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I'm Worried...

I

intempo808

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 7, 2007
191
0
Hey,
I've seen quite a few posts on here about people have to send MacBook's back to Apple and stuff like that because they are broken or have some sort of problem.

I'm hoping to by a MacBook in about a years time... but are they really unreliable?

It just seems that alot of people have had to get repairs or returns... :confused:

Thanks in advance!
 
intempo808 said:
I'm hoping to by a MacBook in about a years time... but are they really unreliable?
Click to expand...
The trouble is of course that there may well be a new revision of the MacBook out in a year's time, so we can't really predict if they'll be trouble free or not. For what it's worth, I picked my MacBook up before Christmas and have had no complaints with it at all so far.

But whatever the product, it's worth remembering that those who have problems or complaints are far more vocal than those who are perfectly happy with their purchases. People who have a MacBook in great condition aren't very likely to post about how they like their new laptop, they're off using and enjoying it without a second thought. ;)
 
intempo808 said:
Hey,
I've seen quite a few posts on here about people have to send MacBook's back to Apple and stuff like that because they are broken or have some sort of problem.

I'm hoping to by a MacBook in about a years time... but are they really unreliable?

It just seems that alot of people have had to get repairs or returns... :confused:

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Mostly like what Jaffa Cake says, you usually see people complain about stuff, and the very few who actually compliment a product are usually labeled as "fanboys" or bribed people.. So people with perfectly good machinery aren't going to open new threads to compliment their macs...
 
The problem (as Jaffa stated), is that the majority of MacBook users will encounter few problems with their machine. While there are some happy owners posting here (some may say too many :D), the majority of the posts made concerning MacBooks mention a problem. No idea what the percentage of failures are, but its got to be a pretty small figure. So don't worry, go ahead and get a MacBook. They're great!
 
These forums, bless them, aren't the best place to always gauge whether or not something is reliable or not. PEople, like myself, will come here to vent about issues they have. People dont' vent or scream about machines that do work.

These forums are a good place to see the TYPE of problems people are having, but of course places liek these are going to have a problem/no problem ratio disproportionately high compared out to the "real world".

I think the best way to sum it up is that Apple is no better or worse in terms of quality as compared to most tier-1 laptop vendors. WHere it gets dicey is that Apple charges more OUTRIGHT for their machine vs. the others. Yea, I know when you add software in, etc. it evens out, but the fact of the matter is that you can get a comparable MacBook-type machine without perhaps all the software gunk for 25-30% less. People (like me) pay the premium because it's #1 Apple, #2 OS X, and #3 we assume that higher cost means better customer service and quality. #1 and #2 are still valid, I dont' think #3 is anymore.
 
intempo808 said:
Hey,
I've seen quite a few posts on here about people have to send MacBook's back to Apple and stuff like that because they are broken or have some sort of problem.
Click to expand...

I'm putting my order in for a new MBP once Leopard gets released. I've been going through all these forums in the meantime to a) learn a little about the new machine I'm getting and b) see what the general problems reported with them are.

Just to reiterate what others have already said here; when people are happy, they're quiet, but when something goes wrong all hell breaks loose. You have to take what is being said in these forums with a grain of salt. Sure, there may be some big problems with one person's MB, or another person might just have absolutely terrible luck and get a complete dud, return it and get another lemon back from Apple. But you have to ask yourself, if every machine that Apple sold was returned, or the customers were that unhappy with them, then why are they one of the top companies in the world of computers?
 
cptpower said:
I'm putting my order in for a new MBP once Leopard gets released. I've been going through all these forums in the meantime to a) learn a little about the new machine I'm getting and b) see what the general problems reported with them are.

Just to reiterate what others have already said here; when people are happy, they're quiet, but when something goes wrong all hell breaks loose. You have to take what is being said in these forums with a grain of salt. Sure, there may be some big problems with one person's MB, or another person might just have absolutely terrible luck and get a complete dud, return it and get another lemon back from Apple. But you have to ask yourself, if every machine that Apple sold was returned, or the customers were that unhappy with them, then why are they one of the top companies in the world of computers?
Click to expand...

My recent issues with my MBP have told me that Apple is now no different from a quality standpoint than a Dell or HP. I've had both fantastic and lemon machines from all three now. If there are things about the OS or the company or the hardware you like, don't think twice go get the machine. Some people have great luck with support (most do), some don't. I must have done something to piss in my rep's Wheaties so I'm not getting the support I had anticipated being Apple, but regardles if my experience were truly the norm Apple would be in trouble. If my experience IS becoming the norm that Apple will be in trouble soon enough. Business has a way of working things out. I remember the day when everyone thought Microsoft would rule the world. Now we have the Zune, need I say more... ;)
 
BadgerMac said:
.
I think the best way to sum it up is that Apple is no better or worse in terms of quality as compared to most tier-1 laptop vendors. WHere it gets dicey is that Apple charges more OUTRIGHT for their machine vs. the others. Yea, I know when you add software in, etc. it evens out, but the fact of the matter is that you can get a comparable MacBook-type machine without perhaps all the software gunk for 25-30% less. People (like me) pay the premium because it's #1 Apple, #2 OS X, and #3 we assume that higher cost means better customer service and quality. #1 and #2 are still valid, I dont' think #3 is anymore.
Click to expand...

