Back on Intel and Man, Is It Painful

[Admiral]

I spilled a sip of coffee on my M1 MacBook Pro (16GB/1TB), which of course killed the machine, and I had to take it back to Apple for service under AppleCare+ — thankfully, AppleCare+ now covers accidental damage. It's going to cost me US$299 to replace my machine. Since this laptop cost me US$1900, getting a new one after my stupid mistake for just 16% of the purchase price seems like a fair deal to me. Count me an AppleCare+ customer for life. There will be other incidents.

But replacement will take a week, they say. So to tide me over until the M1 is back I pulled out the 2020 Intel i5 MacBook (16TB/512MB) I bought in June 2020 just before the M1 was announced. Holy mackerel, the performance and user experience difference between the two is really quite dramatic. Apple Silicon really is a game-changing advantage for Apple and I can't see any case for Intel x86 ever again.

I really wish Apple could find some way to make these laptops more water-resistant.

 

[leman]

I know what you mean, I also start developing a bit of hatred towards my 16" model every time it goes full turbo for literally no reason. Those larger Apple Silicon Macs can't come soon enough.

 

[Admiral]

I was on the fence about springing for a refurbished 16" MacBook Pro when I bought the 2020 i5 MacBook Pro instead. I really dodged a bullet. While I do wish my M1 worked with multiple 4K monitors, or an ultrawide 5K2K, on balance it really is an amazing advance in user experience. The macOS interface is exceptionally responsive, even when hammering the CPU by extended video rendering or export, and incredibly fast at doing the work. The battery lasts literally forever, and when I'm not rendering video the computer remains cold to the touch. Sometimes I actually don't like it on my skin, like when I'm wearing shorts, because of the lack of warmth. The 16", by contrast, is basically a blast furnace. And slower.

 

[theorist9]

I spilled a sip of coffee on my M1 MacBook Pro (16GB/1TB), which of course killed the machine, and I had to take it back to Apple for service under AppleCare+ — thankfully, AppleCare+ now covers accidental damage. It's going to cost me US$299 to replace my machine. Since this laptop cost me US$1900, getting a new one after my stupid mistake for just 16% of the purchase price seems like a fair deal to me. Count me an AppleCare+ customer for life. There will be other incidents.

But replacement will take a week, they say. So to tide me over until the M1 is back I pulled out the 2020 Intel i5 MacBook (16TB/512MB) I bought in June 2020 just before the M1 was announced. Holy mackerel, the performance and user experience difference between the two is really quite dramatic. Apple Silicon really is a game-changing advantage for Apple and I can't see any case for Intel x86 ever again.

I really wish Apple could find some way to make these laptops more water-resistant.

For home use, I keep my MBP elevated on an Raindesign M Stand (https://www.raindesigninc.com/mstand.html), and use an external KB and mouse. Provides essentially complete protection from spills; also puts the laptop's screen closer to eye level (and more in line with the large external monitor standing next to it).

 

[0128672]

For home use, I keep my MBP elevated on an Raindesign M Stand (https://www.raindesigninc.com/mstand.html), and use an external KB and mouse. Provides essentially complete protection from spills; also puts the laptop's screen closer to eye level (and more in line with the large external monitor standing next to it).

The mStand is a great product, and I've owned one for years. It's also good for iPads.

 

[jeanlain]

But replacement will take a week, they say.

It's a trap!

 

[pshufd]

I could drive to my local store and have a new one in 45 minutes:

 

[pshufd]

The Apple Stores are all over the place on the models that they stock though.

I know what you mean as I've had my M1 mini for a week and it feels like a comfortable shirt - I don't think much about it. OTOH, when I go back to my 2015 MacBook Pro, it's noticeably slower. In the past it was the other way around. I was using slower Macs on my desktop cluster before.

 

[Admiral]

I could drive to my local store and have a new one in 45 minutes[.]

Well, yes. I probably could have picked up a new one from the Apple Store for US$1900 since I was already there. I do have nineteen hundred bucks. But that would kind of obviate the purchase of AppleCare+ coverage, wouldn't it? The pain of using the year-old Intel machine is not that great. This way six days from now I'll have a new M1 back, it will still have two and a half years of AppleCare+ coverage, and I will still have sixteen hundred bucks left.

