[melmic113]

My brand new one week old iBook just lost a key! The bottom right key ("end" and right arrow) popped off and now I'm having trouble getting it back on. The right side can be popped back on, but the left side won't stay down.

According to Apple, the entire keyboard needs to be replaced! They said it's not something I can do myself, so I either have to bring it in to an authorized service center or mail it away to be fixed. I called the Apple Store where I purchased it and they are offering me either a replacement machine or a full refund because it's a defective product.

My iBook is only one week old and I've used it MAYBE four times since taking it out of the box. This is really bothering me and I'm wondering if this is a sign of many more bad things to come, based on all the negative casing/keyboard posts I've read. My five year old clamshell has been through a lot with me and it's never given me a problem. Is the new iBook case/keyboard shoddy?

What should I do? $1,000 is a lot of money to spend only to wonder if the next time I take it out of the box another key will fall off, or the hinge on the cover will cease to work (as I've heard others complain about).

HELP!

Thanks,
~Melissa

[I was David B.]

Originally Posted by melmic113

My brand new one week old iBook just lost a key! The bottom right key ("end" and right arrow) popped off and now I'm having trouble getting it back on. The right side can be popped back on, but the left side won't stay down.

According to Apple, the entire keyboard needs to be replaced! They said it's not something I can do myself, so I either have to bring it in to an authorized service center or mail it away to be fixed. I called the Apple Store where I purchased it and they are offering me either a replacement machine or a full refund because it's a defective product.

My iBook is only one week old and I've used it MAYBE four times since taking it out of the box. This is really bothering me and I'm wondering if this is a sign of many more bad things to come, based on all the negative casing/keyboard posts I've read. My five year old clamshell has been through a lot with me and it's never given me a problem. Is the new iBook case/keyboard shoddy?

What should I do? $1,000 is a lot of money to spend only to wonder if the next time I take it out of the box another key will fall off, or the hinge on the cover will cease to work (as I've heard others complain about).

HELP!

Thanks,
~Melissa

First: if the keys pop off after a week the repair should not cost you a cent. It must be under warranty.

Second. You can put them back yourself. Just have a look at the mechanism. You have to fit them in the right position and then press with a little force as if you are typing. It will make an audible click and fixed they are.

To open the powerbooks you have to remove some keys that give access to the screws. I have often removed keys and put them back. No big deal.

[melmic113]

If I was able to put the key back on, then it wouldn't be a problem. If you look at the underside of any key there are tiny plastic teeth that snap into the mechanism of the base of the keyboard. Those plastic teeth broke right off the bottom of the key, resulting in me not being able to reattach it.

If the keys are meant to come on and off, then why did it break so easily? Shouldn't it be made so that this doesn't happen, especially on an iBook as new as mine? I could understand if it was a key I used repeatedly and had been banging away on it for months, but the right arrow key on a one week old machine?

I've spent the morning printing out every discussion I could find regarding customers complaints with the keyboard, and it seems I'm not as alone as I originally felt last night. Many people are reporting shoddy keyboards and keyboard issues. I am going to bring everything to the Apple Store with me in case they give me a hard time.

~Melissa

[I was David B.]

The key is broken? Then you can indeed only go to the store. But don't pay anything. A keyboard is made for years of use. If it breaks after days apple has to replace it for free.

[volcano]

Originally Posted by melmic113

My brand new one week old iBook just lost a key! The bottom right key ("end" and right arrow) popped off and now I'm having trouble getting it back on. The right side can be popped back on, but the left side won't stay down.

According to Apple, the entire keyboard needs to be replaced! They said it's not something I can do myself, so I either have to bring it in to an authorized service center or mail it away to be fixed. I called the Apple Store where I purchased it and they are offering me either a replacement machine or a full refund because it's a defective product.

My iBook is only one week old and I've used it MAYBE four times since taking it out of the box. This is really bothering me and I'm wondering if this is a sign of many more bad things to come, based on all the negative casing/keyboard posts I've read. My five year old clamshell has been through a lot with me and it's never given me a problem. Is the new iBook case/keyboard shoddy?

