May you be cursed Apple. [update]

[evp]

[update]

Was on phone with Apple for about half an hour after they failed to inform any progress after 48 hours as they promised. I asked them to stick a 7300GT in it and send me a x1900 xt later. They agreed. I get to keep the 7300gt, the guy on the phone said. But of course they didn't give this information to the company fixing the mac. Great. I'm not departing with my free GPU without a fight... But at least I'm writing on my MP now. ::sigh::

[/update]


This summer my iMac died. Poof. From "working like new" to "power button does nothing" in one day. It was already over 3 years old so I wasn't going to spend a fortune fixing it. Ordered mac pro as they were unveiled thinking these "pro" machines are the real deal. Last forever.

Yes, it did last forever...to get one. Waiting 5 weeks for x1900 almost made me freak out completely. When I finally got my 30kg of computing goodness everything seemed fine for a day or two. Then I found out that any game was rendered unplayable by random crashing and puting my mac to sleep caused a picasso like rendering of aqua on wake-up. And a crash 5 minutes later.

Was in middle of a programming course so I couldn't even send my mac for repairs. Well, after "using" my MP for a month or so...I finally got a break to send it to care. Was given an estimate of three days. One for diagnosis, one for ordering the part, one for installing. After five days I called.

The broken part by their estimates is....surprise surprise.... the x1900xt and the ETD for the part from Apple...this is the fun one....I mean...please...shoot me....NOW.. ITS JANUARY 1st 2010!!!1

Ok it's not as dimm as it seems. It doesn't mean, as you figured already, that it would ship in 3+ years. Na, it's indication that "Apple has NO frigging CLUE when it ships". They don't have one and they don't know when they get one.

So, the MP was unveiled almost three months ago and I've thus far been using it for 1 moth with a broken graphics card after paying full money on the day one (wire transfer, no credit card). And I have no estimate as to when I'll even get it back.

GO APPLE....

 

[killmoms]

Sucks. Looks like you should've just bought a PC 512MB Radeon X1900XT or XTX and flashed it to the Mac firmware. Would've been faster, though, not free. :/

 

[Lord Blackadder]

That sucks...it's a pain to get the big Radeon as it is, and not having them available retail makes it hard to get another.

Like killmoms said, you can flash a PC Radeon X1900XT 512MB with the Mac card's firmware (available at the Strangedogs forum). It can be done with no hardware mods. The only downside to that is the card will only work with Mac OS X.

EDIT - Tell them you need your computer back asap - maybe they can give you a Quadro instead if they don't have any X1900XTs laying around!

 

[Demon Hunter]

Not really Apple's fault... that's a risk you take with custom orders.

 

[Transeau]

I don't agree with that.
Even crap companies like Dell keep a certain number of parts for warranty replacement. Apple should have a nice stock (maybe 1% of the total ordered?) It's just assumed that you WILL have failures. I'm not sure why Apple would NOT do this.

 

[mrgreen4242]

Not really Apple's fault... that's a risk you take with custom orders.

Worst excuse ever. Sure if something goes wrong with the hardware, that's not really Apples fault, they have suppliers just like everyone else. However not being able to repair or replace the faulty part in a reasonable time is thier fault. Call them up and get a refund of the extra you paid for the GPU plus a nice extra for your trouble like a new shuffle or something, have them toss a stock card in, take the cash and get your own upgraded card.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

The thing is, they should at least have enough X1900XTs and Quadros to cover warranty repairs - but Apple seems to always have big supply problems with its BTO video cards, it's been that way since the GeForce 4ti. Way expensive and hard to find. Just ask anyone who owns one of the PCIe G5s.

Apple really needs to do a deal with XFX, Sapphire or another GPU board manufacturer and get video cards on the retail market so we don't have to go through Apple every time we want to upgrade/replace a video card. Even if they only offered one or two models it would be a huge improvement.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

i think you need to call in, get a repair supervisor rep, bitch, and hopefully it will speed up. tell them you are in computer school and need it for a class.

at the very least they ought to give you a free lower end card to use while you wait, then send that card in when the new replacement card comes.

this shouldnt be so frustrating

 

[Transeau]

I like my way best... go to the top.

Call Apple's corp office in CA. Ask for Steve Job's fax number. (Yes, they WILL give it to you) Write a letter about that has happened. Don't lie about anything, because the tech keep very good notes and the calls are recorded.
Give as much detail as possible. Include your order number, full name, address, phone number and email address. Then fax it to Steve.

