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Riverman · Dec 27, 2006, 04:56 PM

Today I bought a brand new black C2D Macbook. £999. Opened the box, plugged in and it doesn't start up. Competely dead. The battery indicator shows three status lights but the machine also fails to start when unplugged, relying only on the battery.

Since January 2003 I've happily used a G3 white iBook. No issues whatsoever. That was my first Mac and I was converted. No going back to Windows. Naturally I was enraged to think that Apple can send a £1000 unit out of its factory without even bothering to test whether the thing will switch on or not.

Fortunately I purchased at John Lewis (UK) - they have said they will replace the computer or refund my credit card. For the time being I'm inclined to take the refund: if I do get another one, I will buy from them again - they offer a free two year warranty.

However, I'm now in two minds about the Macbook. A few Google searches reveal some terrifying stories of defective Macbooks. I'd heard about the random sutdown thing earlier in the year. I thought I was being sensible waiting for the second rev, hoping that such issues would have been ironed out. It seems not though. Has anyone else had a Macbook fail straight out of the box?

harrisjamieh · Dec 27, 2006, 05:01 PM

Before you take it back, leave take the battery out and leave the MacBook sitting there for about 15 mins (without the power plugged in) and then put the battery back in and try again. I know it sounds weird, but when i got my iBook G4, thats exactly what I did, and it worked.

Big Mac · Dec 27, 2006, 05:01 PM

A percentage of computers shipped will be DOA. It should be rare, especially with a brand like Apple, and given the fact that the computers are tested before they're boxed. Nonetheless, it does happen.

kick52 · Dec 27, 2006, 07:05 PM

if it comes with a 2 year free warranty, refund it. if it does have a problem with it (shutdown syndrome, or whatever) you can always take it back.

Riverman · Dec 28, 2006, 01:07 PM

Thanks to all for your replies.

I took it back to John Lewis today. They refunded me no problem. I asked them to see if they had any G4 Powerbooks still in stock (the reduced one on display was falling apart) and lo and behold - one left, brand new in its box. 15 inch, 1.67 Ghz. Tiger. Same John Lewis 2yr warranty. Took it away for £999. Pretty chuffed.

I know it's effectively a machine that's already obsolete, but I'm a light user and I expect it will be more than adequate for my needs. The screen is beautiful. Besides - compared to the G3 iBook I've been using for the last 3 years, this thing goes like a rocket.

ibook_steve · Dec 28, 2006, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by Riverman

Thanks to all for your replies.

I took it back to John Lewis today. They refunded me no problem. I asked them to see if they had any G4 Powerbooks still in stock (the reduced one on display was falling apart) and lo and behold - one left, brand new in its box. 15 inch, 1.67 Ghz. Tiger. Same John Lewis 2yr warranty. Took it away for £999. Pretty chuffed.

I know it's effectively a machine that's already obsolete, but I'm a light user and I expect it will be more than adequate for my needs. The screen is beautiful. Besides - compared to the G3 iBook I've been using for the last 3 years, this thing goes like a rocket.

A 2 year old, much slower machine for the same price as a brand new MacBook? I have no idea what "chuffed" means, but if it means "screwed," I think that's what you got.

Steve

msuper69 · Dec 28, 2006, 03:12 PM

chuffed adj. Someone who describes themselves as being chuffed is generally happy with life. You can also get away with saying you are unchuffed or dischuffed if something gets your back up. Make sure you only use this word in the correct tense and familiarise yourself with the meaning of the word chuff too.

You may be chuffed, but you still got screwed. That's a terrible "deal".

cms · Dec 28, 2006, 03:45 PM

Spot on, msuper69. A concise and accurate definition of "chuffed". But i_book_steve needs his head read. Why on earth would anyone in their right mind replace a spiffy new MacBook with a much slower G4 Powerbook? John Lewis Apple salesmen are generally completely ignorant and tell customers the most outrageously incorrect information, so my guess is that poor old i_book_steve was very badly advised by the grubby little oik in a shiny suit and a dirty-collared shirt at his local branch of John Lewis.

