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Apple Launches Repair Program For Longstanding 2011 MacBook Pro GPU Problems
AmiMoJo writes: Apple has just launched a MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issues to provide out-of-warranty repairs for MacBook Pros and Retina MacBook Pros sold between February of 2011 and December of 2013. Symptoms of affected computers include "distorted or scrambled video on the computer screen," "no video on the computer screen (or external display) even though the computer is on," and unexpected restarts. Some users have been complaining about 2011 MacBook Pro GPU issues since shortly after the systems launched. Those complaints continued for well over three years—outside of the warranty window even if you bought AppleCare, at least if you bought the systems at launch—and were more recently the cause of a class-action lawsuit.
Those complaints continued for well over three yearsâ"outside of the warranty window even if you bought AppleCare,
That's like Sears. Bought a window AC from them, failed inside the 1 year warranty. They drug the replacement process out for so long that the warranty expired, then they tried to claim that since it was now out of warranty, they had deleted all information on the claim and they wouldn't cover it. Took many hours on the phone to even get the unit replaced with an inferior model, spent says in over-100 temps with no AC as a result. Now I sincerely hope Sears goes out of business. Petty? Too bad.
If you make your warranty claim before the period expires, though, they don't have a legal leg to stand on.
This is not Apple's first epic hardware failure. The one by which I've been personally bitten is the B&W G3 data corruption bug. Rev.1 used a CMD IDE controller which sucked, and which Apple implemented very poorly. Works okay in the Ultrasparc 5, causes data corruption with most UDMA devices in the B&W G3 mac. Apple's solution was either spend more money on FWB toolkit (a third party utility) or spend more money on a PCI IDE card, which due to the apple tax was $100 back when exactly the same card with a different rom was sold for the PC for $20. No logic board replacements. When they folded the old TechInfo Library (TIL) into the modern Knowledge Base (KB) they got both older and newer articles than the one in which they described this problem, because Apple would like you to forget both that they make crap and that they will leave you twisting in the wind even when they know it was their fault and their products are not suitable for their described purpose.
Apple is different from other OEMs only in that it is sleazier.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
From the smug "genius" who tried to blame the owner for the problem, who kept asking if they had dropped it, who insisted that Apple just doesn't make faulty products.
SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
I've been burned by Apple one too many times now. I've been affected by manufacturing "difficulties" on every Apple product I've owned in the last 10 years with the exception of one; a 13" Macbook Pro that I only owned for 6 months because it was.. well.. crap. The "Pro" label was definitely an affectation rather than a true calling. I had a first-gen MBP that had the "squealing CPU" problem that Apple refused to acknowledge either... but they eventually relented and replaced the system board for one that squealed only slightly less. I've also had GPUs that just went completely tits up requiring a system board replacement... I'm probably forgetting a lot of the problems now, but the most reliable Macs I ever had weren't built by Apple.
And in fact my 2011 15" MBP just happens to be at a third party repair right now to not just fix the problem but actually replace the lead-free solder balls with the real stuff... so mine won't fail again. But I don't care. It's possible it might go to my son or it might go on eBay when it comes back.
My new platform of choice is an Alienware 15 running Windows 8.1, with an Ubuntu install I might also use when there's some support for the 970m GPU in here. I have a Surface Pro as well and it's great. Much as I used to despise Windows I find myself back in the Windows world because competition here is good. As a result, products either work or people go elsewhere; you don't have that option with Apple so they really don't care when their manufacturing processes fail miserably.
I have already voted with my wallet here. I've had enough of beta-testing gorgeous but fundamentally flawed products and defending them to my friends. Besides which, the operating system in which you function no longer matters; it's the applications that matter. It used to be that the best creative applications were on Mac, the best games were on Windows. Well guess what... the best games are STILL on Windows, but the best creative apps are available on both. And the fact that from my perspective OSX has become drastically slower every release since about Leopard is just the icing on the cake for me. Under Windows 8.1 my applications launch... and run... and my system rarely has any appreciable slowdowns. OSX occasionally just decides "Oh hey... yeah I know you asked me to do something but I'm busy over here doing some random and unrequested task to send your personal information back to Apple so you're going to have to wait. My manufacturer's data mining is more important than you."
Screw Apple. I'm done with them.
I have a few iPhone devices for development purposes. The 4S has been a disaster. The first one had its wifi suddenly disabled (greyed out). Apparently it has some sort of temperature sensor for the wifi unit, (which only got enabled with iOS 6 or so IIRC) that tends to malfunction and disable the wifi. The following two units eventually had the same thing happen to them. Of course I had to pay for them because I was out of warranty. It is a quite widespread issue judging from the numerous forum posts, but Apple does not acknowledge it as a hardware failure - their instructions call for resetting network settings or a full restore of the unit which does not work. What does work is, quite interestingly, putting the phone in the freezer, but it does not fix the issue permanently. Apple is a special case though, due to the fact that the average Apple customer behaves like a member of a cult. For example, my boss had his 6-month old Mac Mini warranty voided because they found "dust" inside (it was in a pet-free, smoke-free office in case you are wondering). I told him that they can't do that, even if they did find "dust" it is not in their listed reasons to void a warranty and he simply answered "no, it is official, they told me so at the genius bar and gave me 10% off a new mac mini so I got one". So they usually get away too easily with bad hardware, like the low quality "superdrives" that would fail left and right, the aforementioned wifi module etc. I don't know if they are sleazier than everyone else, they sure are sleazy as hell but the difference is that the majority of their customers thinks they are infallible...
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
Not now he's bloody not.
I used to run an Apple dealership, and back in those days (90s) stuff like this would have been the subject of a warranty extension program right away. I don't know when the policy changed, but it has clearly changed.
They've been denying this is a manufacturing flaw since it first became obvious. I've had the motherboard replaced on mine, and it failed again within a year. I've been getting by by using gfxCardStatus to select the intel video for a couple of months while I decided what to do.
I wasn't able to claim under European consumer laws as my proof of purchase is made out to my company (it only covers individual consumers, not business purchasers).
I'm really doubtful I'm going to get another Mac, even though I've been a Mac user for over 20 years. I'll probably just go for Linux and run OSX in a VM so I can run the iOS simulator.
I also have little faith that the new motherboard is going to work for any length of time.
What I need to know is if they will reimburse those of us who have already had to pay 500 bucks for this problem!
- Zav - Imagine a Beowulf cluster of insensitive clods...
"Apple is contacting customers who paid for a repair either though Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider to arrange reimbursement."
They're going to cut a check to apologize. Who does that?
The RoHS Directive came into force in early 2003 and was required since 2006 and on. Apple had a good 4+ years to work with lead-free solder (well, not Apple but Foxconn) and apparently did so with great results for half a decade before the computers being affected. It's probably NOT a manufacturing defect, but a design defect - given that the manufacturing process has been solid for quite a while prior to this issue creeping up.
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
The author cites as background for his grievances a 15 year old computer that Apple once produced and .... a Sears air conditioner. A. Freaking. Air conditioner.
The author, who in my mind is now being referred to as Mr. Dunning Kruger, then goes on to display his extensive legal knowledge by proclaiming "f you make your warranty claim before the period expires, though, they don't have a legal leg to stand on" without of course any awareness of various state's (or Federal) statute of limitations laws on bringing forth timely lawsuits.
And this is given a Slashdot rating of 5, and "informative" as well.
Which is why I get my tech news from Ars these days instead of here.
----- In Your Cubicle No One Can Hear You Scream...