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Should 'Rev. A' Models Be Avoided?

Squire

Squire

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 8, 2003
1,563
0
Canada
Hi.

Is it just a myth that a buyer should avoid Rev. A Macs or is there some truth behind it? With the Expo around the corner, I thought I'd ask. Have any of you had any negative experiences with newly released models? If so, please share them.

Thanks,

Squire
 
typically rev. a's have design flaws that take months/years of use to discover.

in the case of the initial G5's they had sleep errors, fan control glitches, etc.

it's not a fact they have problems, just a trend people notice, but they are still excellent computers.

i personally would never place an order with apple if it's not going to ship for a long time. the apple stores will typically have the product available to buy in person before they ship you a new release.
 
Odds are that revision A product will be more trouble prone. Having said that, my current powerbook is a revision A and my Tibook was a revision A as well and I have had no problems with either the Tibook, nor the 12" revision A to this point. So I would not hesitate to order if you want something, but I would probably buy applecare just to be on the safe side.
 
Some people say wait until a 2nd revision, and I agree. However, if I was so tempted to get a newly released model of something.....anything...... I'd wait 3-4 months. That way if there are some blatantly obvious flaws or hazards that people are noticing from the new model, they'll sort those out quickly.

So its better to wait for a 2nd revision, or even a 3rd revision, but if you get a 1st revision, just wait a few months. It'll be less risky, although more risky than buying a rev B. :)
 
If Apple sold a product that just broke, and didn't do what it said they would be out of business. There are always improvements coming and going and products so far work as advertised. If you need something don't hinge the purchase on something silly like this. My Rev. A Powerbook is beast btw.
 
the thing with buying from apple is even if there is a rev a problem, they fix it.... where as a pc is expected to be really loud, and have glitches... people just keep on using them...

so i wouldnt worry about it if something is wrong then you give um a call and they fix it...simple
 
Thanks!

I guess these replies are just about what I expected to see. crees!, you had an excellent point. Actually, by the time new products get here (it's usually 2 months later), they should have the initial glitches, for the most part, ironed out.

Cheers,

Squire
 
Generally Apple's rev A machines are good. With one exception. The PMG3 Blue and White. My G3 went back to Apple so often, that I was given a new Rev B machine the same week they were updated. My G4 was also a Rev. A, but it works perfectly, with no problems to be ironed out, and works perfectly (on it now) If i was in the USA, and i had a spare $AU2900, i would buy a dual 1.8 G5, only because I see the 1.8 as the optimal compromise between speed and price.
 
paxtonandrew said:
Generally Apple's rev A machines are good. With one exception. The PMG3 Blue and White. My G3 went back to Apple so often, that I was given a new Rev B machine the same week they were updated. My G4 was also a Rev. A, but it works perfectly, with no problems to be ironed out, and works perfectly (on it now) If i was in the USA, and i had a spare $AU2900, i would buy a dual 1.8 G5, only because I see the 1.8 as the optimal compromise between speed and price.
Click to expand...

With an expo 2-3 days away (and 2 grand burning a hole in my wallet), that's the kind of post I like to read.

Squire
 
I have two Rev. A iMacs and they havebeen great. The only problem I have had is when I bought my FP iMac with Superdrive in March of 2002, the 17" screen version was released less than two months later. That bothered me a bit. Othewise, the performance has been flawless on both machines. I also have a Performa 6400 and a Performa 550. They are still great machines and my kids are now enjoying them.

br
 
AL-FAMOUS said:
the thing with buying from apple is even if there is a rev a problem, they fix it.... where as a pc is expected to be really loud, and have glitches... people just keep on using them...

so i wouldnt worry about it if something is wrong then you give um a call and they fix it...simple
Click to expand...
It's not quite that simple... I bought a rev a powermac G4 cube, which IMHO was an incredible feat of engineering. The power button on the cube is not a mechanical switch - it's a proximity switch embedded below the case that detects a finger on or near the "button". As cool as this was, it had some problems. In my case, the button got fried after about a year.

The service process was fairly simple - Apple sent me a pre-paid box to pack up my system and off it went. The problem was that I was without a system for a week or two. Apple replaced the switch and as a bonus they reformatted my hard drive :eek: . Granted I should have backed up my current final cut pro project, but that's the way it goes. There's no doubt that apple will fix the issue, but my point is that there's an inconvenience factor that most people would rather not deal with.
 
