem getting your MB serviced at an authorized Apple center. And it should NOT cost you anything extra.

And, more important, should I backup my files? Do the Apple ppl look into my files? Do I have to provide them with a password?

YES. Always always always backup your computer. Period.

I don't know if the service techs care enough to snoop, but I'm sure that they could quite easily. As for providing a p/w, I think that depends on the issue.

I had a logic board replaced on a MB and didn't have to supply any passwords. I'd think for the most part, that hardware issues wouldn't really require a p/w as they'd just swap out the defective part. Shrug. I don't really know, though.

 

[JNB]

Hi guys,
I just got a new macbook for christmas and WOW!!!! I love it! I had never known that a computer can be so easy to use. But still, I have some concerns... I bought the AppleCare Plan, because I will travel around a lot and stay in different countries for a certain time (mostly germany).
Now my question is, if I ever have a problem with it (something breaks, battery, Fan, whatever...) can I get that replaced and repaired in Germany without any extra charge?
And, more important, should I backup my files? Do the Apple ppl look into my files? Do I have to provide them with a password? I mean, some of the files are simply private... are they allowed to do that? Or should I maybe remove all the p2p content I have? I know those are a lot of questions, but I couldn't find an answer to that. I hope you guys can help

P.S.: Go ! I love it

AppleCare is worldwide, so you should be just fine there. Remember that it does not cover accidental damage (you drop it, spill something on it, etc.), so you may want to consider additional insurance on the side for that.

You should ALWAYS back up your system. Time Machine is included, and there are other solutions (.Mac Backup, Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper), that are good complimentary tools as well. You'll want a decent external drive for that.

If you need to take the machine to Apple for service, they "may" need the Administrator password to access the full system, but they don't care about what files you have; they're really too busy to go poking around to "see what you've got", anyway. All they're interest in is what's causing your problem and fixing it, whether that's hardware or software. That being said, if you have anything that is obviously unlawful to possess or indicates felonious activity, well, maybe you shouldn't keep records of that activity on there, anyway.

 

[dafgal]

hey, thanks for those fast answers. I know, always backup... I have a .Mac subscription as well and I am backing up Documents and Pictures right now. I cannot backup all my files in a reliable place right now, because there is no money for an external HD. If I buy one, I want it to be @ least 500gb or 1TB. ^^ I know, sounds crazy.
I have an old HD from a broken PC labtop, but that harddrive is about 5 years old. It still works, but nobody knows for how long. Does Apple replace macbooks if the color on it fades to yellow? (on the white one)
Oh and, can I put more RAM in (have 1 gb) without loosing my warranty?
Well, I don't have plans for building bombs on my computer, but there is some stuff that I couldn't get in the US (some german movies) and so I *found* it a few hours later on my harddrive. I think I should remove that before I send in... just wanted to hear what you guys think

 

[devilot]

You really should have a backup in place. If you really can't get an external, then at least buy some blank DVDs to burn stuff onto.

Does Apple replace macbooks if the color on it fades to yellow? (on the white one)

Many have reported success, some have reported Apple giving them a hard time claiming it's a cosmetic issue and whatnot. So, YMMV ("your mileage may vary").

Oh and, can I put more RAM in (have 1 gb) without losing my warranty?

Assuming you don't break anything in the process then it would NOT void the warranty. And it's quite simple, I'm really NOT techie at all but I successfully upgraded the RAM in my MB.

 

[dafgal]

thanks for all those answers so far... I really enjoy my macbook and hopefully I will never have to send it in. I am just really scared, because my old Gericom PC Laptop crashed every day (I think something must've been wrong with it) but my warranty would not cover that!
Okay, that is off-topic, but does more RAM help for games? I wanted to play the sims 2 and it runs, but really slow and even quit unexpectedly one time. Everything is on low and small. I have the latest revision macbook with the X3100 and I run sims2 native in osx.
Call of Duty 2 in return runs perfectly smooth even in a higher resolution! (in osx as well).

 

[skyrider007]

does more RAM help for games? .

Definitely! You should max out your RAM whenever possible, this will ensure that you're getting the best performance out of your computer. You WILL notice the difference.

Congrats on your new laptop btw

 

[dafgal]

Thank you guys so far. Apple RAM is kind of expensive, so I decided to upgrade to 2 gb later when I really need it. I plan on keeping my macbook for 4 years, so applecare was essential. To close that thread here, I'd like to show you guys something: I am pretty sure everyone heard about MacSaber where you move your macbook (pro) and it makes Lightsaber sounds. I found something that actually uses that sensor for games!

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/26465/tunnel

I know, off topic, but it is supposed to be a closing message. Thank you for your help guys! I really love and my macbook

 

[skyrider007]

Thank you guys so far. Apple RAM is kind of expensive, so I decided to upgrade to 2 gb later when I really need it. I plan on keeping my macbook for 4 years, so applecare was essential. To close that thread here, I'd like to show you guys something: I am pretty sure everyone heard about MacSaber where you move your macbook (pro) and it makes Lightsaber sounds. I found something that actually uses that sensor for games!

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/26465/tunnel

I know, off topic, but it is supposed to be a closing message. Thank you for your help guys! I really love and my macbook

hey, u dont have to buy RAM from Apple! You can find em online for as cheap as $40 per 1GB stick. as for the MacSeber, i've tried it before - it's great but i'm too afraid that i'll break my MBP. Anyway hope u enjoy ur mac!

x

 

[dafgal]

Yup, I know that. I just have to save a little bit of money. And I do not need 2 or 4gb of ram right now. The Link is not the MacSaber, it is a Tunnel game where you move through a Tunnel (obviously) and just tilt your macbook slightly sideways to control the spaceship. (it has bad graphics though)
But it is fun for a couple of minutes