As Big Mac rightly points out, DOA kit from Apple is not common but it does happen. I had a 2.0 GHz dual G5 Powermac arrive DOA in June 2004. Apple didn't quibble on replacement. It was collected the next day, and I had a brand new machine within 3 working days. Still going strong as my main desktop machine, with 4 GB RAM -- although severely lagging my 2.33 GHz MacBook Pro....!

k squared · Dec 28, 2006, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by Riverman

...I took it back to John Lewis today. They refunded me no problem. I asked them to see if they had any G4 Powerbooks still in stock (the reduced one on display was falling apart) and lo and behold - one left, brand new in its box. 15 inch, 1.67 Ghz. Tiger. Same John Lewis 2yr warranty. Took it away for £999. Pretty chuffed...

O.K. Now take back the PowerBook and rebuy the MacBook. Seriously. It's not "effectively obsolete", it was absolutly obsolete a year ago.

cms · Dec 28, 2006, 04:07 PM

Ooops....just noticed that I mis-identified the person who had been "done" by John Lewis. It is, of course, Riverman. Not ibook_steve, whom I am sure knows exactly what he's doing. My apologies ibook_steve. And Riverman, just do what k squared suggested, and "re-buy" the MacBook.

Run. Don't walk.....

Riverman · Dec 28, 2006, 06:15 PM

Given that other UK resellers are charging nearly £200 more for Refurb Powerbooks of similar spec, with one rather than two year warranty, I'd say £999 was a decent deal for a new one. I'm aware that a Macbook will outperform the Powerbook in many speed tests but to be honest, a minute or two is neither here nor there to me. I prefer the screen on the PB - I'm not a fan of that glossy finish - and having had a 14 inch iBook, the Macbook screen was always going to be a little cramped. Had I a Macbook most of my apps would not be running natively anyway, so the speed difference would be less dramatic I imagine. I'll be keeping my Powerbook. Each to their own.

ibook_steve · Dec 28, 2006, 06:58 PM

I'm not sure what's going on in the UK, but it certainly sounds like UK resellers are very disreputable for charging people that much for obsolete computers. I don't think we're commenting on the fact that the older machine won't do what you need it to do (though pretty much every app other than Office and Photoshop are Universal with both Universal soon; what else are you using that's not Universal?) . The problem and concern we have is that the cost for such an old machine, even brand new in the box with a 2 year warranty, is a total rip off. From my currency converter, 999 pounds is currently close to $2000, which makes Apple's price for a new black MacBook a big enough rip off in the UK as it is (you can get a nice MacBook Pro for that in the US), but spending this much on an old machine just doesn't make sense.

Steve

Riverman · Dec 28, 2006, 07:16 PM

True, it's a lot of money. But a MacBook Pro retails around £1699 in the UK. At the current exchange rate that's over $3,300. I've paid about 60% what you'd pay for a new MBP here.

As far as I can tell, a refurb PB G4 retails around $999 in the US, about half what a new MBP goes for (around $1,999).

So yes, relatively speaking (compared to MBP prices) you pay slightly less for a PB in the US than this side of the pond. But whichever way you slice it and whatever Mac you buy - MB, MBP, PB, desktops - Macs are very expensive in the UK.

jaydon34 · Dec 28, 2006, 08:11 PM

Yeah what this guy did was silly. G5 doesn't touch an Intel mac so I can't imagine getting a G4. Bro do yourself a favor and get another MacBook.

romeosc · Dec 28, 2006, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by jaydon34

Yeah what this guy did was silly. G5 doesn't touch an Intel mac so I can't imagine getting a G4. Bro do yourself a favor and get another MacBook.

I still use over 8 G4 PBs. I don't yet need a MacBook! I don't play games or render video! I would have to buy new software to take true advantage of speed break. Refurb 17" PBs go for almost as much as refurb 15" Macbooks from Apple.

Someday I will upgrade my gaggle of PBs but I feel no need at present time!

jaydon34 · Dec 28, 2006, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by romeosc

I still use over 8 G4 PBs. I don't yet need a MacBook! I don't play games or render video! I would have to buy new software to take true advantage of speed break. Refurb 17" PBs go for almost as much as refurb 15" Macbooks from Apple.

Someday I will upgrade my gaggle of PBs but I feel no need at present time!

I can understand your need not to purchase a new machine if you have a perfectly good powerbook G4. But this guy had g3 which he felt the need to upgrade and because of a problem with a Macbook he chose to get an older powerbook G4 instead of having the Macbook replaced. That seems silly to me its like buying a dvd player and it not working so instead of getting another dvd player you get a vcr.