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Portables (Apple) Businesses Apple Hardware

iBook Refund On Its Way 34

Posted by pudge from the release-the-hounds dept.
bennomatic writes "Apple is finally making good on those iBook repairs we've heard so much about over the past several months. I just got my letter in the mail the other day which I had to sign and swear that I had indeed paid for the logic board repair in question. The letter stated that the refund would be made within 4-6 weeks following their receipt of my letter. It's funny that, with all of the fuss over the fact that they were not fixing the problem, there's been barely a whisper on the Mac web about the fact that it's all being taken care of."
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iBook Refund On Its Way More

iBook Refund On Its Way

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  • What? (Score:2, Redundant)

    by Kethinov ( 636034 )
    Call me misinformed but what is this all about? I recently bought an ibook and haven't had a single problem with it.

    • Re:What? (Score:5, Informative)

      by Golias ( 176380 ) on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @04:28PM (#8377328)
      A large batch of iBooks from a while back had a chronic problem which frequently required a motherboard replacement after about 9-15 months. Mine failed with a month left on the standard warranty, but many iBook owners were not so lucky, and found themselves stuck with a repair bill that cost hundreds. (It usually made its presense felt as a problem with the video.)

      Apple recently acknowledged that it was indeed a design flaw, and responded by extending the warranty on the motherboard only (not the whole system) for an additional two years, as well as offering to pay back those who replaced mobos out of their own pocket.

      If you've purchased an iBook in recent weeks, it is probably not one of the models with this problem, and so does it have the extended coverage. You can just go on with your life (Although, at $300, the extended 3-Year AppleCare warrantee makes a lot of sense. Laptops can take a lot of abuse over a three-year period.)

      All caught up now?

    • For which computers is the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program available?
      The program is available for iBooks with serial numbers in the following range(s):

      UV220XXXXXX to UV318XXXXXX

      iBooks with the serial numbers listed above may be referred to as:

      * iBook (16 VRAM)
      * iBook (14.1 LCD 16 VRAM)
      * iBook (Opaque 16 VRAM)
      * iBook (32 VRAM)
      * iBook (14.1 LCD 32 VRAM)

      Unfortunately mine is a few thousand from the end of UV318XXXXXX which means I've got one of the POS boards. Oh well, I

  • What about the MacOS Refund (Score:3, Funny)

    by Endive4Ever ( 742304 ) on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @04:27PM (#8377315)
    What about a refund on the 'mandatory' purchase of MacOS X on my G4? I prefer plain Darwin, since it's just used as a server, and Darwin I can download for free? So where's my refund on the copy of MacOS I was forced to purchase with my G4?

    (is Raymond gonna appear at the demo dressed as R2D2 this time?)

  • Where's the fun in that? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by OECD ( 639690 ) on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @04:28PM (#8377329) Journal

    It's funny that, with all of the fuss over the fact that they were not fixing the problem, there's been barely a whisper on the Mac web about the fact that it's all being taken care of.

    It's always more fun to bitch. I'd expect to see more along the lines of, "Well, they're FINALLY taking care of it!"

  • I remember finding this page by accident about a month ago and looking at the serial number on my iBook and finding it unaffected.

    I did think it was interesting that around this time I had to have my battery replaced under warranty (which is only 6 mos. on the battery, even if you spring for AppleCare) that they had order my replacement battery...even though it was supposed to be normally in stock.

  • Mine's done already (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ickoonite ( 639305 ) on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @04:41PM (#8377477) Homepage
    I'm in Japan, so I just took my 14" (which had lain unused for quite a few months) into the Apple Store in Ginza, up to the Genius Bar, and they promptly acknowledged that it was, well, fucked. Less than a week later and I had it back.

    Better still, they rang me the day before I collected it to say that the LCD cable (another iBook weakness) needed fixing and that it would cost 21,000 (about $200, I think) - a little steep, but I said OK. When I went to pick it up, there were a couple of rather dirty fingerprints on the screen and keyboard plastic surrounds. The man cleaned them off, but not satisfied that he had sufficiently allayed my concerns, reduced my repair bill from 21,000 to zero!

    More importantly, viz the topic, the iBook is fine - the only troubling issue is that my 12" model appears to be going the same way - perhaps I shall be calling on their services again in the not too distant future.

    iqu :)
    • i'm glad someone's getting decent service from apple. we've had our g4 server in for repair for two months. they've sent it back three times so far swearing the problem is fixed, but after a few hours it becomes pretty clear that it isn't. (intermittent kernel panics)

  • Wonder if they will extend it . . . (Score:5, Interesting)

    by bedouin ( 248624 ) on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @04:58PM (#8377646)
    My 800mhz iBook was manufactured in June 2003 and thus not covered by their replacement program (since it's still under warranty), yet its logic board failed last week. I wonder when the later iBook models go out of warranty if this program will be extended to cover them as well. Since I have a PowerMac I've literally used my iBook 3-4 times every month since owning it, so it's not like it was used much; hell, it still smells brand new . . .

