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Apple Buying Back Troubled PowerBooks
antihero writes "The PowerBook Zone has some information for owners of PowerBook 5300s and 190s. They'll take those models and sell you one of the current models for $1800, about $700 cheaper than MSRP. This is to get these often-problematic models off the streets so Apple doesn't have to continue supporting them. These 5 year old models aren't worth much." This offer goes to August 31st.
I also read yesterday that Apple is also doing a trade in for their Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh- a cool little machine release in'97. I can't find the article, but apparently Apple is not just giving a $700 credit towards a PowerBook like with the 5300c and 190, but are doing a total trade in- apparently for a G4/400. I recall ever hearing about anyone having troubles with these machines, but then again, they're fairly rare. Pretty good deal for TAM owners, if you ask me. Buy then again, they're pretty neet.
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
Getting rid of tech support may only be one of the reasons Apple has decided to have this trad-in. It has been rumored that Apple will be announcing next gen powerbooks and ibooks at Seybold at the end of this month, and this program may be an attempt to flush the channel before the new models ship. The deadline for the trade-in coincides with seybold. Seybold Expo (Aug. 27-Sept. 1) Deadline (Aug. 31) just a thought.
Yah, like my 8 year old Ford Escort*. Ford identified a problem in the steering wheel system and issued a recall. They just fixed it, they should have replaced it with a new Explorer!!!
* I don't own a Ford Escort and I made up the steering wheel problem.
"Grab them by the pussy" -- President of the United States of America
Another Apple innovation: computers that GAIN value over time.
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See the "..for smart people" banners Wired runs here? Look elsewhere guys.
True story: I was fortunate enough to buy a 5300 in 1996 at the now-defunct ComputerCity. The sales guy managed to talk me into the extended warranty. Thank you sales guy!!!
Within 2 years, the display burned out 3 times, the motherboard & power manager once each, and it was all repaired for free. The last time I took it in for service (to a Tandy office, since ComputerCity was long gone), they officially threw in the towel and wrote me a check for the original purchase price. It was almost exactly enough to buy a Wallstreet (1998 Powerbook G3).
Try doing THAT with a junker from E-Machines or the other bottom-of-the-line PC makers. Even truly BAD Apples offer a competitive Total Cost of Ownership, thanks to buybacks. Funny, but true.
...and Sony VAIOs are manufactured by... Toshiba.
I used to service Toshiba and Compaq laptops, and I have to say I was quite impressed by the aftermarket service both brands. We could get parts for 8+ years old laptops. OTOH, we couldn't even get a power supply for ACER or Texas Instruments laptops that were 2 months old. At the time, Dell had virtually no service over Europe (that's 3 years ago) and IBM was just restructuring its maintenance services.
Laptops are fragile, that's why one should always be aware of the kind of after-market service you get *after*. NEVER buy a "small brand", cause by the time they cash the check, the company usually has already filed for bankruptcy. I remember that USian asking us to fix his "unknown brand" laptop for which he had paid an extra $200 for a "worldwide warranty". Poor guy...
Apple has always taken care of its flaky hardware better than other manufacturers simply because they *admit* having bad series or defect.
Now, I'm considering buying a laptop fairly soon, and nobody in the PC world can offer me decent battery time (Crusoe is still far away and I need 4 hours on battery) , so an iBook or PB is the only solution for now. Most of the software I use (Macromedia stuff mostly) run on Mac so it won't be too painful for me to adapt. Considering the cost of a laptop, I'd rather go with a company that treats its customers better than the others.
-- It's always darker before it goes pitch black.
So you know, be careful about putting force on the port for too long. Ive had one of those happen to an iBook at school, and eventually the port was dead (it had fully been broken off the mboard apperantly).
Another workaround if you have some electrical tool slying around (wire, electrical tape, plyers) you can just splice your power cable, put some end on them (like a bit of straigh wire) and plug them into the two metal ports on the underside of the laptop. If i remember properly, with the laptop upside down and the handle facing away from you, the white cable goes on the left, and the sheilding around the cable goes into the right socket. It doesnt seem to fry the machine if you reverse it. You know it works because the charge light around the power port lights up.
The quality-control issues in the 5300 were what made up my mind, though it took a while to get up the gumption to switch systems. I'm using a Sony VAIO running Linux now, and I'm pretty darned happy with it. I don't plan to go back.
Eliminate the support costs and even turn a (if somewhat reduced) profit per unit. Whatever have other companies been thinking to replace defective products for FREE when they could just downplay the problem long enough for them to become all "old and worn out anyway"? :-P
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Where can the word be found, where can the word resound? Not here, there is not enough silence.
