How Many Times Do I Have To Get My MacBook Fixed?
You know, the more I actually try and use my MacBook, the more I realize that my IBM/Lenovo laptops have been a heck of a lot more reliable hardware-wise.
I’ve had this first generation MacBook for 18 months now. In that time I’ve had to:
- Get the battery replaced
- Send it in to get a “flickering screen” problem resolved at least 3 times
Now it looks like I’ve got another battery-type issue. When I run the battery down to 60%, the power simply shuts off without warning.
Of the four or five different IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad’s I’ve had over the years, the only service issues I’ve had was a bad motherboard on a 2+ year old IBM T41. Batteries and the like have all worked well for their respective ages.
Makes me real glad I spend the $200+ for AppleCare, but really. How many times do I have to send in this MacBook–or parts thereof–to get it fixed? It’s not like that I’m that hard on the thing or anything. It’s making me consider buying a different laptop next time around–one without an Apple logo on it. What do you think?
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Tags: apple, applecare, ibm, lenovo, macbook, thinkpad Fnord
Comment by Stefan Constantinescu
There is a reason I’ve had nothing but ThinkPad’s for more than 5 years.
Comment by Eric Hanke
I have used Dell Latitude Notebooks for almost 10 years. They are just as dependable as the IBM in my opinion and about 10-15% cheaper also.
Comment by luca
I have a first generation MacBook from June 2006. I needed to replace the original battery a couple of months ago, but now it’s working fine. it’s the only computer I use for work and for personal stuff, and never got other problems.
Comment by Paul S.
I’ve had an iBook and two Macbooks in the last 18 months. I felt with all three that I have to handle them with kid gloves. The latest Macbook Pro I had to have the superdrive replaced because it was scoring the media when I inserted it (costly problem). After having only 1 hour of battery life, lots of problems with bootcamp (I know – not supported), I finally decided to go back to a Windows-based laptop. I am much more happy with the Sony I purchased (for less money/more features).
When clients ask (I’m a technical consultant) I usually steer them towards a Windows-based system for lots of different reasons. Cost, reliability, availability of software, availability of SMEs, etc. Apple certainly has the “cool” factor down.
Comment by Aaron Huslage
Apple is one to actually redress these problems, because you actually pay good money for them. With the other brands you pretty much get what you pay for. So if there is shoddy workmanship, are bad batteries or other components, you might not ever know about them and never actually be able to get them fixed.
I’ve had my share of problems in the past with some of my Macs, but they are always dealt with without question and with haste. Whenever I’ve had a problem with a different manufacturer’s product that I purchased myself (with a service contract), I’ve never had that level of service.
You really do get what you pay for. I say stick with Apple until the other companies have nearly the quality of service that they have.
Comment by PhoneBoy
I will agree with Aaron that Apple’s service is pretty good. However, they are making me cycle my battery before they will replace it. Think I just got to the wrong tech. Bastages!
The problem with non-Apple laptops is Windows. I suppose I could run Linux, which I am not against, but it creates a whole different set of issues.
Comment by PhoneBoy
After a long time on hold–either Apple’s really busy or seriously understaffed–I finally reached someone who is going to send me a replacement battery.