[jasmer]

Thats right. I have owned 5 new faulty Ti-500's in 2 months. Each one with serious enough defects to warrant an exchange.

My story can be found at : http://www.jzway.com/anti-titanium

ummm, what's wrong with the fourth and fifth ti500? 404 url not found...

[Macfreak7]

hahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahhahah

[jasmer]

Did I miss something?

[This message has been edited by jasmer (edited 05-13-2001).]

[This message has been edited by jasmer (edited 05-13-2001).]

[ort888]

You should have kept the thrid one. I have 1 and it is 100% fine.

------------------

[jasmer]

Well, I envy you for having a faultless machine. In retrospect, I should have stuck with the third one ... but if you look at 'more images', you will see the problem was pretty severe.

For 3000 pounds a machine should not have these kind of problems. These kind of issues are unheard of in the VAIO range of PC's. Don't turn this into a MAC/PC flame, it's just that the build of all 5 of my Ti's were a disgrace.

[MadMacs]

Give me a break. The problem with #3 could have been fixed in 3 minutes by removing the bottom screws and aligning the little tabs.

I'm on my 2nd one, but my problem was found and replaced within 24 hours. My first one would not release the battery. My second one and the one I ended up keeping has a very faint 1/4 in long scratch on the screen, but not enough to worry about.

I must say that the Quality may not be as good, but that will improve as they produce more Ti's. All of my Lombard and Pismo Powerbooks were perfect.

MadMacs

[haunebu]

jasmer, you are the whiniest little nit-picking sh*t there ever was. I am completely stoked you will never own a Mac - you don't deserve one. My God...

Oooh, oooh, there's a piece of lint on the screen, send it back; must be defective!!! Moron...

[tooki]

About PowerBook #3's "defect":

The pictures Apple shows are 3D renderings, done on a computer. They are not actual photographs. Your actual photo looked as close as I would expect the actual product to be.

tooki

[ddiokno]

Originally posted by haunebu:
jasmer, you are the whiniest little nit-picking sh*t there ever was. I am completely stoked you will never own a Mac - you don't deserve one. My God...
Oooh, oooh, there's a piece of lint on the screen, send it back; must be defective!!! Moron...

Haunebu,
It is okay for you to disagree with Jasmer, but please watch the tone of your remarks... keep them civil...
dave

[ort888]

Hey jasmer, your online portfolio is cool as heck. Nice job!
http://www.jzway.com/

------------------

[Hawkeye_a]

AWESOME PORTFOLIO !!!! best thing I've seen on the net so far. people quit picking on him. he had reason to return the products, and maybe if Apple customers demanded at least a 30-day money back guarantee, these things wouldn't happen in the first place. Oh, and not to mention that Apple sells crap to Europe(remember the iMacs), they need better quality assurance and a drastically better sales policy if they intend to make a dent in the universe(again). its ludicrous that the better business bureau and other market watcher have let apple get away with it. I mean remember the fiasco with those damned iMacs and the colored screens and the wavy lines, etc,etc...what's up with that ? we generally pay higher prices for Macs than our equivalent in the PC world, and we don't get any satisfaction guarantee from Apple. if they really are 'incredible', 'amazing', 'beautiful',etc...and we will love them so much, why cant apple add a money back guarantee to their sales policy ?

Whoa, that is quite a site at www.jzway.com

But as for the powerbook thing, it's best for some people to simply wait for the first revision of a spanking brand new product before purchasing. I'm not so particular, but I'm still waiting myself. Some people can't handle flawed items, so to them the old software adage holds true, "don't buy a 1.0 version, always wait for the .1". Anyhow, maybe the Powerbooks will be revised soon so it was in your best interest to wait for some improved specs. Who knows...

My good friend's a screenwriter, and he was so concerened with each little molecule of his Ti g4 powerbook, a bit of a hypocondriac, until he just started to ACTUALLY USE THE THING and now he's too busy working on it to be bothered. Things that he complained about, like the click of the button and the sensitivity of the trackpad, the click of the space bar, are very much fogotten now.

I do think that OS X high pitched sound may just be OS X at sleep on a powerbook. I notice that OS X sleeps a bit louder than OS 9, although it's nothing to really get worked-up over.

[jasmer]

Firstly, thank you to those who liked my portfolio ... Multimedia is my living!

