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Desktops (Apple) Businesses Apple Hardware

Apple Issues Power Supply Exchange 63

Posted by pudge from the back-in-my-day-computers-made-us-go-deaf dept.
mpath_lamp writes "Today Apple issued an exchange program for all owners of the Mirrored Drive Doors Power Mac G4. It's meant to resolve the incredibly loud fan noise in the current power supplies of Power Mac models that began to ship in August 2002. The program requires a $20 shipping charge and the return of the old power supply. Apple will begin shipping the kits on March 10 in limited quantities and the kit consists of a 360-watt power supply, system fan, allen key, and installation instructions. A big thank you can be directed to the guys over at G4noise.com for the continuous support in trying to get an official response from Apple."
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Apple Issues Power Supply Exchange More

Apple Issues Power Supply Exchange

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  • news.com.com.com.com article on this... (Score:4, Informative)

    by lwbecker2 ( 530894 ) on Friday February 21, 2003 @05:36PM (#5356124)
    here is a link to the news.com.com.com.com coverage [com.com]

  • Great but... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by esome ( 166227 )
    is the average mac user savvy enough to replce their fan and powersupply? I don't mean to belittle mac users (I am one), it's just that Apple caters to the sort of folks who don't want to have to deal with or think about things like this.

    • Re:Great but... (Score:5, Informative)

      by lwbecker2 ( 530894 ) on Friday February 21, 2003 @05:44PM (#5356215)
      There is a DIY "kit" [apple.com] or you can send it back to apple. from the actual article: Install the kit yourself or have it installed for you ...Or have a service provider install the kit for you

      additionally, it says "After you have ordered and received the kit, take your computer and kit to a retail Apple Store (U.S. only) or Authorized Apple Service Provider if you do not feel comfortable performing the exchange yourself or are concerned that you may damage the computer while doing so. Please note, however, that you may be charged an installation fee to cover the cost of labor. Prices may vary.

      • Re:Great but... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by batobin ( 10158 ) on Friday February 21, 2003 @09:27PM (#5357967) Homepage
        That really doesn't sound like Apple. I worked in an Apple-Authorized Service Center for two years, and whenever the company messed up, they were better to their customers than this. Maybe it's the harder economic times, but it seems to me that Apple is getting cheap.

        For example, Apple's 15 inch MultiSync monitor often was effected by something which everyone referred to as "the tint issue". If a customer brought one in, and we verified tint was indeed wrong, we'd simply call up Apple. They'd say, 'What's up?" We'd say, "Tint issue." They'd say, "Give us two days."

        The two days referred to how long we had to wait for an empty box. Usually we got it the next day. We packaged the monitor up, and Apple paid for the shipping back to their shop. They'd fix it free of charge, send it back to us, and we'd give it back to the customer. Good as new. $0 paid by the customer.

        When Apple didn't perform the fix themselves, they'd always pay our shop to do it. Even if the machine was out of warranty. An example of this is the 7200/90 which had ethernet-port problems on the motherboard. Apple paid for new motherboards, and for the Apple shop to install them for any customer. There also wasn't a time limit set for people to get it fixed. I noticed there is one for the new power supply fix.

        So all in all, it seems like Apple is getting cheap. Darn shame, too.

        • Re:Great but... (Score:2, Interesting)

          by jericho4.0 ( 565125 )
          Well, if you havn't noticed, as above, many of Apple's 'deals' are 'U.S. only', also.

          I understand that the U.S is Apples biggest market, but the rest of us take notice, ya know? I want to love Apple, I really do.

        • For example, Apple's 15 inch MultiSync monitor often was effected by something which everyone referred to as "the tint issue". If a customer brought one in, and we verified tint was indeed wrong, we'd simply call up Apple. They'd say, 'What's up?" We'd say, "Tint issue." They'd say, "Give us two days."