"Where shall the word be found, where will the word resound? Not here, there is not enough silence." -T.S. Eliot
I used to repair these buggers, the main problem with them was the AC port where you would plug the adapter for power in... It was extremely fragile and broke with very little force. Apple had a special recall on these modles. If it broke, they would replace it.. Once, and once only. If it happened again, you were out of luck. We had found a way to solder in a new kind of connector that didn't have the same problem... Usually took about an hour of labor to do the modification. I've done it about three times. Worked like a charm after that. However, if you own one of these.. I'd get rid of it. Better yet, look for them at used computer stores if you're looking to buy a new laptop... You may just find one for less then what apple is giving for them. :)
Why do I get the feeling that PB 5300's and 190's are going to start going for more on Ebay? The article says that the units don't even need to function. SO if you were planning on buying a new PB anyway, it's a nice way to save yourself a bonus.
--------- Beware the dragon, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
>sell us laptops without an inferior Operating
>System.
Well, I can't speak for the compaq's online options 'cause I would never even consider owning such a colossal piece of shit. Hell, for that matter, the same goes for dell... if I ever own another x86 notebook it'll be an IBM or Sony... at least they put out decent hardware, even if their choice of primairy OS sucks.
But Linux on a dell? That's even MORE of a joke.
When
For starters, the Linux they offered as an option was obsolete anyway. They were offering Red Hat 5.2 when I already had RH 6.1 up and running on my IBM I was surfing on.
Oh, and here's a nifty exercise for ya: Try configuring two IDENTICAL dell boxen at their site; same hardware across the board. Look at the prices. Oops!!! where's that $100 saveings you should be seeing by omitting windoze??? Could it be? mikey is charging the same price for the hardware with the FREE OS as for the bloated overpriced trash from redmond?
Perish the thought... that CAN'T be! mikey dell's our FRIEND! He spoke at LinuxWorld and said nice stuff about us... he would *never* gouge US.... would he... WOULD HE???
john
Resistance is NOT futile!!!
Haiku:
I am not a drone.
Remove the collective if
Imagine all the people...
And unless you want to run linux on it via a serial port, it's not going to be of much use to you running Linux. Unless you want to use it to try to figure out how to get it's ADB keyboard to work with Linux m68K. That's been a major problem for a while(I would have loved to have Linux on a Duo ...oh well). That and the terrible SCSI performance. I have Debian 2.1 on my SE/30 and it works great (it even runs X on the 9" screen), but my only complaint is SCSI disk performance.
For more info check out http://www.mac.linux-m68k.org for more information. If you have programming experience on the Mac, they need developers.
the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs
Yeah, but knowing eBay people will be buying them for $1000+.
Well, the news must not be very widespread as of yet. Most 5300/190 items on ebay now are just misc parts. There are a few (< 10) operational systems that are being bid on, most is a current bid of about $200.
the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs
...and never really had any problems with them. One has 40 MB RAM and is running Mac OS 8.6, the other has 24 and is running 7.6.1. The 5300 only has a 100 MHz PowerPC 603e and a 33.3 MHz bus, and is no speed demon, but runs MS Office 98 well, plays my MP3s, and even handles CodeWarrior fine in a pinch. I've heard horror stores about the power connector breaking off or the plastics falling apart... I don't baby my laptops, but I do use common sense, never really had any problems.
I'll probably strip one down and trade it in on a PB G3/400, can't pass up that great deal. Plus I'll finally be able to run Final Cut Pro on the road.
How about giving those Powerbooks that they get back to needy students who need a computer. They are probably going to just junk those machines anyway, why not give it to someone who really needs it.
Furthermore, this will keep kids away from Windows**.
Apple is also offering a trade in program for a problem with buzzing in the Bose speaker system and power supply of the 20th Anniversary Macintosh
Personally, I believe this is partly to remove the units when they have gone down in value to the point where it is inexpensive enough for Apple, and most importantly, to remove the products that were not designed under the reign of Steve.
If you thought the TAMs were collectors items now...
And MacOS X is just vapor.... it will NOT be released (not even public beta) this year
Hmmmm, odd. Mac OS X appears to run just fine for me on my G3. Maybe it's all just done with mirrors?
- Scott
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Scott Stevenson
Scott Stevenson
Tree House Ideas
I'm sick of Apple stories on /. But here you is.
Instead of complaining, why don't you just turn the Apple topic off in your preferences?
- Scott
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Scott Stevenson
Scott Stevenson
Tree House Ideas