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Apple Replaces Some 15" PowerBook Displays

Posted by pudge on from the get-it-while-it's-hot dept.

boredMDer writes "Apple up until now has been replacing G4 15" PowerBook displays on a case-by-case basis, but has now implemented a worldwide repair program to machines that exhibit these white spots. Affected machines are 867 MHz or 1 GHz TiBooks, and the 1 or 1.25 GHz 15" AlBooks. Serial numbers are QT331xxxxxx to QT339xxxxxx and V7334xxxxxx to V7345xxxxxx."

4 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Begining to Wonder About Apple's QA by MoneyT · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's not a recall so much as a free extended waranty. There are plenty of people who have books that fall in this model range and don't have the problems. What this is, is a statement that there is a design flaw in these models and if your computer is afflicted with the problems that can be caused by this flaw, you get a repair even if you're long out of waranty.

    Generaly speaking Apple accumulates and collects data on which machines are being reported to have problems and then has to narrow down what the problem is. Once they have the problem narrowed down to sofware vs hardware, then they need to determine which models or batches of computers are affected.

    Once that is complete, Apple usualy issues a repair program for any of the computers in the range of systems with a problem, and offers reimbursements to anyone who has previously paid for a repair of the problem from Apple or an AARC.

    --
    T Money
    World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
  2. Re:Serial number by finnatic · · Score: 4, Informative

    That doesn't always work :(

    My powerbook had it's motherboard replaced at one point (the video display was dead, both on the inbuilt display plus the video outs) - and when it came back, whatever stores the serial number wasn't updated with the powerbook's serial number - it just displays as blank (from memory) in the System Profiler.

    The serial number is normally somewhere printed on the powerbook (on a label/sticker) - on mine, it's inside the battery compartment - not exactly convenient, but it is there.

  3. Warranty by boola-boola · · Score: 2, Informative
    This repair extension program is only for people who waited forever to get their laptops serviced (myself included). All Powerbooks come with a default 1-yr. warranty through Apple, and the earliest Powerbooks that were affected by the white spots problem were manufactured in July 2003, so their warranties just passed a few months ago. Chances are everybody who had white spots had them occur very soon after they bought the laptop, and probably had it serviced very soon afterwards as well (sometimes more than once). The thing is, Apple has had a (permanent) fix for the problem since roughly the beginning of 2004.

    My guess is that Apple has finally gone out and publicly offered this extension program since the initial onslaught of "white spots" complaints has finally ended (I only just got mine back a week ago), since they can finally keep up with production. It took them a week and a half to get the part.

  4. Re:Seems unwarranted by sarahbau · · Score: 3, Informative

    Silent treatment? They posted a kbase article on this, including the serial number ranges, on 12/05/03, about two months after the aluminum PowerBooks came out. As someone else mentioned, the only reason they are making any announcement now, is because just now are people who own these coming up to the end of their 1 year warranty. There was no reason to have a repair extension program, when all of the computers were covered under warranty (and would be fixed, since it was a known issue).