          I have a 15" MultiSync (acquired through a friend) that has this issue. When I keep using it for an hour or two it changes back to the normal color, and looks perfectly fine. Could you tell me how to fix this possibly?
          • Just bring it into an Apple Authorized Service Center. Ask if they'll do the replacement. If they want money (which they shouldn't!), don't bother. You could get a better monitor for much cheaper than it would take to pay for a fix.

            But Apple should still be fixing this for free.

        • Re:Great but... (Score:4, Insightful)

          by redwood2 ( 179115 ) on Saturday February 22, 2003 @05:52AM (#5359574) Journal
          Apple is getting cheap?

          Looks like, for $20, they're going to send me a new power supply to fix a problem that really didn't affect the performance of the box in the first place and that 20 includes the shipping of the new one to oyu and the old one back to them?

          I got no complaints.
          • Well, yes, I still fault Apple for being cheap. I also don't agree that the noise "didn't effect the performance of the box". Did you visit that web site? Audio professionals couldn't use the box because it was so loud. I'm a content creator (photoshop, dreamweaver, and other non-audio related apps consume my days) and I doubt even I could focus with a machine that loud.

            For Apple to not be "cheap", in my opinion, they need to 1. not charge any money to ship the parts 2. offer to cover all costs if a user wishes for an Apple Authorized service center to make the replacement.

            That's what they've done in the past. Now all of a sudden Apple isn't doing this anymore. Therefore, I stand by my original opinion.

    • Re:Great but... (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Well, this does only apply to the PowerMacs, which I would assume are mostly either tech-savvy Mac users that wouldn't mind replacing a PSU themselves, or rich Mac n00bs that wouldn't mind paying someone to do it for them. (for once Apple's price premium works to their advantage :) ).

    • Re:Great but... (Score:3, Insightful)

      by usr122122121 ( 563560 )
      is the average mac user savvy enough to replce their fan and powersupply
      It comes with instructions. Anyone who owns a mac has enough intelligence to follow instructions, thus "tech savvy" has nothing to do with it.

      Heck, even a moron can launch a nuke given the proper manuals...

    • Re:Great but... (Score:3, Insightful)

      by mbbac ( 568880 )
      If you bought a PowerMac, you bought it for a reason: expandability. Anyone with a PowerMac either can handle this themselves or has someone staffed that can.

  • shocking (Score:5, Interesting)

    by rat_herder ( 527991 ) on Friday February 21, 2003 @05:46PM (#5356252)
    I'd been using my x2g4@1ghz exclusively in OSX for at least two months before I had the need to boot OS9. It was a particularly hot day on the Austalian coast, and I got a real shock when I finally heard the fan kick in...

    I was in another room, but it sounded like something taking off in my lounge. Wondering out, i discover that my g4 is an industrial exhaust fan wrapped in pretty plastic!!! It's really loud. Strangely enough I ONLY hear it when in OS9, which is just about not at all.

    Still the fan replacement thing is a nice suprise.

    • Re:shocking (Score:5, Informative)

      by pi radians ( 170660 ) on Friday February 21, 2003 @05:59PM (#5356422)
      Your problem is solved via a firmware update [apple.com].

      If you only get the really bad noise in Mac OS 9 it is firmware, but if you get it no matter what OS it is hardware.

      (I think I just saved you $20).
      • But the noise was still unacceptably loud even with the firmware update (compared to other G4s at least...), so it is a Good Thing(R) that Apple is doing this!
        • Actually, this "unacceptably loud" noise is only on certain Powermacs. I bought a dual 867 in august and there is no "vacuum like noise" (as so many of those complaining describe it). I've heard the audio samples from g4noise.com and my MDD is nothing like that. I don't know why but only some of the G4s are really bad, the others are noisier than older Macs, but not noticable from other rooms.

