[kirvin]

I just purchased a reconditioned 15" PB from the Apple Store. It was a great deal, $1799 for the last revision (Rev C?) - 1.5 Ghz, 512 RAM, 80 Gig, Superdrive - and performance-wise I'm happy with it but do have a couple of complaints.

One is that when I first opened the 'book, the top right corner of the keyboard was sticking up! It reminded me of my Pismo keybord, when I didn't reseat the removable keyboard. I've had to push it back in a couple of times so far, and it has stayed put for the past few days, but this dosen't seem right.

Also, the fan makes a horrible clicking sound whenever it comes on. My previous Powerbook was a 12 inch Rev B, and the fan was loud, but just white noise.

Finally, the mouse button is not the same quality as my Rev B. When you puch it on the center, it makes an awful 'tinny' noise. I have to click it right where the button meets the casing to avoid making that sound, it gives me a headache!

Are these gripes worth initiating a return, or am I just being too picky? It was a great price, and the PB is much snappier than by last PB, but I don't want to regret keeping the 15" 2 months from now.

[StonedRose]

Originally posted by kirvin:
I just purchased a reconditioned 15" PB from the Apple Store. It was a great deal, $1799 for the last revision (Rev C?) - 1.5 Ghz, 512 RAM, 80 Gig, Superdrive - and performance-wise I'm happy with it but do have a couple of complaints.

One is that when I first opened the 'book, the top right corner of the keyboard was sticking up! It reminded me of my Pismo keybord, when I didn't reseat the removable keyboard. I've had to push it back in a couple of times so far, and it has stayed put for the past few days, but this dosen't seem right.

Also, the fan makes a horrible clicking sound whenever it comes on. My previous Powerbook was a 12 inch Rev B, and the fan was loud, but just white noise.

Finally, the mouse button is not the same quality as my Rev B. When you puch it on the center, it makes an awful 'tinny' noise. I have to click it right where the button meets the casing to avoid making that sound, it gives me a headache!

Are these gripes worth initiating a return, or am I just being too picky? It was a great price, and the PB is much snappier than by last PB, but I don't want to regret keeping the 15" 2 months from now.

Dood. Take it in. These are obviously usability issues. You are not being picky by any means. I would setup a mail-in facilitation for repair (dont goto a reseller....sounds like a 2 part repair...resellers get dinged for doing a 2 part repairs and you are more likely to find a reseller that will avoid replacing 2 parts to keep service excellence up to par). If you send it in, they should resolve the issues. I have seen powerbooks that run perfect. Yours should too. Aloha.

[sonicj]

send it back! i sent my 17" pb today for a exchange. chassis was bent in multiple places leavinf open seams, loud fan, poor mouse click performance and only 2.5 hours of battery life! sucked backing up all my files as i've already departed with my old ibook, but i wasn't having that nonsense. if this next one isn't right, im going new. don't settle when spending that much money!
jc

[kirvin]

OK, here's an update for anyone interested.

I took my Book to the local Apple Store & the Genuis take a look. He agreed that there were issues with both the keyboard and the fan. He actually had to take it to a back room, since it was so noisy in the store. I was very impressed with the level of service, especially since this is my first ever issue with an Apple Computer.


I didn't mention the mouse button because after playing with some of the other 15" PB in the store, I came to the conclusion that this is a 'normal' issue. In fact, IMHO, the 12" PowerBooks have a much tighter build than the 15" or 17" PB's. The keyboard is firmer, most likely because they don't have the fiber optic lighting. I originally thoguht this was a "must have" feature, but I would probably give it up to have a keyboard like my old 12"

Anyway, they shipped my 15" off to Cupertino for repair, so I'll have to wait for about a week to see the results. Hopefully I will get it back better than when I dropped it off.

[osxisfun]

[kirvin]

OK, here's a final update:

Yesterday I recieved an email from Apple that they recieved my Powerbook and that is was in for repair. I was amazed, since I just dropped it off the day before (afternoon) and the Genius told me between 7-10 working days. I was also, a little concerend that after he filled out the paperwork, he just stuck it on top of a shelf behind the counter, out in the open. I had a sense of dread as i left, like a week from now, someone would say "Hey, weren't you supposed to ship this?"

Anyway, I can't believe it but I actually received my PB back today! Actually, i was a little skeptical, I assumed that they probably made a mistake and shipped it out without fixing that. My other fear was that I would get it back in worse condition, especially after reading some of the horror stories on these boards.

Well, after about an hour of "testing", it looks like they repaired everything I asked and returned it to me as good as new! I was a little freaked out when I first started typing and the keys didn't register - until I realized that the "num lock" was on. i wonder if a tech did that on purpose. Also, I had to 'reset' the keyboard backlight.

So, anyone need a well-cared for 12" PB?

[osxisfun]

good news.

i'd bet money that apple store tech guys treat the powerbooks better than sending it in to texas? sacramento?