Intel mini wont switch on

[miniConvert]

Well, as you know I'm having problems with my mini and in a week or two it'll be replaced with a new one. Until then, however, I'm using it as-is.

Unfortunately tonight, while I was putting WoW back on it after the OS X reinstall a few days ago, it powered off right infront of me and now refuses to switch back on. The plug hasn't fused because when I put the cable in and out of the power brick you can hear that crackling noise that such a connection makes.

I'm starting to wonder if Apple's hardware and software is really all it's made out to be. Yes, the box is definitely a lemon, but at the moment I'm very underwhelmed.

The main problem, however, is that it has one of my WoW CD's in it still! Anyone have any idea how I can get the damn thing out before I return it to Apple? Even better, any suggestions for making my mini power up again or finding out what's wrong?

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Apples quality has gone down since they started making everything in China. Made in China used to mean something. Anyways as a Mac user you arent suppose to game, didnt you know? Holding down the mouse while restarting but since you dont seem to have power?? needle nose pliers and a hard yank? sorry

 

[ssj300]

well obviously.


your mac mini broke down because
chuck norris doesn't want you to play wow on a mac
especially one with integrated video...


u shud be ashamed of urself, go buy a leveno, its made in china

 

[miniConvert]

Grr Thanks, I guess

Re: Quality, well, my CD drive was very noisy, iTunes regularly crashed and wouldn't come back until after a restart, and I'd started having problems tonight where the mouse would move with a delay and very slowly and typing on the keyboard would resuuuuult inn woooords like thiiis. That's in addition to the kernel panics and airport issues.

Making my Dell's and Windows XP look very favourable, I must say.

 

[munkees]

miniConvert I feel for you. You sould but a call into Apple about how to retieve that wow cd before it is sent back to be replace.

I am sad to here that your first Mac is a lemon. In the normal run of things, it would not happen as much, but the Mac mini is new, with new parts and bug will slip in. This happens on every system. I run an IT department for a 240+ group of people in the Army. We use Dells, I have many a new dell with in a week, have HD failures, memory problems and DVD/CD drive bum out.

Once you get you system up and running I will say you shall smile like you never smiled before. I remember my first Mac an iBook G3 500 (wife had Mac All her life, I had lots of Sun Workstations), I could not get over how pleasurable the system was in look and feel. It inspired me and made me much more creative. The other UI are ugly. Over the years as I dive deeper into the OS, develop apps and scripts I see how well the software is really integrated. Then I swing over to the windows world, and deal with the lack of ingratetion. It amazes me the design behind every detail is thought out, and not just a quick, or acceptable for use hack like so many other system.

Good luck and hope your expiences grow.

I have an iMac DC intel 20" and it been great upto now. I will be purchasing a Mac Mini fully load and another iMac 20" Intel fully loaded in the next few months (we I relocate back to the USA).

 

[miniConvert]

Thank you munkees, that's what I needed to hear

 

[mrichmon]

Grr Thanks, I guess

Re: Quality, well, my CD drive was very noisy, iTunes regularly crashed and wouldn't come back until after a restart, and I'd started having problems tonight where the mouse would move with a delay and very slowly and typing on the keyboard would resuuuuult inn woooords like thiiis. That's in addition to the kernel panics and airport issues.

Making my Dell's and Windows XP look very favourable, I must say.

Yeah, that sounds like a significant hardware fault.

Try following the steps to reset the PMU so you can get the thing to power up and eject your CD before returning it. You don't need to be able to boot the machine, just power it on while holding down the mouse button.

 

[miniConvert]

Thanks mrichmon for that helpful suggestion.

I was hopeful, but unfortunately following the steps to reset the PMU hasn't made a difference.

I'll call up Applecare tomorrow and see if there's any other way to get the CD back. I wonder if they'd replace WoW for me :\

 

[Shadow]

Man, thats really unlucky. Im thinking about getting an intelBook, but now I'm not so sure. On the other hand, I havt read a bad review for a modern-day Mac, and this is the first hardware fault I've heard of.

Good luck getting the CD out, but I know there is a way to get it out without turning it on, tis somewhere on the Apple support website under iBook.

 

[miniConvert]

I found the support document for tray loaded drives (like it takes a genius to eject those), and the bit in the iBook manual that talks about holding down the trackpad button while switching on the computer but unfortunately that's not possible as I have no power at all

If you remember anything else though, give me a shout! Cheers for the help!

 

[MIDI_EVIL]

Sorry to hear about your experience, but i'm sure it's just because of the switch and if Apple are replacing then you can't argue with that (even though it shouldn't have happened in the first place)

Onto your problem, on the iMac G3 slot loaders, on the far right of the slot there lives a tiny wee button just behind the gray material. I had a Panther disk jam inside and used a safety pin to eject, by poking the button on the far right of the slot (about 2mm in from the right side of the slot). Try plugging the power lead into the mini, and fiddle around with a safety pin. If you look close enough there might even be a small hole showing you where the button is. There is on an iMac G3 anyway. Surely they kept this idea?

Good luck !!

Rich.

 

[miniConvert]

Is there a visible hole like this? http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58465

There doesn't seem to be any obvious place to insert the paperclip on the Mac mini, plus the unit doesn't seem to have any power which all the eject instructions seem to require.

Seems like a bit of a crazy design :\ I'll talk to Applecare tomorrow but I can see me ending up having to buy a new copy of WoW

Thanks for the suggestion, don't give up folks!

 

[MIDI_EVIL]

Yeah it would have been like that. Hmmm, that's a shame because that button is very useful.

Apple should send you the CD back, surely!

Good luck with it all, don't lose faith in Apple products, all of mine have been flawless!

Rich.

Is there a visible hole like this? http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58465

There doesn't seem to be any obvious place to insert the paperclip on the Mac mini, plus the unit doesn't seem to have any power which all the eject instructions seem to require.

Seems like a bit of a crazy design :\ I'll talk to Applecare tomorrow but I can see me ending up having to buy a new copy of WoW

Thanks for the suggestion, don't give up folks!

 

[janey]

I heard something about there being a switch or some deal you can poke at by sticking a paper clip end into one edge of the slot load drive...not sure if this still works, but it's probably worth a Google?

If all else fails, you can get some tape and something thin and flat (business card) to poke around at it.

 

[miniConvert]

No joy

Well, it's gone. TNT collected it today. I put a letter inside asking for my CD back

My replacement hasn't even shipped yet *sobs uncontrollably*

 

[miniConvert]

Update:

GRRR!

The demand for the product you ordered has been higher than anticipated. We are shipping as quickly
as possible, but cannot meet the dispatch date we previously estimated for you. We now expect to dispatch
your order by 29.03.2006

We estimate that it will be delivered to your shipping address on or before 05.04.2006.

My mini died last Thursday and I was assured I was getting a priority replacement.

Do I:
Try and cancel the Mac mini and it's Applecare - they have their mini back anyway! I can then re-order and still have my 14 day period to cancel and return for any reason if I get another lemon. There were other items in the original order, ie Soundsticks, that I do not want to cancel/return.
Wait it out - despite my 'priority replacement' taking much longer than it took to get mini No.1 and me being left with no extra legal rights to cancel.

All input appreciated.

Edit: Cancelled! Screw them. I'll get a Rev. B