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Why Doesn't Apple Care? Seriously... what the hell, Apple?

J

jackmack

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 9, 2006
135
0
Venting part (scroll down for my question):
I recently got a new macbook pro... my old one gave out on me.

Almost everything is perfect about the machine... beautiful screen, beautiful speed, beautiful... everything.

But again... just like with my last macbook pro, Apple seems to always overlook the quality control with something.

This time its with the case or the footpads.

My mac, when opened or closed, on a flat surface will wobble. I'm not sure if the foot under the optical drive is slightly shorter than the others, or if the case is warped or something... but it wobbles when I type on it.

Is it hurting the system? Not that I can tell (although if its warped or soemthing, maybe).

But the biggest point is... it's like buying a new BMW and finding out the door doesn't quite shut flush... or the seat doesn't quite adjust right.

It's a minor (i hope) flaw that is just enough to make me pissed off because I should be able to just enjoy my mac... my expensive mac... I shouldn't be forced to now figure out a way to make it stop wobbling.

Part of me just wants to go back to apple and ask, "Why?"


Question part:
Venting aside..... is this serious? After googling and reading around, one post on a mac forum mentioned it could be a sign that something is not quite installed right inside the mac, causing it to warp or be uneven.

If it is just a wobble... I'll deal with it... but if it has the potential to mess up my mac or cause problems down the road, then I'll bite my lip and go back to the apple store.
 
Well, when I get home I'll measure them... but the thing is that from looking at them, they don't appear to be uneven, which means it would be the actual case that is a bit warped... so even replacing the feet (unless one is longer than the rest to make up for the warped case) will not fix the wobble.

It's fairly significant... the foot under the optical drive sits slightly more than the thickness of 2 credit cards off the surface of the table.

As I type this and the weight of my wrist wrests on it, it causes it to rock back and forth.

Extremely annoying and disappointing.

Apple simply doesn't care... there is no excuse for such lousy "quality" control.
 
I'm new to Apple so I don't know their policies very well, but I'd certainly take it in and have it looked at. Technically, isn't this a hardware problem? While it may not affect how the machine runs, the casing is hardware.
 
I think that's a bit harsh. You mentioned a number of things you approved of and that are apparently problem free. So, because one thing (which doesn't actually affect performance, annoying as it may be) is wrong, Apple somehow doesn't care?

That doesn't add up to me.
 
what did Apple do to suggest to you that they don't care about this issue?

why not try to replace the feet yourself? or take some measurements to see if it is the feet or actually the case? if the problem is the case, i think Apple should look into for you as it might be an indication of a bigger problem (i.e., something inside not set correctly). if the feet are just "off", my advice is fix them yourself and let it go.
 
I think that's a bit harsh. You mentioned a number of things you approved of and that are apparently problem free. So, because one thing (which doesn't actually affect performance, annoying as it may be) is wrong, Apple somehow doesn't care?

That doesn't add up to me.
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It's because I believe that true care is in the details... think about how easy it would be for them to check for something like this...which is a known defect if you google and see how many people get wobbly macs.

The reason it shows me they don't care is because I didn't pay money for a project... I paid money for a machine. I shouldn't need to "shave the pad", I shouldn't need to put a coaster (as I am now) under the corner of my mac to be able to type without issue.

Macs should be "no assembly required". And again... like comparing it with a BMW... when you purchase something that is supposed to be "top of the line", it should come with "top of the line" quality control.

So yes, its a beautiful machine, but Apple simply doesn't care when it comes to quality control. If they did, the chances of getting a mac like this one would be slim... yet this is the 2nd one I've had with the issue.

And just to further clarify... the space that the pad is off the flat surface is not as little as a piece of paper or two... I can easily slide 2 credit cards under it, and can almost slide 3.

what did Apple do to suggest to you that they don't care about this issue?

why not try to replace the feet yourself? or take some measurements to see if it is the feet or actually the case? if the problem is the case, i think Apple should look into for you as it might be an indication of a bigger problem (i.e., something inside not set correctly). if the feet are just "off", my advice is fix them yourself and let it go.
Click to expand...

It's what they didn't do that suggests they don't care. I'm not saying they don't care about *this* issue... I know they will work with me to correct it.

The problem is that it happened... again. I've had 2 macbook pros, and they always are 99% solid, but the 1% is in the quality control... warped cases, broken keys, lids that don't shut... etc.

Comparing this to my experience with well over 5 laptops I've owned over the years (ranging from IBM to Toshiba, etc.), as well as working in a store years ago where I had to sell laptops... I never experienced similar flaws... ever.

I understand it has a lot to do with Apple's choice of casing (metal instead of plastic)... but that doesn't excuse it. They should figure out how to perfect it, or have a system in place to do extra quality control before the laptop is sent to the consumer.

As for fixing the feet myself... I shouldn't have to... but I would if I could. The issue is that, again, we are not talking about a small wobble... its the thickness of almost 3 credit cards... and from what I can see, all the feet look the same (and it would be fairly simple to notice one being so much shorter).

