How Reliable is your Mac??

[FadeToBlack]

I've owned a lot of different Macs since switching in December '04.

eMac 1.25GHz G4
PowerBook G3 "Lombard" 333
iBook G3 366
Power Mac G4 Dual 867 MDD
TiBook 667
Mac mini Core Duo
12" PowerBook 867

Out of all of these Macs, the only one that gave me any serious trouble was the 12" PowerBook. I never got to pinpoint the problem, as the eBay seller gave me a refund, but it would kernel panic when booting from the CD and the wireless didn't work.

Other than that, though, aside from me being annoyed by the trackpads on some of the laptops, (I was new to using a laptop at the time and the trackpads were "jerky." Honestly, it was probably just me not being used to using a laptop.) the Macs I've had have been rock solid. Out of all of those Macs, the only one I ever seen kernel panic was the 12" PowerBook.

Yes, you can get a defective machine, but that's the way it is when you buy anything. The only reason you here about so many defective machines is because people get online and talk about it and try to get help when they have problems.

 

[kerpow]

Mine is extremely slow. Typically I login in as myself and my wife does as well and we use fast user switching. Maybe this uses alot more memory. Still, 768mb to run iTunes, iPhoto. Mail and Firefox each should be enough.

I've done everything imaginable; Onyx, disk permissions etc. Haven't completely reinstalled the OS as it would be a major pain.

I expect I'll replace it soon with an iMac.

 

[joelovesapple]

Mine is a joy to own and run - and I can say this because it just behaves itself - unlike the majority of computers. I don't even have to tempt it with any more RAM! (Has 2GB anyway which is fine for now).

 

[Father Jack]

Rock steady.

I don't know why I kept using crap PC's for so long


Mac's rule ..... O.K.


FJ

 

[twoodcc]

my macs have been much more reliable than any windows machine that i ever used or owned.

i've started with a mini, then powerbook, then imac (intel), then macbook, then mac pro, and then macbook pro

sold or traded all except the mac pro and macbook pro

 

[Gosh]

Hi there

i thought this would be a good place to ask how other intel macs are doing. i am suspecting that this is an intel thing!

Cheers - Dan

You maintain it yeah? http://www.atomicbird.com/macaroni

Verify disk and permissions yeah?

Sorry if you already do these but you might expect problems if you don't!

Hope you get sorted and get your faith back!

 

[nsbio]

I have owned two laptops: a 1998 Dell Inspiron 3500 (RIP) and my current 15'' 1.5Ghz PB. The Dell lasted six years with no failure of electronics; however, the plastic case fell apart after three years, rendering it a stationary machine.

The PB, in two years of ownership, has had two hardware failures, both related to the logic board (an ambient light sensor failure and the dreaded lower memory slot). Both times the machine was fixed under warranty. The case is holding on solid, and I do not expect it to fall apart as the Dell did.

Softwarewise, the PB (10.3.9) has had one kernel panic and a couple of crashes in two years. The average uptime between reboots is about 30 days.

In addition, two G5 Imacs at work running Tiger, a little over a year old, have been flawless.

 

[Shotgun OS]

My G5 iMac 20" has been very reliable. It kernel panic'd once, after I had left it on for a few months, then decided to rip 10 cds. It also had a problem with the fan being clogged, which wuld force the computer to force-sleep. I just took it to an apple authorized place and they cleaned it for me.

The programs it hangs on are Garageband (when I have more than 5 apps open) and Firefox, which takes years of bouncing to open.

Other than that, its been great. Best computer I've ever used.

 

[Quillz]

Hi there

I Have an intel iMac that seems to crash a lot and i was wondering how evryone else's macs are behaving! i took it back to the mac store and they can find nothing wrong with it - it just hangs every so often and i have to reset it - so frustrating for a mac!

i thought this would be a good place to ask how other intel macs are doing. i am suspecting that this is an intel thing!

Cheers - Dan

I've had my iMac for two weeks now, and it hasn't crashed or slowed down on me yet. Note that since I've had it, I've never turned it off or even rebooted. I love Mac OS X!

 

[JackAxe]

Very reliable. My Macs require very little maintanance and I can always count on them working, even after they've been asleep. My PC(s) require more of my attention to keep them working smoothly for the most part. I've been using PCs since the eighties and Macs every day since 95. As long as there's not a bad memory chip, or other defective component, OS X runs very stable, where as XP still finds a way to annoy me.

I generaly avoid first rev Macs, or any hardware or software for that matter, so this has certainly contributed to my comp's reliablity.

<]=)

 

[Mr Mac Newbie]

Just a question about support on the mac's. If you buy from the online apple store and you get problems, can youtake it to an apple store in your local town?

Do you have to buy applecare when you buy a mac or can you buy it anytime before the 1 year warrenty runs out (Uk warrenty)

 

[FadeToBlack]

Just a question about support on the mac's. If you buy from the online apple store and you get problems, can youtake it to an apple store in your local town?

Do you have to buy applecare when you buy a mac or can you buy it anytime before the 1 year warrenty runs out (Uk warrenty)

Yeah, you can take it in for service at any Apple Store.

With AppleCare, you can buy it any time before the warranty runs out.

 

[bmcgrath]

All the macs I have are have no issues at all. Imac and Macbook Pro. Even the ole clamshell Ibook G3 still works.

 

[risc]

iMac Core 2 Duo 20" = 100% reliable
Mac mini Core Duo = 100%
iMac G5 = 80 % - had to go back twice for issues
MacBook Pro Core Duo 15" = 10 % - worst notebook I have ever owned. Too many issues to mention
PowerBook G4 = 100 %
Power Mac Dual G5 = 100 %
iBook G4 = 70 % - had to go back for the same issue 3 times, Apple didn't replace it

That's all I've owned. Like I said the MacBook Pro is the worst notebook I have ever owned.

