[Nachohat]

I bough a Powerbook G4 in March and I have been tolerating the defects since then. No more, I want to make a waranty claim.

My TiG4 has 3 defects:

1) The battery: when I hold the computer in my hands the power goes off and the clock is reset to 1940. This is really irritating.

2) The trackpad is uneven and there is a gap on one side

3) My speakers screech when playing low frequency music (specifically Portishead kills my speakers)

How long does it usually take to get your computer fixed for minor issues like the above? Where should I call to get it sent to Apple and not to an intermediary?

My father has a Thinkpad that broke twice, the first time it took IBM 2 weeks to fix the problem, the second time it took them 1 month!!! I hope I'm not in for a horror story.

[ 09-29-2001: Message edited by: Nachohat ]

[Matsu]

I've got to say that the more I read about Ti and iBook problems the less likely I am to spend some of this grant money on a new Apple laptop (which would be my first Mac). I guess I'll just keep using powermacs at school and my crappy old PC at home. Damn.

[maximawoo]

AppleCare usually has prompt service. It's when AppleCare runs out of supply (usually the LCD screen) the length of time waiting increases. I believe recently Taiwan experienced a real bad typhoon in the area complicating the delivery of supplies, also the WTC tradegy didn't make the situation any easier.

I sent in my Ti around May for the battery loose problem. I had to wait a month for supplies, but didn't get too discouraged. I just bit my lip and waited, when it came back, it felt like the first day I got the Ti.

Try giving a call to AppleCare and ask them if they have the needed parts to fix your Ti on hand. You can also ask if the needed repairs is something a local reseller can fix.

BTW Matsu, yes, it might seem like there are numerous problems with the Ti. But do you think all the satisfied customers would post their success stories? I tend to think that there are a lot more satisfied then dissatisfied. I was a PC user myself till March and I will never look back.

PS - After the little problem in May, my Ti has been the machine I always dreamed about.

[OldManMac]

If you haven't resolved this yet, and it's still under warranty, call 1-800-sos-apple (1-800-707-2775). They will advise you of what to do.

[Matsu]

Actually I've seen a fair bit of positive feedback about Apple laptops on these and other pages. I'm a little paranoid about the purchase as I seem to have some sort of retail curse. Even though I read reviews and make a point of looking for the reliable brands, I have lately managed to always get the one defective unit in the store. However I guess that any companies laptops would be subject to certain issues and the real question is whether or not warrantee service is fast, fair, and reliable. The great benefit of using macs at school is that if there is some sort of problem with a machine then you just move on to another machine. Though I have to say that I've never had a problem with any of the powermacs. However, since I'm new to the platform I need absolute iron clad reliability in my machine. I don't want to trouble shoot it (espcially since I don't have the experience to do it), I just want to use it.

BTW, speaking as a PC user who uses macs (in the lab) I can honestly say that the macs are just a nicer experience all around. I wish I were rich enough to afford more than one. I need portability, so a Laptop will be my primary/only machine for awhile. iBook or TiBook, or wait till the new year??? (my home PC can last untill then or longer, I guess, but it seems to be growing quirkier each day)

[t_hah]

I had a Lombard 333, with a BTO DVD player. The DVD decoder chip died the second week. It is not unusual for a new computer to do something like that in the first couple of weeks (many say). I sent it back a Tuesday, and they said two weeks. It was sitting in fron of my doorstep Thursday morning. I could not believe it.

I own a Ti now. I do not have the trackpad misalignment. I did have the battery issue. I called Apple twice, and they said sorry, but they cannot do anything about. Then I called them again, and told them that it is unusable, and that every time I put it to sleep and move the computer somewhere (which they have suggested), I loose data.
So they sent me a new battery. It looks totally the same, but my Ti does not shut off any more.
Apple really kicks butt when it comes to customer service. I think I got what I wanted, their service was fast and reliable.

Ti is the best computer I have ever owned or used.


t

My TiBook is quite simply, the best laptop I've ever used. I have been through a 5300c (3 trips it took to Apple), took care of a friends Dell Inspiron 8100 for a week (HORRIBLE), owned a Pismo/500, and now have a TiBook/500, and is is just great. They keyboard really isnt that bad (the Dell keyboard feels like a Playschool toy!) and I have had absolutely 0 problems. I've had no battery issues of losing data, nothing of the sort. Yeah, the machine gets hot, but its made out of Titanium. What do you people expect? Metal conducts heat faster than any other material, so its pretty logical that it would feel pretty warm. True, I have to baby this thing a little, but its not the kind of laptop that is focused on durability. If you want that, get an iBook.
This thing simply rocks, and I wouldn't hesitate once on getting one. Oh yeah, and the Inspiron crashed on me about 5 times in the course of one week running Windows 2000. i still dunno why. My TiBook running OS X 10.1, has not crashed once since I bought it in August. OS X is truly an amazing system.

If you think about it, a lot of the people posting on here have had problems, but the people who haven't had any problems are much less likely to even bother posting since they're happy using their TiBooks and are being productive!