No. Compared to other "Tier-1" vendors, Apple's laptops are priced competitively.

Apple's laptops continually beat out rivals in customer satisfaction and quality time and again. Desktops are more average than not.

Forums are a poor guide to judge the quality of a product as they tend to be "problem magnets" and people tend to bitch rather than praise.
 
Hey, I was one of those people who believed these forums blew everything out of proportion. That's why I decided to order a MBP. I was sure it wouldn't have any problems. But sure enough, the second I turn the brand new baby on, I see the entire bottom of the screen was bright yellow. Later I noticed the screen was warped so it wouldn't close all the way, I kept getting tons of beachballing, and one time the screen just suddenly turned off, and other problems. I just sent it back today and will have to wait another three weeks to get my replacement (and of course that one may be defective too.) So, in all, if my replacement is good, it will have been 6 weeks between ordering and getting a good machine. Which is really not good at all. I know I probably just got unlucky, and the chances are low, but it just really sucks. I thought there was no way I would get a junky one, but sure enough...

It may be possible though that certain configurations of the machine can increase your chances of getting a bad one. That still needs to be determined (and probably never will be).

I will say though, that when I called Apple they admitted that it was a known problem, and they seemed to know what was going on. well, one of the people I talked to said this. has anyone noticed that every different agent you talk to at apple says something different??? I've talked to about 7 people in 3 different departments and each one give me different information, or asks me different questions. They seem to be nice people though, they just don't always know what's going on. Also, the hold music is TERRIBLE...
 
flopticalcube said:
No. Compared to other "Tier-1" vendors, Apple's laptops are priced competitively.

Apple's laptops continually beat out rivals in customer satisfaction and quality time and again. Desktops are more average than not.

Forums are a poor guide to judge the quality of a product as they tend to be "problem magnets" and people tend to bitch rather than praise.
Click to expand...

I think that's conventional wisdom but I just dont' see it - we can agree to disagree. I've done the research as a buyer for large quantities of equipment in a previous job, and in the PowerBook days you were right (even though people got caught up in the Mhz/Ghz Myth). These days the quality of the laptop just isnt' there like it was back then (minus the G3 iBook debacle and the 5300 issues). i saw first hand an increase in the number of issues with the MacTel laptops vs. the PPC laptops. IT's a new platform and it's goign to have growing pains of course, it doesnt' mean they can't right the ship.
 
theman said:
I will say though, that when I called Apple they admitted that it was a known problem, and they seemed to know what was going on. well, one of the people I talked to said this. has anyone noticed that every different agent you talk to at apple says something different??? I've talked to about 7 people in 3 different departments and each one give me different information, or asks me different questions. They seem to be nice people though, they just don't always know what's going on. Also, the hold music is TERRIBLE...
Click to expand...

You'll have that with a large company. They have standard operating procedures but we're all human so some will obviously tend towards handing out more info than they should than others.
 
BadgerMac said:
I think that's conventional wisdom but I just dont' see it - we can agree to disagree. I've done the research as a buyer for large quantities of equipment in a previous job, and in the PowerBook days you were right (even though people got caught up in the Mhz/Ghz Myth). These days the quality of the laptop just isnt' there like it was back then (minus the G3 iBook debacle and the 5300 issues). i saw first hand an increase in the number of issues with the MacTel laptops vs. the PPC laptops. IT's a new platform and it's goign to have growing pains of course, it doesnt' mean they can't right the ship.
Click to expand...

No. Mine is not anecdotal but factual. Having said that, things are slipping a bit for Apple but relatively, they are still the best.
 
flopticalcube said:
No. Mine is not anecdotal but factual. Having said that, things are slipping a bit for Apple but relatively, they are still the best.
Click to expand...

That's actually good info. The drop I imagine is concerning but if you think about it you're seeing a large influx of Mac users now. Apple will have to adapt. I cant' imagine a company like Apple maintaining the level they were if their user rolls increase like they do.
 
BadgerMac said:
That's actually good info. The drop I imagine is concerning but if you think about it you're seeing a large influx of Mac users now. Apple will have to adapt. I cant' imagine a company like Apple maintaining the level they were if their user rolls increase like they do.
Click to expand...

I think its due to teething problems in their new Chinese factories. Hopefully they will sort it out. The MacBook Pros seem to be taking the brunt of the faults at the moment but they are still fairly low compared to most other manufacturers.
 
intempo808 said:
I'm hoping to by a MacBook in about a years time... but are they really unreliable?
Click to expand...