For US$1600 I'll find a way to endure. Somehow.

 

[pshufd]

Well, yes. I probably could have picked up a new one from the Apple Store for US$1900 since I was already there. I do have nineteen hundred bucks. But that would kind of obviate the purchase of AppleCare+ coverage, wouldn't it? The pain of using the year-old Intel machine is not that great. This way six days from now I'll have a new M1 back, it will still have two and a half years of AppleCare+ coverage, and I will still have sixteen hundred bucks left.

For US$1600 I'll find a way to endure. Somehow.

They can't just give you a new one at the store?

 

[Admiral]

They can't just give you a new one at the store?

Apparently not. Instead I got an itemized list of "repair" items, which comprise nearly all the parts in the computer, showing a somewhat fanciful repair cost of US$1700 discounted to US$299 because of AppleCare+, and an email estimating completion date a week from Tuesday. The "Genius" acknowledged that this means I'm just getting a replacement from refurbished stock. My machine had a small scratch on the screen from an unrelated incident, the case was a little munged up at the corners, and then there was liquid damage to the battery and logic board. They also identified damage to the USB assembly, and the touch ID. That's basically all there is to the computer, no?

Seems fair to me. I didn't bring in a new computer, and AppleCare+ doesn't promise replacement with a new computer.

 

[pshufd]

Apparently not. Instead I got an itemized list of "repair" items, which comprise nearly all the parts in the computer, showing a repair cost of US$1700 discounted to US$299 because of AppleCare+, and an email estimating completion date a week from Tuesday. The "Genius" acknowledged that this means I'm just getting a replacement from refurbished stock.

Refurbished shipping is two days, isn't it?

 

[Admiral]

We'll see. I'm in a smaller market than the United States, and stock levels are lower.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I could drive to my local store and have a new one in 45 minutes:

View attachment 1803324

How does bragging about what you can do locally help the OP?

 

[pshufd]

How does bragging about what you can do locally help the OP?

OP said that he is getting a replacement but he indicated that it would take a week to get. So my post indicated that they are available in local stores in a short period of time. So why couldn't he just go to the store and pick one up? He responded that they are going to give him a refurbished model. So he can't get one from the local store because they are giving him a refurb. I said that the refurb typically ships in two days but he's not in the United States, so, it appears that it will take a week.

Happy?

 

[Apple_Robert]

We'll see. I'm in a smaller market than the United States, and stock levels are lower.

AC+ paid off for you big time. It is unfortunate you had an accident but, it is good Apple is making you whole.

As to Intel, I quickly notice the same thing When I transition later in the evening to my 12" MacBook or 2015 MBA. The difference is very noticeable although it isn't too dramatic for me, in that I struggle to get things done. A person gets spoiled very quickly on the M1. I really like my M1 MBA.

 

[Admiral]

How does bragging about what you can do locally help the OP?

It's pointless what he's doing, but I don't feel like I need any help in any case. I got helped just fine by having accidental damage coverage.

I could use some relief from this horribly laggy, performance-bottlenecked Intel i5 MacBook Pro purchased in June 2020. Who would have believed that Apple could have rendered it so obsolete so quickly? But in any case that relief seems to be on its way by next week. My experience with ordering new and refurbished computers, and previous service requests at the Apple Store, is that Apple estimates delivery and completion dates conservatively and then contacts me early. It's exactly what I do in my business to keep client satisfaction high — underpromise and overdeliver. It seems possible to me that I'll be hearing from them on Saturday.

What do I do with this horrible Intel MacBook Pro? I had thought I might give it to my kid, but two days with it makes me think I shouldn't do that to anyone I care about.

 

[Apple_Robert]

It's pointless what he's doing, but I don't feel like I need any help in any case. I got helped all right by having accidental damage coverage.

I could use some relief from this horribly laggy, performance-bottlenecked Intel i5 MacBook Pro purchased in June 2020. Who would have believed that Apple could have rendered it so obsolete so quickly? But in any case that relief seems to be on its way by next week.