Abstract said:
Some people say wait until a 2nd revision, and I agree. However, if I was so tempted to get a newly released model of something.....anything...... I'd wait 3-4 months. That way if there are some blatantly obvious flaws or hazards that people are noticing from the new model, they'll sort those out quickly.

So its better to wait for a 2nd revision, or even a 3rd revision, but if you get a 1st revision, just wait a few months. It'll be less risky, although more risky than buying a rev B. :)
Click to expand...
This is good advice, and it applies to most products - not just apple computers. For example, I would never buy the first model year of a new car because it's just asking for trouble.

This was the main reason I just bought a rev b powermac dual 2.0GHz instead of the bleeding edge 2.5 GHz system. A 25% performance increase wasn't worth the risk involved in "beta-testing" the new liquid based cooling system.
 
get rev A and apple care. i have a rev A pb that has worked flawlessly for me for nearly a year (i got it cheap right when rev B came out) it out preforms the iBook i had (the one with the video card problems) but go ahead and get the rev A . .. that way you will be the first to find the problems and they will fix them for you (if there are any problems) i have heard about no major/repetitive problems for any of the rev A powerbooks. so go for it! if i had the 2grand sitting around im sure id do the same thing, cause i want a cool desktop (assuming the new imac will fullfill this) to go along with my PB . . .but i have no money! so enjoy your new purchase, once it gets shipped to you!
 
shadowband said:
This is good advice, and it applies to most products - not just apple computers. For example, I would never buy the first model year of a new car because it's just asking for trouble.

This was the main reason I just bought a rev b powermac dual 2.0GHz instead of the bleeding edge 2.5 GHz system. A 25% performance increase wasn't worth the risk involved in "beta-testing" the new liquid based cooling system.
Click to expand...

You can hardly call it "beta-testing" Apple isn't the first computer company to use a water cooling system, its hardly dangerous stuff. If it were even remotely dangerous do you think that it would have made it in to production? I think that people exagerate issues with computers, I have a rev a G5 and its been perfect since day one. (except for my 10.3.5 issues. But thats software)

If you want a computer why wait til the second rev? If you need a computer NOW why wait? Sure, wait a month or two to beat the over demand or til you see a review or until the fix the rare initial bugs. I really think that everyone makes too much of this sort of thing, people come to a forum to complain or to seek help so its hardly strange that you see so much about it. You have to remember that for every person who comes here with an issue there are probably 20 others who are fine.

Plus its cool to buy new stuff! :D
 
I am typing on a Rev C 12in Powerbook for three reasons. First, I read about the heat issues with the iMac prototype and have always avoided rev A products. A red flag went up for me when it was delayed. Secondly, I have a great PC for playing games and could wait a bit before buying a G5. The final changeover can be delayed. Finally, the PB was a tried and tested product with enough power to hold me over till the PC needs to be replaced.

For me, a G5 - iMac or Powermac is still about 2 years away.
 
vraxtus said:
I've had more problems with Rev B products than my Rev A products...
Click to expand...

I think that there are just lemons in any production line. The important thing is that Apple takes care of their customers. AppleCare is an essential to purchase no matter what.
 
Duff-Man says...I'll say the same as I did in the last thread on this topic (which was not very long ago). This "avoid rev A" business is wayyyyy overblown. Apple tests things before they release them - you are not "beta-testing" for Apple. This does not mean there are never going to be any problems but it is nowhere near what some people make it out to be. I have bought rev A things many times...LCIII, iBook, iPod, Quicksilver, G5 2.5 to name what comes to mind at the moment.....never had a problem with *any* of them....oh yeah!
 
stevehaslip said:
You can hardly call it "beta-testing" Apple isn't the first computer company to use a water cooling system, its hardly dangerous stuff. If it were even remotely dangerous do you think that it would have made it in to production? I think that people exagerate issues with computers, I have a rev a G5 and its been perfect since day one. (except for my 10.3.5 issues. But thats software)

If you want a computer why wait til the second rev? If you need a computer NOW why wait?
Click to expand...
Dangerous? I never made any claim about a water cooling system being dangerous. My only claim is that rev a products typically have some issues that are resolved in rev b. Some of these issues are only detected after the product has been released and has racked up many hours in the field (e.g. the iPod battery issue and the G4 cube power button issue - both of which bit me :eek: ).