          That being said, I'm still going to order the new powersupply. I'll try it out too see if there really is a difference (hey for $20 bucks, why not?).
          • The jet engine noise comes from a fan that only turns on when the box gets to hot. This is incredibly noisy but I only get it for the first couple of seconds after a reboot. This fix is for the PSU fans which while loud are not in the same league. Some people say the PSU noise is unacceptable - I find it is alright and suspect there has been some hysteria doing the rounds here. I guess if you're doing audio work it would be a pain though. Even so I've ordered my new PSU as quietness is a good thing. So we'll see how that goes - shipping March 10th...

  • Great... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Junta ( 36770 )
    Offtopic rant...

    Now if they would just repair the cheap-ass plastic lid latch release button and headphone jack in my iBook.

    Apple's engineering quality has declined. It seems they are trying to see what they can get away with now. The noisy power supplies are one example. Anyone else have the lid latch retainer thing break for no good reason?

    And why in the latest iBook revision have they changed the metal holding a headphone plug in place to cheap plastic, and just to make *sure* it breaks, leave empty space between the plug and the more solid case. The iBook is the only device I have ever seen that saw it fit to use plastic there, and now I see why. Even a 5 dollar walkman uses metal there.

    I can see why they could think that a plastic headphone jack would be sufficient without much testing, but what genious had the idea of a thin, relatively sharp lid latch fastening into rather flimsy plastic?

    This recall is good, but on the whole, service is not that great nowadays. What is the price premium for if they try to weasel their way out of what they view as expensive repairs? I already drained my account to buy the damn system in the first place, don't demand 700+ dollars to fix two pieces of plastic just so I can use headphones again... I know the quote probably includes the motherboard, but still.

    The battery life. temperature, and display are all top notch, but the cheap manufacturing on the outside can severely impact important functionality..

    • Re:Great... (Score:3, Informative)

      by Johnny Mnemonic ( 176043 )

      Now if they would just repair the cheap-ass plastic lid latch release button

      They will fix exactly this, for free. Or they should, if they are current with Apple Policy.

      Well, they'll replace it with one exactly like it--so it still may have the same propensity to get chewed up. But iBook latches are a covered repair, if the unit is still under warranty. If you asked before, ask again. If you asked recently (in the last week or so), ask someone else who's more current.

      (email me privately if you fail to get satisfaction, I may be able to help.)
      • Cool, I'll give it yet another shot...

        I just wish major companies (not just Apple, I've had moments with Compaq.... Not with Dell or Gateway, but that might just be pure luck) would make a bigger effort for Customer Service to be more consistant. Talking to four reps and no two agreeing on what is and is not covered by warranty really doesn't make a customer happy. I was actually happiest with the prognosis that the headphone jack was covered and the lid latch not, but if the lid latch can be fixed, might as well pursue that..

        • Re:Great... (Score:3, Insightful)

          by Johnny Mnemonic ( 176043 )
          Speaking as someone who has had to make that call, it is tough knowing where to draw the line. I agree--being consistent is almost as important as simply giving you the answer that you want to hear. Sometimes, it's better just to know that if you're denied on the first attempt, you'll be denied forevermore--so there's no need for kabuki on your part with subsequent techs.

          Although, I've never tried to return another consumer good worth a few thousand dollars to know how big brands treat it--but I guess I would expect less resistance from Best Buy than from the Apple Store; when your margins are in the billions of dollars a year, a little more can be spent on Customer Satisfaction. Then again, ever try to have a car still in warranty replaced instead of repaired, even for a serious defect?
    • Apple's engineering quality has declined. It seems they are trying to see what they can get away with now. The noisy power supplies are one example. Anyone else have the lid latch retainer thing break for no good reason?
      No. Not on my 1.5+ year old iBook.

  • is it just me... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Drunken_Jackass ( 325938 ) on Friday February 21, 2003 @05:58PM (#5356413) Homepage
    or is anyone else sick of having to describe a Mac like this:

    "It's a G3. Not a beige G3, but the Blue one. The first of the cool looking ones."