It looks as if the case is warped/twisted... which could have *easily* been checked for *before* it left China... if apple *cared* enough to do proper quality control.

Literally... it would have been as easy as having 1 extra Chinese guy at the end of the line poking closed laptops with his finger... 1 poke and you can see that something isn't right. There's simply no excuse, and no quality control.

Maybe your surface is warped... Try sitting the MBP on a piece of glass and see if you have the same problem. If it were me, I would just add a dab of shoegoo to the high "foot" and fix it that way.
Click to expand...

This is why there are 2 types of mac customers... those whom are customers of Apple... and those whom are members of the Church of Apple...

Do you *honestly* think it is acceptable to have to resort to "shoegoo" on a $3,000+ machine to fix it from wabbling?

If I was on a desert island, or in the middle of nowhere, and had no choice... then of course this wobble wouldn't stop me from using the machine. The issue is that it is a big inconvenience... it's like sitting at a wabbly table trying to do your work... or on a wabbly chair... or even if your keyboard was wabbly. I shouldn't need to put up with it, nor should I need to find ways to fix it myself.

I'm literally at work right now with a coaster under my laptop.

Think about that for a minute.

I have what many would consider one of the finest laptops ever built... a MacBook Pro 17", LED backlit, Santa Rosa, amazing machine. So much power, yet... I am using a coaster to keep it from rocking back and forth.

You don't see a problem with that?
 
You can't expect to get $3000 quality from a $3000 laptop--not when you're buying one from Apple. Much of what you pay goes toward marketing, not toward building sturdy machines. You're basically paying for $1500 in equipment, $1000 in salaries, and $500 for marketing. Quality control doesn't factor into the equation. Not when the company's more concerned with making "I'm a Mac" commercials than it is with acknowledging the host of problems plaguing their notebook lines.
 
It's because I believe that true care is in the details... think about how easy it would be for them to check for something like this...which is a known defect if you google and see how many people get wobbly macs.
Click to expand...

I think the feet are easy to overlook, and frankly aren't something I would care as much about as overall performance. I can understand why you would care, but it's a huge leap to go from "missed something" to some kind of malicious "APPLE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE!!1!!" sentiment.

If you go to an Apple store, they'll replace the feet for you. I had one replaced for free on my iBook, and that was because a Genius noticed it was missing one. I didn't ask for it.

I can understand your frustration, but for every story you have that shows Apple doesn't care, other people can bring a story out that shows it does.
 
quietmind said:
I think the feet are easy to overlook, and frankly aren't something I would care as much about as overall performance. I can understand why you would care, but it's a huge leap to go from "missed something" to some kind of malicious "APPLE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE!!1!!" sentiment.

If you go to an Apple store, they'll replace the feet for you. I had one replaced for free on my iBook, and that was because a Genius noticed it was missing one. I didn't ask for it.

I can understand your frustration, but for every story you have that shows Apple doesn't care, other people can bring a story out that shows it does.
Click to expand...

Either you didn't read any of the posts above this one, or you are a member of the Church of Apple.

I *clearly* said multiple times that I *wish* it was the feet, but it simply doesn't appear to be that easy.

The feet aren't very long themselves, so if one was shorter than the others by the thickness of 3 credit cards, then I'd be able to notice.

I'll measure it when I get home, but... it's clearly the case itself that is warped or twisted.

Unless Apple sells pirate peg-leg replacement feet, new ones won't fix this issue.

Also in regards to the apple not caring part... I'm strictly talking about their production quality.

Apple does many things to show it cares otherwise... hell even the reason I got this new laptop is an example of the excellent apple support... but when it comes to providing a service... taking money and giving a perfect product in return... it fails, and it fails largely (feel free to google).

It would be great if Apple put in the extra effort to check for defects before sending things out.

I'll say it again... had they had 1 more guy at the end of the line simply poking laptops with his finger, they would have caught mine before it left China.

It's not something hard to find... its a teeter-totter running OSX.
 
jackmack said:
Either you didn't read any of the posts above this one, or you are a member of the Church of Apple.

I *clearly* said multiple times that I *wish* it was the feet, but it simply doesn't appear to be that easy.

The feet aren't very long themselves, so if one was shorter than the others by the thickness of 3 credit cards, then I'd be able to notice.

I'll measure it when I get home, but... it's clearly the case itself that is warped or twisted.

Unless Apple sells pirate peg-leg replacement feet, new ones won't fix this issue.
Click to expand...

I missed that particular point, so my apologies. However, I maintain that in the overall scheme of things, it's pretty minor, and I'm sure it can be fixed. Are you in close proximity to an Apple Store?
 
On a scale of 1 to 10 of severity, its definitely a 1, maybe 2 at most (I imagine after months of rocking it, it could lead to some inner-problems with the machine).

And I thought I could live with it at first, until I got to work today and realized how bad it is.

I'm at the conference table right now, and as I type (without the coaster), it rocks back and forth, knocking on the table... driving everyone else at the table crazy.

So it's not only annoying for me to type on, but its an annoyance to my team. One that shouldn't exist.