Secondly, I agree the 3rd complaint may have been 'picky', but 3000 pounds buys me that right.

Thirdly, the high pitched sound heard in OSX sleep mode was as loud as an analogue modem ... far from easy to live with -- a BIG benefit of having OSX is it's speedy recovery from sleep mode ... having to fully shut down after use each time is NOT a solution.

Finally, say what you will, Apple/the retailers themselves found each of the defects reason enough to a replace the machines.

I am both a PC & Mac user, so I almost took it for granted that the Ti Powerbook would be a quality build, despite it being Rev 1.0!!!!

If you think I was 'fussy' with the 3rd one, fair enough. If you think that the other 4 were 'acceptable' defects too, then you have come to accept that Apple produce 2nd rate machines, which I refuse to pay premium prices for ... hence me pulling out of wanting a Ti powerbook.

[This message has been edited by jasmer (edited 05-13-2001).]

[Hawkeye_a]

and people wonder why Apple isnt no.1 in computer sales.

I simply can't believe your bad luck... but I am sure there're a lot of happy PB G4 owners out there. Me, for example.

[jasmer]

I know I have been unlucky ... but I wish Apple knew this too and responded as such. But NO form of compensation has been offered, despite me being without a laptop since February ... and I depend on a laptop when going to my clients or more importantly, my potential clients.

[icruise]

I have heard some pretty bad problems with the early Tibooks (DVD issues in particular), but honestly, just about everything you mention is very minor. Too big a gap in the case? Sure, you can say that a 3000 pound laptop should be perfect in every respect, but I don't think this is realistic.

Also, the hum from the speakers in sleep for OS X is apparently a known issue, and happens with many computers (including my own Pismo) -- hardly something to return it over.

[jasmer]

'Icruise', do you actually read the thread before posting???? I wrote :

"Thirdly, the high pitched sound heard in OSX sleep mode was as loud as an analogue modem"

... which is hardly a "hum"!!

Anyway, i just because you would settle for 2nd rate machinary at 1st class prices, it doesn't mean that I should!

[jasmer]

.... also, you say :

" Sure, you can say that a 3000 pound laptop should be perfect in every respect, but I don't think this is realistic. "

Apple geek wiscracks aside like, 'it's got Windows on it', show me one hardware fault with the new VAIO 'R' range, which is the first in that line of VAIO.

The bottom line is, and something that I have learned over the past 2 months is that Mac users will and do accept defects for the simple reason ... there is only one manufacturer of Macs!

There are no alternatives. Want a nice looking Mac portable? No problem there is ONLY ONE! Take it (with the defects), or leave it (my choice).

If I was unable/unwilling to use a PC and hence forced to use MAC, I too would be defending MACs blindly irrespective of their defects ...

So I do understand all those people who have defended Apple after reading my nightmare with the Ti PB ... like I understand how a right mouse button may be confusing to those same people.

[This message has been edited by jasmer (edited 05-13-2001).]

[mugwump]

So I do understand all those people who have defended Apple after reading my nightmare with the Ti PB ... like I understand how a right mouse button may be confusing to those same people.

Okay, dude, fine...after your 7 posts repeating the same defensive information over and over, you've finally convinced me: You are correct, and you must be the most unlucky son-of-a-bitch in the UK.

What do you want, a medal? Deal with it. You've said your peace now just move along. I assure you that you and your many faulty purchases are in the distinct minority of powerbook purchasers. I sure hope that it does NOT rub off on anyone else. STAY AWAY.

If a 2mm gap is not good enough fer ya, then have fun with those cheap-ass plastic wintel notebooks that have NO DESIGN compared to Apple. And I hope that someone, other than jasmer, can post a link that says otherwise.

Your website is da bomb, though...

[This message has been edited by mugwump (edited 05-13-2001).]

[jasmer]

Don't want no medal ... just to spread the word and try to get a bit of compensation for all the accessories I purchased for my 'new' Mac!

You are right though ... I am repeating the same thing over and over. My apologies.

This is my final post on the matter (no doubt to the pleasing a few of those who posted replies to this thread) and I shall focus my efforts on the real culprits ... Apple Exectutive Relations.