You WILL receive a phone call within a week. And they WILL get it worked out for you. I've done this twice. (Once with a noisy MacBook Pro 15" and once with a MacBook Pro 17" with a floppy screen) Both times I received a new notebook within a week.

Oh yeah, don't be rude in the letter. The more professional you are, the more helpful Apple will be.

 

[evp]

Thanks for support...needed to release some pressure. Geez.

After calling Apple on the issue, they told me that they have the same January 1st 2010 in their system. Great. And he again explained that this means it will arrive..some day, or perhaps a month after that. Great.

He did put an "application of priority" on my case. Which for some twisted reason needs to be cleared in the United States, while I'm in Finland. This process takes about 48 hours he told me. Great. And after that...what?...they "find" a card they didn't have? They rip it from a CTO MP and send it to the customer without one?

So, 48 hours + still a random time. Doesn't look too promising.

And while he was making this application or whatever he told that in some cases when they don't get a part in decent time, they will replace the whole system. Yippee, so 48h + "decent time" (january 2010 starts to sound decent) + shipping of new MP. And yes, my HDs are in that computer so you better send them to me aswell.

I can't comprehend how they don't have any x1900s while a DIY kit for x1900xt ships in 24 hours. I mean WTH? How about you don't waste 48 hours on some urgency application and just ship one of those kits.

PS When I first called Apple on the problems I was encountering the support person told me this was the first case he has ever heard of concearning MP graphics. So it seems they never had any cards in stock for repairs, since the first one would have been mine.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

BTO Macs with X1900XTs are arriving from Asia as fast as they can build them, but X1900XT replacement cards are probably trickling out so as not to interrupt the flow of new Mac Pros - with the result that it is easier to get a whole Mac Pro + X1900XT than the video card by itself.

Try Transeau's method and send Steve a fax - can't hurt right?

 

[California]

It happens. My Powerbook G4 first revision's hard drive broke a few months before Applecare ran out. Got a new hard drive, lost my info. Then I personally was on the phone with Apple trying to upgrade memory for the first time in my life on same machine, and I broke the ram holder. Apple sent me a new logic board, broken on the last day of Applecare warranty. I love Apple. I break your curse on Apple in Christ's name!

 

[evp]

It happens. My Powerbook G4 first revision's hard drive broke a few months before Applecare ran out. Got a new hard drive, lost my info. Then I personally was on the phone with Apple trying to upgrade memory for the first time in my life on same machine, and I broke the ram holder. Apple sent me a new logic board, broken on the last day of Applecare warranty. I love Apple. I break your curse on Apple in Christ's name!

Well good thing no HDs were harmed in the making of this topic.

And grrr.. It wasn't my clumsy hands that broke the x1900xt

 

[Demon Hunter]

I like my way best... go to the top.

Call Apple's corp office in CA. Ask for Steve Job's fax number. (Yes, they WILL give it to you) Write a letter about that has happened. Don't lie about anything, because the tech keep very good notes and the calls are recorded.
Give as much detail as possible. Include your order number, full name, address, phone number and email address. Then fax it to Steve.

You WILL receive a phone call within a week. And they WILL get it worked out for you. I've done this twice. (Once with a noisy MacBook Pro 15" and once with a MacBook Pro 17" with a floppy screen) Both times I received a new notebook within a week.

Oh yeah, don't be rude in the letter. The more professional you are, the more helpful Apple will be.

Are you ****ing serious? I doubt Steve reads anything of the kind, he probably has an army of secretaries. Frankly, I'm surprised you got a response at all for those "issues."

And what's with people demanding shuffles, free graphics cards, etc.? Apple's a business not a charity.

More power to you I guess.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Of course Steve doesn't read it. But it's like a letter to Santa Claus - the right people get the message.

 

[Demon Hunter]

Of course Steve doesn't read it. But it's like a letter to Santa Claus - the right people get the message.

Fair enough.

 

[MRU]

But apple are showing X1900 upgrade kits shipping in 24 hours


ATI Radeon X1900 XT Graphics Upgrade Kit for Mac Pro
Part Number: MA631
Ready to ship: 24hrs

 

[Transeau]

Are you ****ing serious? I doubt Steve reads anything of the kind, he probably has an army of secretaries. Frankly, I'm surprised you got a response at all for those "issues."

And what's with people demanding shuffles, free graphics cards, etc.? Apple's a business not a charity.

More power to you I guess.

Um, I'm sorry? Where did I say that I asked for ANYTHING free?
I asked for a properly working notebook. I paid $2500 for the 15" and $2900 for the 17" and I demanded that they be in good working order. I never once said that I demanded a Shuffle, video or anything.