 

[Dunnart]

I'm disappointed to say that my 24 iMac isn't as good as it should be and will probably be going in for service pretty soon.

Problems include; hanging up while shutting down, unable to delete files and folders because of some missing data (error code 36), hanging when importing photos into Aperture. All these indicate HDD issues, but the hardware test and a surface scan using techtools can find no errors or problems. I'm ringing Apple support tomorrow for more suggestions but i feel my machine is probably one of the few unreliable ones

Its a shame, its a lovely machine and I want it for many years to come.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Kernow]

All my macs have been very reliable. I have been a Mac user for about 6 years, and in that time I have had maybe 4-5 kernel panics, and haven't lost a single document through a crash. My Windows laptop on the other hand...

 

[e12a]

I am going to bring up the response that is in every "reliability" or "how do you like your mac" thread:
a great number of people here are the ones with problems. People who dont have problems wont have a reason to post on forums like macrumors.

as for me, my first mac, a C2D MBP hasnt given me too much trouble *knock on wood*. maybe a few slow start ups where the screen would remain black for 10 or so seconds before the grey screen appears...its locked up on me once last year...i dont remember how that occurred. zero kernel panics so far.

 

[Attonine]

My HD died after about 7 months on my current MBP, Apple fixed in-store the same day after some long telephone calls. 2 Kernal panics since I've had this machine (about 10 months).

I can't give any quantitative evidence, but compared to my colleagues 5 -6 yr old G4 Ti powerbook, my intel machine does seem less reliable. I do seem to have to re-boot more than he does, but then I do fiddle around with settings and software and try things I've read about on Macrumors (for example), whereas he just makes collages in photoshop.

 

[shakastange]

Mine wasn't very. When it worked it did so brilliantly. But issues cropped up regularly. Dead motherboard. Faulty Screens etc. Now it is packed away in a corner awaiting a logic board replacement. Powerbook G4 DVI. Instead of fixing, I am waiting on the next round of iMacs. I may fix in the future as my windows laptop only has a PIII processor. And it runs Windows.

 

[FF_productions]

Every Mac I've owned over the years has been super reliable, which would include:
Performa
PowerMac G3
iMac G5
Dual G4 PowerMac MDD
PowerBook G4

and my MacBook Pro.

The lone PC that my family has owned for 5 years has had a bunch of problems including broken mouse, distorted display, 2 dead internal cd/dvd drives, a couple of BSODS, AND HP didn't include a Windows Xp re-install CD so when it crashed, we couldn't do nothing about it.

 

[dukeblue91]

I'm disappointed to say that my 24 iMac isn't as good as it should be and will probably be going in for service pretty soon.

Problems include; hanging up while shutting down, unable to delete files and folders because of some missing data (error code 36), hanging when importing photos into Aperture. All these indicate HDD issues, but the hardware test and a surface scan using techtools can find no errors or problems. I'm ringing Apple support tomorrow for more suggestions but i feel my machine is probably one of the few unreliable ones

Its a shame, its a lovely machine and I want it for many years to come.

Cheers

Steve

Steve
If you haven't already you should either reinstall OSX or get your hands on TechTool Pro or DiskWarrior.
This should fix most if not all of your problems.
Good luck!

 

[dukeblue91]

Hello again - 14 posts in half an hour - this place is busy

Just thought i'd fill you in on the backstory

Bought the mac in sept06 and it would crash (beachball spinning and just hanging) and i would have to hard reset the mac every so often from when i bought it! i thought i had done something to the settings or OS so i tried to diagnosis it myself, i tried all of my peripherals in a different port and with EVERYTHING unplugged even the network but it still crashed so i archive and reinstalled osx - still no better so it went back to the shop, i got it to crash at the genius bar just by using it normally, on an external HD with a completley different OS than mine on it. they kept it for 3 days and couldn't find anything wrong with it. They suggested i reinstall the OS from Scratch so i did that and i only put essential music stuff on it (that's what i bought it for) and it is still crashing - it even crashed half way through typing this! i have had to do this on my windows PC - something is wrong, and i was just wondering if it had anything to do with intel and tiger

sorry for the rant but i just want a mac that works!

cheers for the replies - Dan

Dan,
If you have done all the stuff you said you did, one could only think that you are having a Ram problem.
If you did or had installed any extra ram I would take that out and try again.
Good luck!

PS.
All but a G3 iBook which had a few logic-board problems and got replaced with a shiny new G4 iBook by Apple, all my systems have been 99% rock solid.
I run 3 Mac's at all times for 24/7 and only restart for updates.

 

[SuperCompu2]

My PowerMac's been rock solid, as well as my PowerBook (funny, i bought it supposedly dead and it worked perfectly upon arrival and has ever since). The only problem I have ever had was with an iMac G3, which will not start up or some strange reason I could not figure out.

It's been unplugged for weeks, might as well give it a shot out of sheer boredom.

 

[superleccy]

My iBook G4 (see sig) has been rock solid for two years and four months. It's a real trooper, and it's as fast as it was (or faster) when it was new. I've never had to re-install the OS, and hell, up until the Quicktime Update a few days ago, I hadn't rebooted it for a couple of months. Sure I've had odd problems here and there but I've always found a solution on the Apple website or (usually) this forum.

I had a BT mighty mouse die on me once, but otherwise all the Apple kit I've used has been totally reliable.

SL

 

[Kingsly]

How Reliable is your Mac??

Like a well maintained 1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TD... on steroids.


Basically: Reliable. Really, really reliable.