Good bye 4 now

[jasmer]

ps. http://www.sonystyle.com/vaio/r505/glamour_01.htm

[Raman]

1. Awesome portfolio. I would die to be able to do that kind of work.

2. You are 100% right about everything you did. You PAID for a new 100% working machine. You didn't get it on 5 separate occasions. Not 1. Not 2. Five. I find it really funny that an engineer checked the last machine and the trackpad was broken. He needs to go back to college.

You should be compensated for your time wasted. A person with your obvious talent needs a machine to make a living. Apple should be doing everything they can to help you, a professional (their target) to keep your business, even if it means giving you a FREE laptop. Apparently they've lost your business (for the time-being at least).

Some of the people in here don't understand being nit-picky. I have no clue why. Everyone, including myself, says "you get what you paid for", especially when it comes to PeeCee vs. Apple hardware. Well you paid 3000 pounds - shouldn't you GET 3000 pounds worth of Apple (quality) hardware? I mean if you purchased a $600US PeeCee and it broke in 1 year everyone would probably laugh at you if you seeked recourse. They'd even tell you that your machine's outdated anyway.

I don't get it. I'm probably the most anal person on this side of the Atlantic. I consciously spend more than I have to to get a quality product. That earns me the right to complain. I don't think your demands were too high... We are 2 people that have utmost attention to detail. Some make fun of us, some don't understand why, some sympathize.. Who cares.. screw 'em.. You, as an artist you obviously need the attention to detail.. As a surgeon (I believe that's Registrar or a Consultant in the U.K.), my patients expect that of me as well.. It's no different.. Some people take pride in their belongings.. i.e. my cat is allowed to lay on my PeeCee but she's not allowed to go anywhere NEAR my PowerBook.

It doesn't matter if it's a Rev. A. I don't see Apple charging less for a Rev. A., so why should *you* lower your expectations. They do test these things, right?

Good luck.. I suggest when/if you're out buying your next machine you sit in the store and check out your machine and put it thru its paces in front of a salesperson. Lastly.. always always always pay with your credit card (assuming that consumer/credit card laws are similar on the other side of the pond).

-Raman

[jasmer]

I know .. I know .. I know .. I said that would be my last post, but I had to let Raman know that it was worth getting all the abusive posts above to hear that there are others that share my opinion. Thank you for your post.

Heres hoping this will be my last post

[pete]

I would like to say that I agree with you too. I received a powerbook G4 from Apple as a replacement for my old wallstreet, which Apple failed to repair over a course of a month. They were kind enough to offer me a new laptop as a gesture of goodwill even though the wallstreet was almost three years old under applecare. Anyway, the powerbook G4 is 95 percent perfect. However, it has the same issue as yours with the the bottom casing not tightly fitting the top under the DVD slot. It also emits a sound when the display is on max brightness under MacOS 9.1 and when it's not on full brightness under MacOS X. Finally, the LCD display is not centered in the display housing - there's more border on one side. These are really relatively small issues BUT they shouldn't be there in such an expensive, high-end product and I will eventually send it it to be fixed. Apple in England is notorious for its poor customer service. I've dealt with them so I know. If you had been in the US, your laptop would have been repaired quickly and efficiently. Apple service has gone down the drain outside the US (and, many would argue, here too).I just wanted to concur with Raman that your complaints and action are TOTALLY valid. You have the right to expect a 100% perfect product and Apple did not provide that. The vaio looks like a great alternative. Too bad windows is not as nice to work with.Good luck!

[Bugs Bunny]

It's not just Apple. I had 4 brand new Sony TV's that were defective. But the 5th one was perfect

[Ryu]

Originally posted by jasmer:
ps. http://www.sonystyle.com/vaio/r505/glamour_01.htm

You are comparing this to Ti??? It's thicker, uglier, and comes with tiny screen...

I hope you will get a perfect one on the 6th time.



------------------

[matchbox]

Oh my Gawd! This person is nauseating. Something tells me that this individual would order pizza without cheese.

[Wattsy]

The pictures Apple shows are 3D renderings, done on a computer. They are not actual photographs. Your actual photo looked as close as I would expect the actual product to be.

There is no way that the gap shown in the photos is acceptable. My TiPB case fits as in the Apple 3D renderings. I would *not* have been happy with Jasmer's 3rd PB though I agree that it may have been easy to fix by realigning the bottom part of the case.