What should I do? $1,000 is a lot of money to spend only to wonder if the next time I take it out of the box another key will fall off, or the hinge on the cover will cease to work (as I've heard others complain about).

HELP!

Thanks,
~Melissa

Products are defective every now and then. It's a way of life. Don't let this issue phase you on the quality of Apple's products - it's a keyboard that can be fixed. Not a big deal. The Apple store won't give you a hard time. Just bring in your iBook, your sales receipt, and explain your issue - they will be more than happy to help you out.

[melmic113]

Originally Posted by volcano

Products are defective every now and then. It's a way of life. Don't let this issue phase you on the quality of Apple's products - it's a keyboard that can be fixed. Not a big deal. The Apple store won't give you a hard time. Just bring in your iBook, your sales receipt, and explain your issue - they will be more than happy to help you out.

I understand that products can always be defective, but it's hard for me to feel comfortable with the decision to keep the iBook after reading so many negative posts. After reading about all the keyboard problems (keys popping off and letters rubbing off) I looked up other issues and found a lot of people saying how the hinge on their monitor loosened after time, and the latch that keeps the cover closed doesn't work anymore. Let's not even get into the number of logic board failures that have occured -- I just found out two of my friends had their logic boards fail in the last month. One has an 8 month old G4 iBook, the other a 2 year old G3 iBook.

I just can't see justifying spending $1,000 on a machine only to wonder if and when something is going to happen to mine. I would have hoped that something as simple as the keyboard would have been an issue that Apple would have resolved by now, especially considering that they are more than aware of the problem and they JUST updated the iBook. The fact that they are still using the same keyboard, even after replacing them numerous times, leaves me with a bad feeling. I know that if I get mine replaced they are only going to send me the exact same type that broke the first time, so how can I not be wary that it will happen again?

I read a post a few days ago (either here or on Apple.com) where a member advised another member to close the iBook's cover only when absolutely necessary in order to keep the hinge from loosening and latch from wearing out. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a laptop?

I'm sorry if I sound so negative -- I've been a Mac user my entire life (Mac Plus to Performa to original clamshell iBook), so it's not that I am anti-Mac at all. That couldn't be further from the truth! But I just feel as if the quality of Apple products that I have always known in the past just isn't there anymore. And it makes me sad.

~Melissa

[budster101]

Then take the computer back, and go buy a Windows machine... they keys will probably work for you, now you'll just have to fight an inferior computer and operating system. Good luck! Farewell! Adeu! Alvetisane! Gazuntheight.....

lata'

[melmic113]

Originally Posted by budster101

Then take the computer back, and go buy a Windows machine... they keys will probably work for you, now you'll just have to fight an inferior computer and operating system. Good luck! Farewell! Adeu! Alvetisane! Gazuntheight.....

lata'

EXACTLY the reason why I don't want to get a Windows machine. I know it's inferior, believe me I do. I have a PC desktop that's been riddled with viruses and spyware, but that's used primarily for gaming purposes.

I've been a Mac user since I was 8 years old (I'm now 27) and have always chosen Mac over PC. I love my iBook, don't get me wrong. Until this happened last night all I did was tell people how wonderful it is. I am just very anxious when it comes to making big decisions. It took me a long time to save the money for this iBook, so I can't help but be anxious when it comes to $1,000.

As my aunt told me, if 5% of the buyers complain about keyboard (or any other) problems then that means 95% have no problems, so theoretically replacing the keyboard should give me pretty good odds that I'll be okay. I understand that the majority of people who post on these boards are posting because they have problems, and the average user who isn't having problems probably won't post.

Did that make sense?

I am in no way knocking Apple products, I just want to make sure that I'm making the right decision. I'm truly sorry if I offended anyone here. I do value all of your opinions and appreciate your insight.

