I'm bringing my MBP in for repair tomorrow - help please.

[thegreatluke]

Okay, so I'm a bit PO'd about my MBP. It's been kinda buggy and it's had two kernel panics so far, so I did a hardware test. The test told me my logic board was fried - great. I also have quite a number of other problems with it, including the screen, the keyboard, the hinge, the RAM slot underneath (dented), the actual MagSafe cord (not the slot), the casing ("pops" on the left hand corner), the hard drive (it "moos"), the screen whine, it has the CPU whine, and it's VERY hot. (It can burn bare legs if used for more than a couple minutes at full temp!) I know the Geniuses are supposed to not care about heat, but I'll be mentioning everything else. It also has a problem where, occasionally, after opening the laptop up from sleep, it refuses to ask for a password and just remains black, prompting me to restart using the power button.

I'm taking it in tomorrow and I'm praying, just praying, that they'll let me trade it in for a 20" iMac with 256 MB of graphics memory. Has anybody had any luck with that?

Does anybody also have any experience with the Geniuses at the King of Prussia mall in PA? (I've been told the main guy's a bit "deaf" towards MBP buzzing, but I'd like some more opinions.)

Is there anything I should say to be more persuasive? I have a plan to kind of hint that if I could get my MBP replaced I'd be buying an iMac that very minute; they'd be kind of interested more because they get the commission. I'm not going to make a fuss, I just plan to be polite, but firm. Is it better to say the computer "buzzes" or "whines?"

About the iMac - does anybody know if the iMac's thermal grease was improperly applied like the 'Books? Does the iMac get warm? Does it get loud ever? Any major problems with iMacs recently?

Thanks for reading and wish me luck!

Edit- I have one more question. My hard drive makes a "taptaptap kind of sound. Is it normal for this sound/feeling when a hard drive is being accessed? I can feel it too if my hand is above the hard drive while it's being accessed. It kind of reminds me of older computers which had that taptaptap noise.

 

[thegreatluke]

Help? I need the answers by tomorrow and I'm sure most people could answer at least a couple questions...

 

[ackzot]

Sigh, I spent quite a bit of time writing a response just to have the forum lose it.

I'm not going to retype it. I'll just focus it down.

1) Focus on the kernel panics and hardware test.
2) Ask nicely - the very worse you'll get another MBP or have your MBP serviced.
3) I have a refurbished iMac 20" and it works well. Only annoying thing is a popping sound from the internal speakers when it wakes up from sleep (happens a few min later). According to Apple forums, I think its the DA converters turning on.

Good luck.

 

[thegreatluke]

Thanks! At least I can get one response

I'm leaving in an hour. Luckily, the backup worked correctly. I'm leaving early so I can play with the new MacBooks, see the new 17" MBP and play with the new Mac minis. (Haven't seen those in person... yet.)

Even if I get it replaced, it's no risk. I wouldn't mind that either, if it didn't get too hot and it didn't WHINE. I have pretty much the hottest and the buzzingest MBP revision, so all I can get is the same or better.

I don't do refurbished because I get discounts, but we'll see. I believe they have 20" iMacs with 256 MB graphics memory in stock. Hopefully they'll have some at my store.