    Or, "It's a G4. No, not the grey one, the silver one. Yeah, well silver and the one with the mirrored drive doors."
    • Except for the original iBook, which is universally identified as the Toilet Seat, I refer to them by year. I wish Apple would officially do the same. It seems to work for the automotive industry.

      (It seems to work for Microsoft, too - never mind.)

      Mark
      1999 PowerBook G3 - or Bronze or Lombard

    • A testament to their fan base (Score:5, Interesting)

      by elliotj ( 519297 ) <slashdot&elliotjohnson,com> on Friday February 21, 2003 @06:18PM (#5356618) Homepage
      I think it's a testament to Apple that their fan base follows their product line with such vigor that I can describe my laptop at the TiBook 800 as "the first Ti with the higher-def screen" and a whole lot of people will know exactly which model I mean.

      Can you think of another computer maker who could say the same?
      • Can you think of another computer maker who could say the same?

        Perhaps some of the UNIX workstation vendors. For example, none of them really release products with lots of fanfare...the people who need to know will know. For example, only the really big-deal stuff, such as some of flag-ship Sun Fire servers or StarOffice get tons of press out of Sun. Other product releases, such as the Blade 150 seemed to simply happen with just a blurb at their web site. Yet it didn't seem to take long for lots of people to know all about the Blade 150 and its strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps I'm incorrect; this is just my take on it.
      • ...their fan base...

        Ha! Fan base!

        Get it? Fan!

        That's gold!! You should write for leno!

    • Re:is it just me... (Score:5, Funny)

      by Nick of NSTime ( 597712 ) on Friday February 21, 2003 @06:19PM (#5356634)
      A lot long-time Mac users refer to the computers by their codenames, e.g., Sawtooth, Yikes, Wall Street, Pismo, and so on.

      Other Mac users devise clever nicknames, such as TiBook and "speed hole Mac." The blue and white G3 is called a smurf tower.

    • Even Apple can't tell the difference! (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Apple seems to have their example machines mixed up on their Exchange Program [apple.com] website:

      I have a 'Quicksilver' at home, and a 'Windtunnel' at work, so I'm pretty sure they've got it wrong here.

      But I agree, they should just make the codenames offical, and maybe add the year onto the name. Updates could get a letter or an additional digit... Apple usually has cool codenames anyway- but now that I think about it, even that would become a marketing decision...

      Update: while previewing my submission, they fixed it! Honest!
    • "It's an Arthur. Not a Gossamer, but the Yosemite. The first of the cool looking ones."

      "It's a Max. No, not the Yikes or Sawtooth, the Quicksilver. Yeah, well a Windtunnel then."


      And let's not kid ourselves, car people do it too.

      "It's a Corvette. No, not the 60s style one, but a 70s model. The coke bottle shaped one."

      "It's a Corvette. No, not a Stingray, but a Mako."

  • I've always wondered what my hard drive sounds like.

  • What did you say? (Score:4, Funny)

    by TPIRman ( 142895 ) on Friday February 21, 2003 @06:52PM (#5356927)
    What? The dollar's up high in Spain? Huh? Hold on, let me turn this damn thing off for a second.
  • Seems like Apple has the pictures [apple.com]
    of the quicksilver and the MDD on the announcement mislabeled.

    The news story [com.com] has the pictures correct.

  • I have one of these machines, and the only thing I can say is: man, is that fan loud. Something really had to be done, and while I could quibble about the price, I have to say that I'll be very happy to have a nice, new-ish shiny mirrored door Mac that is quieter than a 1200 watt hairdryer. :-)

    Seriously, the fan noise is the only complaint I have about my dual processor G4 system, which is otherwise a complete joy to use. I do still wonder how in the world they signed off on this design in the first place...

    • Yes, I do agree that the fans are quite loud, especially when they spool up. I think my Dual G4 is about to take off down my hallway and into the wild blue yonder. Kudos to Apple for addressing a unfortunate design flaw in the new G4's. On the other side, I do leave my G4 on 24/7 (going on 30 some days now without a re-boot) but I did shut it off one night, and tried to go to bed. The silence was eerie. Its almost comforting to have the fans going in the background now that I have had it for 6 months or so.
    • I'm having three separate problems with my newish mirrored dual 1GHz.