I think the vitriol shown here is uncalled for. Each of the TiPB's were unacceptably flawed and should have been dealt with more efficiently by many of the parties involved (including Jasmer).

A tip for Jasmer. Next time (if there is a next time) you buy a Mac, try ang get it from John Lewis. Not only do they offer a free 2 year on-site warranty but their customer service is usually second to none. Buying from box shifters like Mikro Anvika and Mygate always has the potential for hassles further down the line (though I accept that Mikro Anvika did *eventually* do the right thing).


[This message has been edited by Wattsy (edited 05-14-2001).]

You are of course totally right.
Ye good olde car analogy:
If you buy a Mercedes, I should think you would like the boot to be flush when shut, not misaligned by half an inch).
I have found Apple Executive Relations sometimes helpful, sometimes not.
They gave me a WallStreet for free after Apple (well, ADT, their service people?) buggered about with my 8500 for seven months on about 9 occasions.
With my Pismo (bought this January) I had problems starting just after Apple's 14day grace period and this has been repaired twice since.
I should have returned it of course (Multiple Zones/Cancom, don't go there), since after the first repair Cancom refused to refund it.
The machine went dead and then was even deader coming back from the first repair. Each took over two weeks, due to 'missing parts' (what?).
The Customer Relations Lady did not find a replacement for me, thank you very much.
Mick Hull was quite useful the first time round (8500, but I don't think he was the boss, then) the second time Apple only offered tot extend the warranty for a month.
I just cannot be bothered anymore.

The advice is of course:

You did exactly the right thing, take it back, get your money back!!!
DO NOT HAVE IT REPAIRED BY APPLE under any circumstances: after a repair/exchange, you cannot get your money back from your dealer you are deemed to have accepted the repair/exchange instead.
THE DEALER MUST REFUND YOU IF THE MACHINE IS FAULTY AND DOES NOT WORK AS ADVERTISED! Those are your rights in the UK.
Nothing to do with Apple.
The dealer must accept the machine back (they may not want to), but that is the law.
As I said, do not by from Cancom/MacZone, they were NOT helpful and never returned calls.
Go with MacWarehouse or ComputerWarehouse, Mygate is also quite good).

Now,
What drugs are these 'quit whining' guys on?
Why on earth do they use Macs? Their standards in quality and design/look are obviously well below par, and since they always tell people to shove off and go PC, that is surely the madicine they should be taking themselves.
Surely they use Macs because they are better, better designed and of superior standard, no?
I thought that was what Apple stood for.
I WANT Mac people to whine, whine, whine, because this is how you get things fixes and moving.
If you just shut up about VALID issues concerning built-quality, you will always get low quality.
This will then become the norm and tech people will start telling you it is within spec� like Bollocks it is.
(Oh wait, they already are).

Of course you would never see this in a Sony, why do you think they have carved up the notebook market like this?
And what is this revision-A crap?
That is pure Apple! You do not get that anywhere else either.
What, as in: don't buy this new Mercedes S500, the bonnet does not shut, the clutch shrieks in neutral�better wait for the next version, but if you do buy it, you get what you deserve, you doofus.
I mean, get a grip.
If you are happy with these issues in a Ford Escord, you would be an idiot. But if you are happy with this in a Merc, you are really insanely stupid.
Don't keep saying: do not buy version one of anything: that is exactly why manufacturers get away with this. You pay the full price, you get a full working product, not a beta (as in OS X).
If it is not working properly and has quality issues, it is not ready!
If you release it as a company, you deserve all the stick you get, because you are defrauding on your customers.

[chemical x]

Originally posted by jasmer:
Firstly, thank you to those who liked my portfolio ... Multimedia is my living!

Glad its not teaching American English!....Its authorized....not authorised. Of course that's in America and you are not so this post is pointless (whew!)




[This message has been edited by chemical x (edited 05-15-2001).]

"Glad its not teaching English!....Its authorized....not authorised

(skill set)"

Wow, you really are ignorant. British English spells authorised with an 's'. Further, why not look at your own English. In a typical, ignorant American fashion, you don't even know the difference between it's (it is) and its.