~Melissa

[budster101]

Go back to the store, sign up for the genius bar, a genius will come out, take your machine back, and in all likelyhood replace your keyboard right there in the store. Wow. 30 minutes of your life gone.

What happens if a Dell keyboard breaks I wonder?.... how long to fix that?

I've only been a Mac user for 7 years... but I still remember and will never go back to Windows. Evar.

Good luck. They'll take care of you. (Apple)

[volcano]

Well, if my other reply didn't work, then think about this:

What is the primary reason people flock to forums? To post an issue, to resolve an error, or to fix something that broke. Of course you're going to see tons of posts regarding the same issue - most people don't come to a forum like this just to say how wonderful their machine is!

I just switched from a Windows PC to a Mac in early June. I'm a research junkie when it comes to buying new hardware, and when I started to seriously consider a Mac (which was a big deal since I've been accustomed to Windows my entire life) - I searched through every forum in this known universe so I would see the problems people were having with their computers. Did it stop or hault my purchase? Nope. I ordered my iMac G5 2.0 GHz 20" Rev. B machine even though I heard all these "horror stories" with regards to leaking capacitors, overheating, noisy machines, etc. And you know what? My computer hasn't had a single problem yet. Granted, it's barely 2 months old - but the chances of those issues happening were far too slim for me to consider otherwise. You take a risk with everything you purchase nowadays - and even if you've never had issues with an Apple product in the past, you'd be utterly stupid to question the quality of their entire product line because a single key fell off your keyboard.

[waxcrash]

If it is the key that is broken and not the scissor mechanism on the keyboard, then they should be able to give you a new key at the Apple store. Last month, the command key on my 800MHz TiBook broke off (TiBooks and iBooks have the same keyboard). The keyboard and scissor mechanism that the key attached to was fine. I went to the Guiness Bar at the Apple Store, showed them my PowerBook and they gave me a new key for free.

[melmic113]

Okay, okay, I give! I will bring my iBook to the Apple Store, show it to one of the Geniuses and see what they say.

This is exactly why I came to this forum in the first place -- to listen to other users' insight.

~Melissa

[melmic113]

Update: Came home tonight, went to turn on iBook, was met with a black screen and no boot, but fan turned on full blast for a few seconds. Waited 5 minutes, attempted to turn on iBook again, got the same result -- black screen, no boot, fan blast. Tried a third time, still the same. I commented to my boyfriend that I was going to return it, got up, turned around, heard the little chime, and the iBook turned itself on.

I hate to do it, but my baby is going back tomorrow. I think I'll monitor the boards for a couple months and see how others fare with their new machines. If all looks good, I'll purchase a new one. Until then I'll keep using my G3 clamshell iBook.

~Melissa

[ubbman]

Err...

[ghporter]

I really don't understand your resistence to taking the iBook to the Apple Store to be fixed or replaced. What's the problem? As noted elsewhere, parts failures happen-that's why there's a warranty in the first place. Apple wants you to be happy with your iBook, but you have to do your part. It sounds like your iBook just happened to be the one in a great many that has problems...even the very best hardware will have problems now and then. Let Apple fix or (more likely) replace your iBook and you'll see that this was indeed a fluke. Don't give up on the G4s just for this one incident.

[SSharon]

I have had my ibook G4 for over a year now and never have any problems. The keys don't come off, there is zero wear on them, the hinge is fine, etc. I only notice 2 imperfections and I expected them. The battery is not flush with the computer and the trackpad is raised in the back left portion so that I can push it back down a few mm. Niether of these affects its performance.
If you can get by with the clamshell until the intel based ibook thats not a bad move by any means, but don't let a few horror stories scare you away.

[volcano]

Why was this thread resurrected after being dead for over 3 months with a lackluster, pointless response of "Err..."? The original thread starter hasn't even logged in since the 16th of August.

[brokenjago]

DUnno, but uit's funny.

I seriously don't understand her reluctance to take it back to an Apple store as well....