      First of all, yes, it's too loud when running "normally."

      Then sometimes, when I turn it on, it will get even *louder*, really like a vacuum, super loud.

      Other times when I push the power button to turn it on, the fan will come on, but the HDD will not spin up. Then I have to hold the power button to shut the machine off, and the next time I turn it on it will boot up OK. Has anyone else had a problem like this?

      I had called Apple and was planning to take it in for service, now I'm wondering if the replacement power supply might fix all of these problems.
  • G4noise.com demonstrates where you can get if you put a company's feet to the fire publicly and humorously. Thumbs up for them. Thumbs down for Apple for shipping those noise boxes in the first place and then stonewalling owners.
  • I've heard the offending noise, and boy have we come a long way. As computer noises go, it really is a testament to how quiet Macs are, that people bitch about the G4 noise.

    I have a SGI indigo^2 that literally sounds like a jet engine winding up and a Sun Sparcstation 5 that is nearly as bad (the SGI is the worst "desktop" I've heard).
  • Good for g4noise.com and good for Apple.

    It's still a shame. Back in the seventies, when I wore earplugs because of the insidious levels of fan noise in the room where I worked (with three minicomputers, terminals, CRT's, printers, etc. ALL with noisy fans) the totally silent Apple ][ was a revelation.

    "Wow!" I said when I saw one for the first time. "No fan? They must be geniuses at thermal engineering!" Little did I know that it was just the opposite--they knew so little about thermal engineering they didn't KNOW they needed to do it.

    Still, it was amazingly luxurious and soothing to work on a totally silent machine.

    Ditto for the original Mac (and Mac Plus). Blessedly silent... but cursedly prone to heat-induced failures.

    The difference between a very quiet machine and a silent machine is very significant.

    Apple's Power Macs have been, in general, no better or worse than competitors in terms of noise... but they should really be ashamed of themselves for coming out with a conspicuously noisy machine.

    Since Steve Jobs is known to care about noise, I wonder whether he had any personal role in Apple's decision to do the right thing?
  • Too bad this announcement came about a week and a half after I ordered some replacement fans for my Power Mac G4's power supply.

    Well, I'll order the new thing and see which is quieter, the modified noisy PSU or the brand new one. I'll be damned if I'm going to send back the old one. Having options is a good thing.
  • they have great designers - can't fault them there.

    but I feel that they must have drunk engineers - esp. in the power supply department.

    they had to recall tons of laptop power supplies because they would get too hot and cause fires. they would exchange them for free with (still warm) improved ones.

    then they put out their current laptops that get hot enough to burn - but that isn't all power supply and is largely also in part of the processor and graphics card being warm little things - and then the aluminum covers conducting heat well... as aluminum does :)

    and then this - and I would imagine that noise is a HUGE problem with many Mac types since they use it for video and sound editing.

    I personally just go for cheap and fast systems that I can cluster - and I spend a little more when I build them to get the quiet stuff - one computer that is loud is bad enough, but a few of them that are loud... ugh!

    imagine being in a design house that has many of these loud G4s... at least they are shiny. you can sit back and be glad about hot pretty it is while rubbing your temples to try to alleviate the headaches :)

  • Even the single-CPU Quicksilver's were too loud (though I understand the MDD G4's were exceptionally noisy). There was a small group of us who agitated for Apple to address this issue over a year ago. It's unfortunate that they let the situation degrade further. At least some folks will get relief.

    Kudos to G4Noise for doing it right.

    Anyone know where I can get an aftermarket power supply for a Quicksilver that is quieter? My warranty is almost up, and I'm about to tear all the fans out and replace 'em with fancy-pants reduced-voltage, ball-brearing fans. I just don't want to have to muck around with the fan inside the PSU.

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