[AgBlue]

My powerbook hard drive is failing, much like this guy's one here-
http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=259986

I chose to buy safeware instead of applecare because my credit card extends my warranty by an extra year anyways. Now my question is..

How does apple charge for out of warranty repairs? Will they charge me for the phone call for support? I'm told I can bring my laptop anywhere to get it fixed, but I'd rather someone from apple do it. So do they charge a flat rate for any repairs?

Also, is there any chance they would replace my lcd if it's a flat rate? I'm getting these weird gray pixels at the bottom of my screen and I believe they've gone dead or something.

If it's costly, can anyone recommend a "good" place to send it in for repairs? Does compusa do repairs? Should I trust them? Thanks for the replies.

[CatOne]

Just based on difficulty I'd expect labor on a HD replacement for a laptop would be in the $50-$100 range, plus the cost of the drive (you might be able to bring in your own drive). I'd say the best thing would just be to check Apple's site for listed Apple Authorized Service Providers -- they all have to go through Apple specific training to do the work, which should mean they'd all do a good job. Many will offer "drop in" replacement.

No idea on CompUSA -- check. But if they all do only PC repairs I'd be more nervous

[tooki]

Avoid CompUSA repairs like the plague.

Replacing the HD isn't that big a deal. The prices CatOne mentioned sound about right.


Apple's out of warranty repairs are outrageously expensive. But they are "tiered" -- every repair is put into one of four tiers, and each tier is a fixed rate. The thing is, how it works is that they list all the items that need repair, and look at what tier those items are in, and then flat-rate charge you for the highest tier only to do all the repairs. So, for example, the LCD is the highest tier. You will pay $1297 for Apple to replace the LCD, but that same price will include any other repairs that need doing.

I still would recommend having an independent Apple Authorized Service Provider take a look.

tooki

[dreilly1]

If it's out of warranty, then your best bet might be either finding an independant Apple service center and asking them how much it would cost, or calling the nearest Apple store. You ought to be able to get a quote on a simple hard drive swap.

If you don't want to do it yourself, I think your priority shouldn't necessarily be paying Apple to do it, but paying someone who will stand behind their work and repair anything they happen to break in the process. At least someone who is "Apple-Authorized" will have access to service manuals and should be able to do the job easier than just any old PC tech.

FYI: just last night I swapped out the hard drive in my iBook, which (from what I hear) is harder to do than in a Powerbook. I went to pbfixit.com and downloaded their very detailed instructions. I did the swap in less than two hours. Now, my iBook has been in to Apple a few times for the motherboard repair, and as I was taking it apart I noticed that it was missing a whole bunch of screws, specifically near the tray-loading combo drive, which has two of the most annoying screws to deal with.

The moral of the story is that Apple doesn't necessarily have the best Techs around. So if you can find a independant Apple-authorized tech who can do the job and stand behind his or her work, you're probably OK.

[ApertureFoto]

You may want to check out PowerBookResQ.com

I had them replace the hd in my PB and am very satisfied!

Kris

Originally Posted by AgBlue

My powerbook hard drive is failing, much like this guy's one here-
http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=259986

I chose to buy safeware instead of applecare because my credit card extends my warranty by an extra year anyways. Now my question is..

How does apple charge for out of warranty repairs? Will they charge me for the phone call for support? I'm told I can bring my laptop anywhere to get it fixed, but I'd rather someone from apple do it. So do they charge a flat rate for any repairs?

Also, is there any chance they would replace my lcd if it's a flat rate? I'm getting these weird gray pixels at the bottom of my screen and I believe they've gone dead or something.

If it's costly, can anyone recommend a "good" place to send it in for repairs? Does compusa do repairs? Should I trust them? Thanks for the replies.