I'll try to keep this as short as possible - 22 months ago I bought a maxed out 20" iMac G5 - I ended up being without it for 2+ months due to a total of three hardware failures only to have it come back from the 3rd repair with two new issues. (dead hard drive, and damaged screen) Enough was enough, and I demanded a new machine - I had lost all confidence in the Rev.A iMacs, and asked for a different machine. I was compensated by being upgraded to a 17" Powerbook G4.
First Powerbook was returned, as it had a big scratch on it, and I got a 2GB RAM upgrade thrown in as additional compensation. (if I remember correctly - due to the time it had all taken, I had lost some work, as I had been hoping to do some web design for some local businesses) A couple of weeks later, the headphone jack died, so I was without the machine for another week while that was sorted.
On the 5th of July, my Powerbook started making a buzzing noise from behind the keyboard, and the screen was much duller than before.
In repair for two weeks, issues not fixed, and it came back scratched below the keyboard.
Went back the next week to have the issues looked at again and have the top plate replaced. Was without it for another month and a half, constantly being told that they were "waiting for parts" and I got it back on the 5th of September. (two days ago) It was still buzzing, although the top plate had been replaced, and according to the paperwork, just about everything inside had been swapped out too, other than the hard drive. The screen wasn't on the list, but it clearly had been, as there was now a bright green dead pixel, and it was up from 70cd/m2 when calibrated to 110cd/m2. However it also had terrible backlight bleeding, and the case had some new scratches on the outside:
So after a lot of complaining during this time (I'm disabled and pretty much stuck at home, so being without a machine for two months was a nightmare - I ended up using an old PC I fixed up, which was entirely unreliable and a couple of weeks back the mouse died, so it was all keyboard navigation) I finally got someone to agree to a replacement machine after all this, and was offered a 17" MacBook Pro as a replacement.
However, I've been finding this rather big now, and had been hoping I could get it swapped for goods of an equal value (£2600 at the time) and asked if I could get a white Macbook and 23" ACD... no go - they can only authorise one item, so it was a maxed 15" or 17" MBP.
Initially I said the 17" as previously with the Powerbooks, the 15" machines were quite cut down (iirc) and they don't look much smaller really, but after speaking with a friend, apparently there's a bigger difference in size than it looks on the website, and the only difference is now FW800, an extra USB, and Dual Layer burning, so I asked for that to be changed to 15"
Unlike the Powerbook, I've now been given paperwork to sign and date - it's got a full list of the configuration, and states: "This offer is valid until close of business Friday, 22 of September 2006 and represents the final resolution to the issue for which you have contacted us. To accept the offer, please print this document, sign it, and return it to me by fax (or email me a scanned version). Apple will deliver the replacement MacBook Pro 10 to 15 business days later to the following address:"
Now, I'm a bit worried, as I've been told by a friend that they're expected to be updated at Photokina on the 26th? If it just said a "full spec 15" MacBook Pro" or something, I wouldn't be bothered, but I get the feeling I'm going to miss out on something better. (personally, I'm not that keen on the MBP design with the drive being on the front (warping) ports split over both sides, no magnetic latch and so on - which is why I wanted a Macbook in the first place)
This happened with my Powerbook too - a few weeks after getting one that worked, Apple released ones with high res displays, DDR2 memory, faster drives and several other upgrades, which annoyed the hell out of me. I'm sure many of you know what that's like.
Should I accept this closer to the time (21st) and hope that I get an updated one if it takes 10-15 business days? (3 weeks) Should I hold out to the 26th and ask for another machine? (this offer is only valid until the 22nd, so they may just tell me they want to look at the Powerbook again?)
Should I just take now it and be happy with it? (easier said than done)
Sell it on and get the MB / ACD combo I really wanted? (not going to be easy if they just update them though)
First Powerbook was returned, as it had a big scratch on it, and I got a 2GB RAM upgrade thrown in as additional compensation. (if I remember correctly - due to the time it had all taken, I had lost some work, as I had been hoping to do some web design for some local businesses) A couple of weeks later, the headphone jack died, so I was without the machine for another week while that was sorted.
On the 5th of July, my Powerbook started making a buzzing noise from behind the keyboard, and the screen was much duller than before.
In repair for two weeks, issues not fixed, and it came back scratched below the keyboard.
Went back the next week to have the issues looked at again and have the top plate replaced. Was without it for another month and a half, constantly being told that they were "waiting for parts" and I got it back on the 5th of September. (two days ago) It was still buzzing, although the top plate had been replaced, and according to the paperwork, just about everything inside had been swapped out too, other than the hard drive. The screen wasn't on the list, but it clearly had been, as there was now a bright green dead pixel, and it was up from 70cd/m2 when calibrated to 110cd/m2. However it also had terrible backlight bleeding, and the case had some new scratches on the outside:
So after a lot of complaining during this time (I'm disabled and pretty much stuck at home, so being without a machine for two months was a nightmare - I ended up using an old PC I fixed up, which was entirely unreliable and a couple of weeks back the mouse died, so it was all keyboard navigation) I finally got someone to agree to a replacement machine after all this, and was offered a 17" MacBook Pro as a replacement.
However, I've been finding this rather big now, and had been hoping I could get it swapped for goods of an equal value (£2600 at the time) and asked if I could get a white Macbook and 23" ACD... no go - they can only authorise one item, so it was a maxed 15" or 17" MBP.
Initially I said the 17" as previously with the Powerbooks, the 15" machines were quite cut down (iirc) and they don't look much smaller really, but after speaking with a friend, apparently there's a bigger difference in size than it looks on the website, and the only difference is now FW800, an extra USB, and Dual Layer burning, so I asked for that to be changed to 15"
Unlike the Powerbook, I've now been given paperwork to sign and date - it's got a full list of the configuration, and states: "This offer is valid until close of business Friday, 22 of September 2006 and represents the final resolution to the issue for which you have contacted us. To accept the offer, please print this document, sign it, and return it to me by fax (or email me a scanned version). Apple will deliver the replacement MacBook Pro 10 to 15 business days later to the following address:"
Now, I'm a bit worried, as I've been told by a friend that they're expected to be updated at Photokina on the 26th? If it just said a "full spec 15" MacBook Pro" or something, I wouldn't be bothered, but I get the feeling I'm going to miss out on something better. (personally, I'm not that keen on the MBP design with the drive being on the front (warping) ports split over both sides, no magnetic latch and so on - which is why I wanted a Macbook in the first place)
This happened with my Powerbook too - a few weeks after getting one that worked, Apple released ones with high res displays, DDR2 memory, faster drives and several other upgrades, which annoyed the hell out of me. I'm sure many of you know what that's like.
Should I accept this closer to the time (21st) and hope that I get an updated one if it takes 10-15 business days? (3 weeks) Should I hold out to the 26th and ask for another machine? (this offer is only valid until the 22nd, so they may just tell me they want to look at the Powerbook again?)
Should I just take now it and be happy with it? (easier said than done)
Sell it on and get the MB / ACD combo I really wanted? (not going to be easy if they just update them though)
