[JeffZPgh]

The assumption around here seems to be that holding a screwdriver in your hand anywhere in proximity of your Mac voids the warranty...anybody have harder evidence of the kinds of DIY stuff Apple cares about and what they don't?

I swapped out the hard drive in my old Summer 2000 iMac and had no problem getting warranty repairs done following that.

I'm about to swap out he hard drive in my iBook 400 and am wondering if doing so really voids the warranty. The job doesn't seem any more complicated than adding RAM - just longer. Given that Apple happily provides instructions for removing the iBook keyboard to install an AirPort card, or even removing the AirPort bay altogether to install RAM, I wonder what the invisible line is that gets crossed when opening up the bottom of the case to put a new drive in.

Is Apple really this stringent, or is all the warranty-voiding talk hype spread by Mac users horrified at the thought of opening up a case? I don't mean to knock fellow Mac users, but as a group they're probably less likely to pursue difficult hardware upgrades than PC users.

The manuals for every PC I've ever owned happily told you how to access the internals.

I'm upgrading my iBook's drive regardless - I'd just like to know in case I have any non-related problems down the road whether I'd be wasting my time to pursue a warranty claim with Apple.

Jeff

[x user]

The HD swap in an iMac is sanctioned by Apple, the HD swap in an iBook is not, not even by dealers. If it becomes ovious that you've done this, apple COULD say your machine was out of warrenty. BTW mine is soo far out of warrenty, that i couldn't go back now, and i'm lovin it

You could always swap the old one back in for service though.

[l008com]

I took a dremel to my case to fit a DVD ROM drive in my G4's zip bay. I think its a safe bet my warranty is pretty much gone. :-D