    Also, I wish I could hear some clear reports of WHAT or if there's anything different with the new logic boards that will ensure they don't keep failing again. Some reports from those who've had their iBooks repaired since this program started would be nice. Frankly I'm thinking of selling my iBook as soon as it comes back and springing for either a 12" PB or G4 iBook. Though i don't use the machine often, when I need it, I need it to work. It's sad I have to consider buying a more expensive model even though I don't need/want its features, but am afraid of the one I already own failing.
    • Though i don't use the machine often, when I need it, I need it to work. It's sad I have to consider buying a more expensive model even though I don't need/want its features, but am afraid of the one I already own failing.

      I would be willing to trade my Dell Inspiron 4000 PIII-600 laptop for your iBook if you'd like. It is a very robust and stable machine and I just got a brand new battery for it. Just don't tell my wife I'm trading in her laptop.

      • No thanks :)

        I see your point though. After it broke I took a look at the dark side (x86) and couldn't find anything comparable to the iBook within the same price range, and even if I did there's a question of Linux compatibility, since I refuse to run another MS OS again.

        When I compare my one failure to some of my friends' PC failures, I suppose I'm being bitchy.

    • Re:Wonder if they will extend it . . . (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Funnily enough, my ibook bought in May 2003 (also not covered by the replacement program) had its logic board fail recently. Could this problem be far more widespread than Apple is letting on (that is, did they really fix the problem in April 2003?)?
    • My iBook 700 16MB VRAM failed one week after going out of warranty, but also one week after they announced the logic board repair problem (whew...). On the phone, the Apple support rep told me that the new logic boards had a change made to them to prevent recurrence of the problem. I'm thinking this is why it took so long for them to start the repair program, they didn't want to just keep giving people broken boards, they wanted to fix the problem first. As further proof that the problem may have been fi

  • My Experiences With iBook Logic Boards (Score:3, Interesting)

    by frenchs ( 42465 ) on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @05:49PM (#8378277) Homepage
    I bought my iBook (12" 800mhz) in January '02. I was more than happy with it until August '02 when the screen died on me right in the middle of a Bioinformatics conference. Luckily I was in Palo Alto, so I just went down to the Apple store and the guy at the genius bar sent it out for repairs. Apple repaired it and shipped it back to my home within 5 days.

    Cut to November '02. Same thing happens, screen goes nuts, trouble with video on booting. I take it down to the closest Apple store and the genius bar once again sends it back for repairs, and it comes back within 7 days.

    Basically after November I was freaking out, because I didn't have the extra cash to buy an extended warranty, and I just about know that my motherboard will go out again at some point. But then Apple came through and started the Logic Board replacement program exactly 1 year from the day I bought my computer.

    I can say that if Apple didn't cover this and I was forced to extend my warranty, I would probably have never bought another Apple again. But as it is, they came through with their customer support and my next computer will probably be a G5 laptop when they finally come out.
    • I cannot be happier with the service that i receved once i sent my iBook in. It was back on my desk in 2 days. Up until the replacement program was announced, i was patiently waiting for the pressure from the public to mount, in the form of articles, and the proposed class action lawsuit. I knew it was only a matter of time. It probably took too long, but hey, it happened. The repaits did not cost me a dime, even though the iBook was no longer under warranty.
    • I bought my iBook (12" 800mhz) in January '02. [...] Apple came through and started the Logic Board replacement program exactly 1 year from the day I bought my computer.

      Hm, wait a minute. Apple says [apple.com] that the program covers iBooks manufactured between May 2002 and April 2003, and I thought this program started in January 2004.

      Am I missing something? I have a not-covered January '02 iBook with the same problems, so I'm pretty interested in this one.

  • Woe is Leo Laporte (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Sorry, Leo, another disappointment.

    To those who don't know, Leo Laporte, co-host of The Screen Savers on TechTV, got fed up with his iBook's problems and, rather than sending it in to Apple to be fixed, threw his away. Within a week before Apple acknowledged the problem and said they'd do free repairs. Or so it was disclosed on the show.

    It is also said that one should not purchase a product from Apple until Leo does because it always drops in price shortly afterward.

    Say Leo, did you see that X-Files/Ve

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