In a years time? By then the issues people are having now will mostly like be fixed and there will be new issue then. There are always issues with ANY product from ANY company.

Are they reliable? I would say "Yes", my MB works GREAT, no problems. Apple as a whole is more reliable with their hardware. If you look at third party surveys you will see that Apple is always in the top three (a lot of the time first) for customer satisfaction and for product reliability.

The Stig
 
flopticalcube said:
I think its due to teething problems in their new Chinese factories. Hopefully they will sort it out. The MacBook Pros seem to be taking the brunt of the faults at the moment but they are still fairly low compared to most other manufacturers.
Click to expand...

I think part of it too is perhaps we have high standards based on past experience. Never had the issues I did with my PowerBooks (12 and 15") or even my G4 iBooks.
 
intempo808 said:
Hey, I've seen quite a few posts on here about people have to send MacBook's back to Apple and stuff like that because they are broken or have some sort of problem.
Click to expand...

Well, a few things...

Visiting a user forum (this or any other) will result in a lot of useful advice and a lot of complaints. It makes sense in a way. When you get a flat tire you never say how great the other three tires are.

That said, if I came here before I bought my MBP I might have had the same concerns. It seems like there are a lot of quality issues with Apple within the last year.

Personally, I'm running a little better than 50-50.

1st 80GB iPod, dead pixels. 2nd, perfect.
1st 4GB Nano, perfect.
1st 17" MBP, screen crooked, case deformed. 2nd MBP, perfect.

Frankly, those numbers aren't very good. :eek:

That said, now that I have a working model of each of the above products they are superior to Zunes, Dells or VAIOs... so I'm happy. :D
 
majordude said:
Well, a few things...

Visiting a user forum (this or any other) will result in a lot of useful advice and a lot of complaints. It makes sense in a way. When you get a flat tire you never say how great the other three tires are.

That said, if I came here before I bought my MBP I might have had the same concerns. It seems like there are a lot of quality issues with Apple within the last year.

Personally, I'm running a little better than 50-50.

1st 80GB iPod, dead pixels. 2nd, perfect.
1st 4GB Nano, perfect.
1st 17" MBP, screen crooked, case deformed. 2nd MBP, perfect.

Frankly, those numbers aren't very good. :eek:

That said, now that I have a working model of each of the above products they are superior to Zunes, Dells or VAIOs... so I'm happy. :D
Click to expand...

Similar luck:

1st Gen 15" MacBook Pro - went back optical drive issues and logic board replacement, now it runs like a top (gave it to the in-laws)

1st Gen MacBook - In for Optical Drive replacement, otherwise a rock

5G 60GB iPod No problems, just one periodically stick pixel

(2) 1st Gen Nanos - one screen issue and they replaced, otherwise nothing

5G 30GB U2 ipod for the wife: no problems

(2) 2nd Gen Nanos - No problems

2nd Gen Shuffle - Bad Dock, replaced, no other issues

new 3G Nano - no issues thus far (quite little thang!)

My 17" MacBook Pro - well documented ;)
 
I am doing pretty good:
1st mbp: was good, until it was stolen.
2nd mbp: touchpad was uneven- was replaced.
3rd mbp (replacement): works so far.

1st ipod (2g nano): works fine so far.
 
BadgerMac said:
My 17" MacBook Pro - well documented ;)
Click to expand...

Tee hee! :D

Really though, these are appalling yields for a manufacturer. Reminds me of Jaguar in the 90s. They had similar quality issues.

And, ironically, the next version of OSX is... JAGUAR. :eek:

(I'm still looking forward to it!)
 
majordude said:
Tee hee! :D

Really though, these are appalling yields for a manufacturer. Reminds me of Jaguar in the 90s. They had similar quality issues.

And, ironically, the next version of OSX is... JAGUAR. :eek:

(I'm still looking forward to it!)
Click to expand...

It's the next version Leopard? 10.2 was Jaguar LOL
 
Apple is a company that sells products for profit. Their main goal as an organisation is to earn profit. The only way to earn profit is to sell goods to consumers. Consumers are generally a very picky bunch of people. They have a short attention span, and a limited capacity for forgiveness. For example, if a web page doesn't load quickly, they move on. If a car regularly breaks down, they don't buy from that manufacturer again.

Almost every product on the market has a failure rate. For example, the failure rate of Microsoft's XBOX 360 Elite is apparently something like 33% (red ring phenomenon), while Sony's PS3 is about 0.2% (i read it on digg a few weeks ago). Apple has had a failure rate with its products as well.

If Apple's failure rate is as high as you claim it to be, do you honestly think they would still be moving units? Not only are they moving units, they are moving them at the highest rate ever!

If you really are concerned, buy a PC. You won't notice the problems there, because you'll be expecting them.
 
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