Thank god we had a coaster, otherwise I would have just given up.

I'm probably the first person ever to have an Apple iWeeble

Edit: As for my proximity to an apple store... I'm *fairly* close to one (30 minute drive), but the main issues are:

1) Schedule (finding time to go out there... I'll have to wait til thursday it looks like)
2) Being realistic about how they can possibly fix this... best case scenario would be if they can unscrew the case and releive the pressure making it lopsided, then rescrew it. Worst case scenario is they have to replace it (again) and I'm without a laptop.

Alot of my frustration comes with the fact that... I'm almost an Apple lover. When I hear people talk about apple machines, or comparing them to other machines, or even people asking for buying advice... so much of me wants to love mac and preach about how amazing they are... but I can't... I can't honestly love a company that overlooks things like this so frequently.

Do I prefer them over a windows machine? Without a doubt... but while many people see "Windows vs. Apple" like a "Pinto vs. Ferrari"... I see it as "A kick in the nuts vs. a kick in the face".

I can forgive repeated accidents, but I cannot forgive repeated incompetence.
 
it seems to me (and others, given other posts) like you're making this a bigger issue than it is. don't get caught up in what other people are saying - just do what you need to do to get it fixed.

the answer to your original question is that if it clearly is not the feet (which you've made clear it isn't) then you should take it to an Apple store or a certified repair shop to get it looked at and fixed, if necessary.
 
jackmack said:
I'm at the conference table right now, and as I type (without the coaster), it rocks back and forth, knocking on the table... driving everyone else at the table crazy.

So it's not only annoying for me to type on, but its an annoyance to my team. One that shouldn't exist.
Click to expand...

how much noise can it make, its not rocking very far and the feat are rubber...you're making it would like one of the feet are missing and its hitting the aluminum, im sorry but i have a hard time believing anything you are saying...im sorry if you really are having this problem, but looking at my machine now, and knowing it inside and out, i just dont see how what you are suggesting is possible
 
Maybe you guys just don't understand, but if my laptop or keyboard kept bouncing around, I'd want to chuck it at the wall. It makes it uncomfortable to type and the noise is just annoying. Regardless of whether you think it's a small issue, even though it probably hasn't happened to you, it's not something you want to deal with for a few years when you own the laptop, and it's also not something that should happen for the money you pay.
 
squeeks said:
how much noise can it make, its not rocking very far and the feat are rubber...you're making it would like one of the feet are missing and its hitting the aluminum, im sorry but i have a hard time believing anything you are saying...im sorry if you really are having this problem, but looking at my machine now, and knowing it inside and out, i just dont see how what you are suggesting is possible
Click to expand...

Because in the Church of Apple, the savior-machine can never fault.
 
I despise the fact these and most other laptops are made in China, because I try not to buy stuff made there, but what choice do we have? Given the fact the American fiat currency is worth roughly half what is was in 2000, I'm not in the least bit surprised that these companies have moved their manufacturing facilities over there. And I'm not surprised that given this situation, the level of quality has plummeted not just for Apple, but for all the companies whose computers are manufactured over there. Read the complaints about other computers and you'll get the gist. We're stuck with piss poor QC and it's a gamble as to weather or not your next purchase will be "perfect", the odds are better then half there'll be something wrong. That's no excuse not to complain, though! If my Mac wobbled on the table, it'd be going back tomorrow, well, maybe Wednesday, but I wouldn't "live with it". So far I don't have any complaints, especially after I calibrated the screen the other day. What a difference! I see slight color variations now that I didn't detect before.

So, anyway, I fully support your complaint and validate your thought that Apple doesn't care. Unfortunately, multinational corporations place far more emphasis on the short term profit for investors than on the long term profit and the customer suffers every time. If you know of another computer manufacturer who builds their computers in the States or Japan, let me know!
 
quietmind said:
Of course it can, and sometimes it does. That doesn't mean Apple is a malicious and malevolent entity.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised if Satan Co-delivers Steve's Keynote at WWDC.

Anway...to the OP. I would take it to the apple store and have them exchange it for a new one. Swap the hard drive and all that jazz.
 
let me get this straight. This thing is so bad that it makes you say Apple doesn't care because it happened to you and you read that you aren't the only one so Apple quality control isn't perfect and you haven't even asked Apple about the problem by phone or in a store? wow. and then you make cracks about the Church of Apple. what a waste of a thread.
 
Don't try and fix it yourself before taking it back.

The problem of it moving might seem minor to others in this thread, but if the chassis is twisted it could spell trouble for the logic board down the line.

If it's new I'd return it for a different unit, or demand that they warranty the logic board for life.

Apple's build quality is rubbish in my experience.
 
Guys, the thread starter isn't off base here - this just isn't a little silly thing he should "have to deal" with. That said, I don't think it means Apple's Quality Control is sh**, but I will say it could, and should, be better.

His $3,000 laptop should not be uneven. That's really not a hard point to comprehend. Does this mean Apple doesn't care about it? Not in the least. But he's totally justified in being upset that his high-end computer has a flaw that is of constant annoyance.
 
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