just got a new MBA from the Genius Bar

[xerenthar]

phenomenal. this is why apple breeds customer loyalty.

i took my MBA (rev A, as if it needed to be said) in today as the sound was intermittent at best - oftentimes showing no output devices. he said it was a known issue and he'd get it replaced at the depot. i expressed hesitation about shipping it out, as i use this thing constantly. after a bit of a chat about the MBA rev A, he said he'd authorize a 'tier 4' repair, which would fix everything cosmetic as well. i then told him i've had the logic board replaced for overheating/kernel shutdown issues, and it was fine initially, but the same crap is happening again.

i asked if applecare had a thing where i could upgrade to the new MBA or even an MBP - even if i had to pay for it - because this thing is a POS. i told him my long sad story about the MBA, and he checked my repair history and saw that this indeed would be repair #4 in a year. he told me to call applecare and tell them what i told him, and that i wanted a new computer, and may end up buying a pc. eventually his manager came over and just said we'll give you a new MBA today in store.

what makes it better is that because the original MBA was 1799, i got the SSD rev C since it's currently 1799.

this is exactly WHY apple has such dedicated fans. <3

 

[thinkdesign2]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11) Sprint PPC6850SP)

All's well that ends well... but before that, they did put you through hell.

Is your anecdote typical, or atypical?
Horror stories abound, too... such as people being charged a thousand bucks because their Air's hinges broke. We don't even know if the % of buyers whose warrnty was honored for the hinge thing, went up or down after it eventually became a recognised problem.

The relevant info would be -- what % of Mac buyers have problems, and how many of those problems get fixed and stay fixed the first time around? Some magazines DO report on those stats, and Apple does tend to come in #1 (or occasionally #2) in those surveys.

But when you're selling something for a price that's substantially higher than the competition... IMHO you shouldn't in effect use your customers as "testers". IMHO Apple in Calif. should open every box, and test each unit before selling it.

 

[Disavowed]

Well???????

Dude, get on it. Give us a review of what you think and the differences. Given that you used the machine everyday, I am sure you are in a great position to shed light on some of the more immediate differences in real like applications and experience.

 

[gwsat]

phenomenal. this is why apple breeds customer loyalty.

i took my MBA (rev A, as if it needed to be said) in today as the sound was intermittent at best - oftentimes showing no output devices. he said it was a known issue and he'd get it replaced at the depot. i expressed hesitation about shipping it out, as i use this thing constantly. after a bit of a chat about the MBA rev A, he said he'd authorize a 'tier 4' repair, which would fix everything cosmetic as well. i then told him i've had the logic board replaced for overheating/kernel shutdown issues, and it was fine initially, but the same crap is happening again.

i asked if applecare had a thing where i could upgrade to the new MBA or even an MBP - even if i had to pay for it - because this thing is a POS. i told him my long sad story about the MBA, and he checked my repair history and saw that this indeed would be repair #4 in a year. he told me to call applecare and tell them what i told him, and that i wanted a new computer, and may end up buying a pc. eventually his manager came over and just said we'll give you a new MBA today in store.

what makes it better is that because the original MBA was 1799, i got the SSD rev C since it's currently 1799.

this is exactly WHY apple has such dedicated fans. <3

I saw your post not 15 minutes after I was thinking that a large part of my loyalty to the Apple brand for the past 7 years has been its customer service. I've never been given a new computer to replace a trouble prone one but that's because I have never had a Mac that had much trouble, which is better.

 

[gimmi80]

I saw your post not 15 minutes after I was thinking that a large part of my loyalty to the Apple brand for the past 7 years has been its customer service. I've never been given a new computer to replace a trouble prone one but that's because I have never had a Mac that had much trouble, which is better.

Apple Customer care is great!

I'm happy for your new computer! The rev C is a great machine, I still don't know why I sold mine.

 

[xerenthar]

first impressions are that it's night and day. i can have iTunes open while also using the Internet. i can watch YouTube at all. i watched a Silverlight video on netflix while using adium without having to prop up my mac on a portable hard drive, periodically holding it in front of my a/c vent.

it's amazing.

 

[voicegy]

...eventually his manager came over and just said we'll give you a new MBA today in store...

Ah...well, there you go. See kids? They're GIVING these away to clear for the new revision, coming soon!

 

[joegomolski]

I have also been impressed by Apple's Customer Care, I have had, a replaced, Mac Pro upgraded to 8 core, and several iPhones.
Note if product is out of warranty, Apple will honor extended warranty only if you have an Apple Care agreement.

 

[gwsat]

Ah...well, there you go. See kids? They're GIVING these away to clear for the new revision, coming soon!

I'll tell you how cynical I have become over the absence of an MBA update. Today, Tuesday, I didn't even check Apple's Web site until this afternoon. It was the first Tuesday in months that I didn't check it first thing.

 

[soph]

I'll tell you how cynical I have become over the absence of an MBA update. Today, Tuesday, I didn't even check Apple's Web site until this afternoon. It was the first Tuesday in months that I didn't check it first thing.

I've considered this week quite improbable, and indeed only checked quite late, too.

I come to think it's also a marketing decision.
Many of those who've been waiting for the updated MBA are migrating over to MBP 13 or actually getting a current MBA (which I'm seriously contemplating now). Only some will defect to Sony or Dell.
And in a few months when the new beauty will be out we'll run out to get it (at least I see myself doing it). Double revenue.

I've told myself to wait another two weeks (more, if a new iMac surfaces in the meantime). Then I'll finally evaluate between the MBA and the Sony Vaio Z.

 

[daze]

Apple Customer care is great!

I'm happy for your new computer! The rev C is a great machine, I still don't know why I sold mine.

Apple's customer care is awesome. Most Apple fans won't realize how good it is till they buy an Acer or equivalent and try to get even a well known hardware defect fixed. I know, because I tried to get a rattly fan in a brand new Acer laptop replaced the day I bought it.