No, steve DOES NOT read them. But someone does, and they DO respond. Frankly, I could care less if are surprised or not. The bottom line is that Apple did in fact correct the issues that the Apple Store and AppleCare could not and would not deal with.

The 15" was VERY loud and VERY hot and had distorted sound. 3 issues that the didn't feel were serious enough to deal with. The 17" LCD would not stay up if you moved the notebook.

Both were replaced within 2 week of the Apple receiving the fax.

 

[Transeau]

Reading that post made me realize how many morons are out there.

Please People... if you have a problem CALL APPLECARE FIRST!!!! DO NOT jump directly to writing a letter! Only do this when all else has failed. I didn't post what I did to make everyone write letters to Steve because there MacBook got scratched when they dropped it, or something stupid like that. You should only do this if AppleCare and the Apple Stores have not been able to or willing to help with a real issue.

 

[Transeau]

And what's with people demanding shuffles, free graphics cards, etc.? Apple's a business not a charity.

Requesting a replacement card while waiting an unknown time IS NOT unreasonable.

VW gave me a nice Passat while my Bora was in for service for 4 days.
I think Apple can afford a $150 loner video card, if VW can afford a $27,000 loner car.

 

[lmalave]

Not really Apple's fault... that's a risk you take with custom orders.

WHAT????????????

Sorry to rag on you, dude, but that's maybe the sorriest example of Mac Fanboyism I've ever read on these boards.

You're saying Apple isn't responsible for a defect in a component that it provides as a configuration option on its own Apple Store? It's not like this is a 3rd party installation!! This is an option provide *by* Apple!! Apple is responsible for: 1) making sure its suppliers aren't providing it with faulty parts, and 2) making sure it stocks enough components to repair the computers as per the terms of the warranty.

I would say to read the warranty terms carefully and do some research. I have to believe there is a minimum level of service. I don't think "yeah, your computer is under warranty, but it will take an indefinite amount of time to fix it because we don't have the parts" is an acceptable answer. I really believe Apple is financially liable here. Apple needs to be able to guarantee a fix within a bounded period of time, otherwise the warranty is worthless!!!

 

[MRU]

^ Yeah I agree somewhat with that

Originally Posted by Demon Hunter
Not really Apple's fault... that's a risk you take with custom orders.

Tell that to the people who receive stock mac products that are faulity or DOA

--

There is as much risk of fault with a CTO mac as stock, the op just went a bit arse over tit in the way he went to resolve his problem.

After Sales Support and speak to a supervisior - it always gets you what you want.

 

[dkoralek]

Of course Steve doesn't read it. But it's like a letter to Santa Claus - the right people get the message.

I agree completely. I had a similar issue with Dell where my power supplies were going about every six months. Customer service was completely unhelpful (the computer was out of warranty and they gladly offerred to sell me a new power supply at $50 a pop). I figured that I gave them ample opportunity to offer to send me one for free (rather than being forced to replace the logic board, which seemed to be the root of the problem). I mailed a letter to both customer service and Michael Dell where I stated that I had sensitive material I could not recover and that I either buy or recommend purchases on hardware multiple times a year and would never recommend buying a Dell). Within a week I had a call from a higher up in customer service about how could they help me, a new supply was on the way, etc. Sure, Michael Dell never came close to seeing the letter, but it got people moving. And what is the downside, really? At worst you waste 5-10 minutes of your day, the cost of a stamp or a fax...

Cheers.

 

[dkoralek]

^ Yeah I agree somewhat with that



Tell that to the people who receive stock mac products that are faulity or DOA

--
want.

Not that I think it is reasonable to not stock spares on cto options, I think the issue is that you are at a bigger risk of not having spares on parts that aren't common, such as the video card upgrades for a mac pro. And I would expect that this is true. You could probably expect a much faster turn around if you needed to replace your 250gig sata drive than an x1900 video card.

Cheers.

 

[MRU]

Not that I think it is reasonable to not stock spares on cto options, I think the issue is that you are at a bigger risk of not having spares on parts that aren't common, such as the video card upgrades for a mac pro. And I would expect that this is true. You could probably expect a much faster turn around if you needed to replace your 250gig sata drive than an x1900 video card.

Cheers.

True I guess, and knowing the beaurocracy that goes on it would probably mean ordering an X1900 specifically for it to be fitted by a repair center, as they are probably not allowed to use a X1900XT from the upgrade kit, even if they have them in stock..