Ha ha ha ha ha!
I just love this!
All you nitpicky idiots that have nothing more pertinent to contribute than point out somebodies spelling mistake!
You anal idiots!
Even funnier though, that they always put their foot right in at the same time.
If we are talking in English, surely that is Oxford not MA!
That, as you like to name everything else that way, would be 'American' English.
Plain English is just what it says: ENGLISH.
If you Americans would like to change some of the spelling, I don't think anybody will object, just don't be such an ignorant, self-centered swine about it.
You lay yourself wide open.
Go for it Henry E.!
Go in shame chemical x!
Has any of you finicky creepies considered that some of the posters may not even have English as their first language?
Warum unterhalten wir uns denn nicht in Deutsch? Fran�ais peut-�tre?
Ignorant wally.

[Ryu]

Originally posted by JTVD1:
Ha ha ha ha ha!
I just love this!
All you nitpicky idiots that have nothing more pertinent to contribute than point out somebodies spelling mistake!
You anal idiots!
Even funnier though, that they always put their foot right in at the same time.
If we are talking in English, surely that is Oxford not MA!
That, as you like to name everything else that way, would be 'American' English.
Plain English is just what it says: ENGLISH.
If you Americans would like to change some of the spelling, I don't think anybody will object, just don't be such an ignorant, self-centered swine about it.
You lay yourself wide open.
Go for it Henry E.!
Go in shame chemical x!
Has any of you finicky creepies considered that some of the posters may not even have English as their first language?
Warum unterhalten wir uns denn nicht in Deutsch? Fran�ais peut-�tre?
Ignorant wally.

Wasn't that funny? It's true my mother tongue is not English... it's Korean and my second language is French and my third is English. Now... it really pity those such as chemical x who can't bother to say anything nice but hey JDTV1, you don't need to insult all the Americans because of that. By doing so, you just demonstrated that yourself don't have more respect regarding others than chemocal x. So, no point being too harsh on each other and please, let's just stop this conversation here.

------------------

Jasmer, your web site is beautiful! I had a Lombard whose hard drive died after 16 months and a Pismo which exhibited loud hard drive noises and a broken latch after one month of use. Like you, I felt that the money was just too much for such low quality. If I had paid half the money, I might have been satisfied but, even then, such a short shelf life and annoying flaws defeat the purpose of buying a computer that will do the job when needed. I do believe Apple is capable of making high quality products. I'm typing this on my ibook which has been a great machine, through heavy use during its first five months. However, the axe could still fall....

[As an aside, it seems that about half of the people posting on these boards are non-Americans. Perhaps some of the young
Americans will learn something about the rest of the world by hanging around with the rest of us...I think that at least one of them may have found a new use for those boring high school English classes.]

[MadMacs]

jasmer,

That is an outstanding web site.

[Misha]

Frankly, I agree with Jasmer. Apple's build quality sucks.

To save time we'll just break down the past few machines I have owned (all were ordered during the first month of their release):

Lombard:
faulty DVD, faulty battery. Both replaced within the first month.

Pismo:
DOA. Screen was all messed up. Sent to Apple, they sent it back in 5 days "we couldn't reproduce your problen." That's because, as I noted to the customer service guy, the problem doesn't *always* happen. Sent back to Apple a second time with a nasty letter enclosed in the repair box. Got it back fixed in 2 days.
Two months later, keyboard broke (you got me). Out of service for 7 days.

PowerBook G4:
Defective keyboard (replaced), defective battery (replaced), DVD-drive reading problems (still waiting to hear back from Apple on that one, it's been 2 weeks). Also, defective keyboard, which was just replaced last week.

2001 iBook:
Just got it today, defective keyboard (magnet doesn't catch, so it's all bubbled up, much like the PBG4 keyboard problem I had.

G4/500 Tower:
Just learned last month there is a defect with the motherboard that prevents it from accepting MP upgrades. Not *that* big a deal (esp. since the machines were never billed as upgradable), but it's an out-of-spec motherboard all the same.

So, yea, Apple's build quality sucks as far as I'm concerned. I buy Apple product's these days *expecting* them to at least have one problem out of the box. That helps soften the blow.

[This message has been edited by Misha (edited 05-14-2001).]

[Bugs Bunny]

2001 iBook: Just got it today, defective keyboard (magnet doesn't catch, so it's all bubbled up, much like the PBG4 keyboard problem I had.

Misha, which iBook model did you get? And where

[Misha]

Oh, I forgot to add, the logic board on my Lombard had to be replaced about six months after I purchased the PowerBook.