Schedule pressure to release a new product coupled with new technology typically result in a few glitches in a rev a product. There have been a number of reports in these forums of 2.5 GHz powermacs with DOA CPUs (in one case, 8 out of a batch of 22 had faulty processors). I would wager that the defect rate is higher for the new 2.5 GHz powermacs than the rev b 2.0 GHz powermacs.

Does this mean that one should never buy a rev a product? No - I'm guilty of this in many cases myself. Apple will rectify the situation in most cases, but keep in mind that you'll be without a system while it's being repaired. And don't forget - you pay a premium for the latest and greatest...
 
shadowband said:
This was the main reason I just bought a rev b powermac dual 2.0GHz instead of the bleeding edge 2.5 GHz system. A 25% performance increase wasn't worth the risk involved in "beta-testing" the new liquid based cooling system.
Click to expand...

Precisely. Watercooling is not necessarily the issue (though that placard inside of the computer is almost humorous); but a 90nm process and a potential chip yield problem could be. The 2.0 is looking better all the time (eventhough they too, may have the 90nm now - but no one knows for sure...)

With the extra money leftover to spend on RAM, one has to wonder just how much of a speed bump the 2.5 is...in addition, I will be able to opt for the low-end NVIDIA graphics card as it seems that the ATIs are not handling QE very well...
 
You guys yell and scream because it always takes Apple too longs to bring PC components to the Mac world.

But you will be the first to yell when the cost of getting something quick means you end up with teething pains, scarcity of products in the market, and/or costs of those products in the beginning.
 
Using a quiet and soothing voice...

Just being cautious as I always do when I buy anything more expensive than a tank of diesel.

I'm actually rather excited over the possibility of owning a 2.0 soon. I wouldn't buy anything but Apple - simply because it's my preference for myriad reasons.
 
I purchased a Rev.A of the iMac G4 (15", 800mhz G4, Superdrive), the first when Apple made the major shift in the iMac line, in design, on the exterior and interior, and I've never had any major problems with it. So yeah, A-models, can be prone to more problems, and with B and C-models, Apple has had time to really fine tune the product, but i'm pretty sure Apple put the each model through rigorous testing to insure if products are ready to hit public. So in general, if you need a computer now, and Rev. A models are the only ones available, you should go ahead a buy and not be worried. If you don't need a computer right away and have patience, then go ahead and wait for the B and C-models to appear. Either decision has the same amount of pros and cons.
 
shadowband said:
Dangerous? I never made any claim about a water cooling system being dangerous. My only claim is that rev a products typically have some issues that are resolved in rev b. Some of these issues are only detected after the product has been released and has racked up many hours in the field (e.g. the iPod battery issue and the G4 cube power button issue - both of which bit me :eek: ).

Schedule pressure to release a new product coupled with new technology typically result in a few glitches in a rev a product. There have been a number of reports in these forums of 2.5 GHz powermacs with DOA CPUs (in one case, 8 out of a batch of 22 had faulty processors). I would wager that the defect rate is higher for the new 2.5 GHz powermacs than the rev b 2.0 GHz powermacs.

Does this mean that one should never buy a rev a product? No - I'm guilty of this in many cases myself. Apple will rectify the situation in most cases, but keep in mind that you'll be without a system while it's being repaired. And don't forget - you pay a premium for the latest and greatest...
Click to expand...

Sorry you didn't say dangerous, but its the impression that everyone gives. Its exagerated, i just wish people would give Apple a break. Sure its anoying but prblems can be fixed.
 
hit or miss

i would like to say i've had no probs w/ rev A machines, but i can't. my revA TiBook was a royal pain in the butt for the first few months i had it. i tried to turn the other cheeck to a couple bugs (eating discs, battery falling out, not recharging), but when the screen started flickering and then went out, i knew i had to send it in.

they ended up replacing the video card, the LCD clamshell, the DVD drive and finally the motherboard. works great now! a little outdated, but then again it's not my primary machine.

on the other hand, i've had revA's of the beige G3 and the graphite G4 and if memory serves me, those worked fine. oh, and my revA Cinema Display has never given me problems.
 
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