[Rezster]

I have a Ti G4 667 MHz that has been giving me lots of trouble lately. The current issue is the trackpad generally works right after I boot then gets unreliable then stops working altogether. I bought a wireless mouse, which is actually quite nice but not so great on planes etc. Any thoughts?

My much more unpleasant recent experience was that I had to have my logic board replaced (display was unreliable then stopped working altogether). I had applecare but Apple refused to fix it for free because of cosmetic damage to the case that had happened from a minor fall a year and a half ago. The damage was only to one corner of the bottom case but they listed a bunch of places that were damaged that weren't really and said that they would have to replace the entire case in order to replace the logic board. Since I told them about the fall they said they'd waive that charge but would still have to charge for the case (>$600 instead of >$1000!). I got my university computer repair guy to replace the logic board only for $369, and at least I haven't had the same problems since. I suppose I could have spent more time trying to plead my case to additional customer service people but I had a deadline to meet and needed my computer back!

So I'm a bit sad and frustrated with Apple right now. It would be great if things would improve as I'm hoping not to have to have this be my last PB!

[bighead]

Well, why don't you stop dropping expensive things and wanting the manufacturer to fix it for free? Just because something fails a year and a half after you drop it doesn't mean that it isn't damaged by the drop. It's like snorting cocaine for years, then having a heart attack a decade after you stop. Sure, it wasn't the cocaine that killed you. It was the damage that it caused that allowed other things to kill you later on.

That said, in order to replace the trackpad (I'm assuming it isn't the trackpad interface on the logic board) you have to replace the whole top case. It's not a fun repair, believe me. Talk to your university repair guy again and see what he'd be willing to do.

[Rezster]

I don't expect them to fix damage I caused for free- I was more upset that they listed a bunch of areas on the outer case that were damaged (e.g. hinge broken) that were not damaged at all. Exaggerating damage in order to get out of a repair is pretty crappy. They also said it was necessary to replace the case in order to replace the logic board- which is clearly not true since the U. repair tech was able to do so. In addition, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a portable machine to sustain a 1.5 foot fall without cosmetic damage. As the aluminum power books (mine is titanium) seem much more sturdy, perhaps Apple might agree that the case needed improvement.

Originally posted by bighead:
Well, why don't you stop dropping expensive things and wanting the manufacturer to fix it for free? Just because something fails a year and a half after you drop it doesn't mean that it isn't damaged by the drop. It's like snorting cocaine for years, then having a heart attack a decade after you stop. Sure, it wasn't the cocaine that killed you. It was the damage that it caused that allowed other things to kill you later on.

That said, in order to replace the trackpad (I'm assuming it isn't the trackpad interface on the logic board) you have to replace the whole top case. It's not a fun repair, believe me. Talk to your university repair guy again and see what he'd be willing to do.

[ChrisF]

Originally posted by Rezster:
I have a Ti G4 667 MHz that has been giving me lots of trouble lately. The current issue is the trackpad generally works right after I boot then gets unreliable then stops working altogether. I bought a wireless mouse, which is actually quite nice but not so great on planes etc. Any thoughts?

I started having this problem whenever I would apply pressure to the case just above the trackpad and below the keyboard- the symptoms were relieved by putting the computer to sleep and then waking it. What I did to fix it is this: lift up the keyboard and look for a ribbon cable which is adjacent to the base of the RAM slots. This is the cable for the trackpad. It wears on the sharp edge of the case which cuts through the insulation and causes it to short. To repair, remove the two Torx-8 screws that you'll see right there. Then, very delicately, wrap this cable in some tape so that it can't touch the metal portions of the top case. Replace the two screws and the keyboard. Turn it on and see if that's better. As always, but especially in the winter months when the air is dry, be very careful of static damage when poking around inside a computer.

[Rezster]

Originally posted by ChrisF:
I started having this problem whenever I would apply pressure to the case just above the trackpad and below the keyboard- the symptoms were relieved by putting the computer to sleep and then waking it. What I did to fix it is this: lift up the keyboard and look for a ribbon cable which is adjacent to the base of the RAM slots. This is the cable for the trackpad. It wears on the sharp edge of the case which cuts through the insulation and causes it to short. To repair, remove the two Torx-8 screws that you'll see right there. Then, very delicately, wrap this cable in some tape so that it can't touch the metal portions of the top case. Replace the two screws and the keyboard. Turn it on and see if that's better. As always, but especially in the winter months when the air is dry, be very careful of static damage when poking around inside a computer.

Thanks a lot Chris! I took a quick peek and it does appear that the cable is rubbing against the case on one side. I will try the fix.