This thread is the first I have seen you post in a long time. Maybe I missed when you posted at other times. lol

 

[pshufd]

It's pointless what he's doing, but I don't feel like I need any help in any case. I got helped just fine by having accidental damage coverage.

I could use some relief from this horribly laggy, performance-bottlenecked Intel i5 MacBook Pro purchased in June 2020. Who would have believed that Apple could have rendered it so obsolete so quickly? But in any case that relief seems to be on its way by next week. My experience with ordering new and refurbished computers, and previous service requests at the Apple Store, is that Apple estimates delivery and completion dates conservatively and then contacts me early. It's exactly what I do in my business to keep client satisfaction high — underpromise and overdeliver. It seems possible to me that I'll be hearing from them on Saturday.

The 13s were bad on thermals with dual-core CPUs. No surprise at all that they'd be bad with quad-cores.

 

[eric89074]

That fan noise of intel MacBooks…

 

[iHorseHead]

AppleCare+ now covers accidental damage

Lucky. In my country they do not, but if the coffee had no sugar or milk or any other things consisting sugar it should be fine?

 

[Admiral]

Lucky. In my country they do not, but if the coffee had no sugar or milk or any other things consisting sugar it should be fine?

I don't think it was the coffee's sugar or milk which is the problem. It was the water content in the coffee. Apple puts liquid-contact indicator stickers inside all its laptops, iPhones, and iPads, and they are activated by contact with water — white or silver so long as they remain dry, turning red when they get wet. Although I didn't see the inside of the machine when the Genius opened it up, I presume several of those indicators turned red.

I just got notice that repair is complete and I can pick it up from the Apple Store tomorrow. So, take it in at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, and pick up on Friday. Not bad for one-week service.

AppleCare+ only became available from last year in my jurisdiction. When it's available in your country, I think it is definitely worth purchasing.

Now, what to do with this awful 2020 i5 MacBook Pro?

 

[iHorseHead]

I don't think it was the coffee's sugar or milk which is the problem. It was the water content in the coffee. Apple puts liquid-contact indicator stickers inside all its laptops, iPhones, and iPads, and they are activated by contact with water — white or silver so long as they remain dry, turning red when they get wet. Although I didn't see the inside of the machine when the Genius opened it up, I presume several of those indicators turned red.

I just got notice that repair is complete and I can pick it up from the Apple Store tomorrow. So, take it in at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, and pick up on Friday. Not bad for one-week service.

AppleCare+ only became available from last year in my jurisdiction. When it's available in your country, I think it is definitely worth purchasing.

Now, what to do with this awful 2020 i5 MacBook Pro?

I once spilled coffee on my Dell laptop and I just let it dry out and it still works till this day. Are we going down on the quality of the laptops? Because the laptop I'm talking about is from 2007.
I already got Apple Care, because I was afraid something's going to happen with my SSD.

I lived with MacBook Pro mid 2010 for a decade. I'm sure you can survive.

 

[leman]

I once spilled coffee on my Dell laptop and I just let it dry out and it still works till this day. Are we going down on the quality of the laptops? Because the laptop I'm talking about is from 2007.

Spill resistance has nothing to do with a quality of the laptops. If your laptop was not specifically built to be spill-resistant (very few are), the outcome is based purely on luck.

It's like saying "I shot myself in the leg in 2007, just put the bandage and was fine after a week. I hear this dude shot himself in the leg and bled to death. Are we going down on the quality of the legs?"

 

[CheesePuff]

OP said that he is getting a replacement but he indicated that it would take a week to get. So my post indicated that they are available in local stores in a short period of time. So why couldn't he just go to the store and pick one up? He responded that they are going to give him a refurbished model. So he can't get one from the local store because they are giving him a refurb. I said that the refurb typically ships in two days but he's not in the United States, so, it appears that it will take a week.

Happy?

Refurb stock also changes on an hourly basis. Why does this matter so much to you? And as far as same day pickup at Apple Stores, they only stock the space grey of that spec, no other colors.