[Misha]

Just thought I'd give you guys the latest on the new iBook... the trackpad is also defective (it's bubbled up at the top) and the diplay is having the ripple problem jasmer had with his second Ti, where if I type or touch any part of the iBook, "ripples" appear in the bottom right of the screen.

So the fifth consecutive Mac system I've purchased goes off to Apple within the first month to get fixed... as I said before, I've come to expect this, so I really don't mind.

[chemical x]

Originally posted by JTVD1:
Ha ha ha ha ha!
I just love this!
All you nitpicky idiots that have nothing more pertinent to contribute than point out somebodies spelling mistake!
You anal idiots!
Even funnier though, that they always put their foot right in at the same time.
If we are talking in English, surely that is Oxford not MA!
That, as you like to name everything else that way, would be 'American' English.
Plain English is just what it says: ENGLISH.
If you Americans would like to change some of the spelling, I don't think anybody will object, just don't be such an ignorant, self-centered swine about it.
You lay yourself wide open.
Go for it Henry E.!
Go in shame chemical x!
Has any of you finicky creepies considered that some of the posters may not even have English as their first language?
Warum unterhalten wir uns denn nicht in Deutsch? Fran�ais peut-�tre?
Ignorant wally.

D'oh!....my bad...I absolutely deserve the ridicule and owe Jasmer an apology......although to identify my mistake as some great American flaw indicates an inferiority complex if you "aks" me



[This message has been edited by chemical x (edited 05-15-2001).]

[chemical x]

PS
In the 1994-1996 history section, shouldn't there be an end apostrophe after 'The Emperors New Clothes.

and shouldn't Emperors be Emperor's as in the New Clothes belong to the Emperor.....

just kidding.. breath....

Americans are notorious for not being able to distinguish between it's and its. Obviously, there are many Americans who do know the difference. The main point being that if you want to criticise someone's English, at least don't make any mistakes in your own sentences. If you make such basic mistakes, your argument loses all its credibility and power of persuasion. That's all.

[slboett]

I must disagree with MISHA on the build-quality statement. I get and have a lot of Macs here at work and at home - the only problems I have had in the last year (and we have EVERY model Mac made) is the battery issue on the new TiBook and the sleeping Cube - Apple sent a new battery which fixed the issue in two days after calling and they sent a new 17" LCD display whcih caused the Cube to snooze immediately.

I would love to tell all of the stories my PC colleagues have here at work with expensive, top-of-the-line PC laptops. My troubles have been almost zero with Apple, and when I do have an issue, they have always fixed it in a very timely manner.

Some issues I see as legitimate, and others look to me like someone was overly toilet trained - and I'm as anal as they come.

Scott

[chemical x]

Originally posted by Henry E.:
Americans are notorious for not being able to distinguish between it's and its. Obviously, there are many Americans who do know the difference. The main point being that if you want to criticise someone's English, at least don't make any mistakes in your own sentences. If you make such basic mistakes, your argument loses all its credibility and power of persuasion. That's all.

..Email = casual....shortcuts (i.e. no caps, ellipsis up the yin-yang.....missed puncuation) are perfectly acceptable in this context.

Nevertheless, I earned my day at the whipping post....I can accept that

Way to go chemical x!

Sorry about my rant above (much too expletive, I am sorry, one gets carried away�).
It's just that I have seen this kind of thing soooo many times and it is so annoying.
Just like this bashing of anyone who makes a complaint.

If you find my English below par, that may be due to the fact that I am German.

[bstone]

I feel blessed! My Pismo which I got in November of 2000 hasn't had a single hitch (at least hardware wise).

However a brand new TiBook at work was sent back to Apple the same day as the LCD didn't lock down when closed. That sucks.

[bosolevu]

That is one hell of a website Jasmer!!! What programs did you use to do that?

[Bernard Ducamp]

Misha wrote: Frankly, I agree with Jasmer. Apple's build quality sucks.
---------------------------------------------

Misha: I would like to say that I have read a number of news stories and magazine articles that discuss the LACK of quality in consumer computers, ESPECIALLY laptops. Apple has this problem, but so do Dell, HP, etc............! PCs are no better.

On the average, nearly 25% of all computers sold are returned for repairs or exchange.

I think Apple's quality is superior to that of other manufacturers. But there is still lots of room for improvement.