This isn’t the first Mac I’ve owned. Although the iPhone is probably the best phone out there, Mac computers are crap. I found an old blog entry that I wrote when both mine and wifey’s iBook G3 failed at the same time. I also had an extremely hard time replacing the slow 4,200 rpm hard drive in my old iBook. To date, the new MacBooks are still running 5,400 rpm drives. Give me a break, Dell’s already selling laptops with 7,200 rpm drives.
After making three trips to the Apple Service Center at AMK for motherboard, display and power adapter failures, I sold my problematic iBook. Wifey wasn’t so lucky and her iBook failed on her before she could sell it so we sold the parts – AirPort card, power adapter, battery, etc. for money instead. The unsold remains are still in my room.
Wifey's iBook G3 meets the MacBook.
I’m using my (sis’s) MacBook now and the adapter has been acting up for the past few days. It would go on and off intermittently but with some wriggling of the wire near the power brick, the problem goes away. I knew the wires were fraying, but there’s nothing I could do about it. Apple didn’t design their things to be user-serviceable, otherwise I would have taken it apart and soldered the wire. Apple needs to go green with their service program!
Just about an hour ago, the adapter completely failed. I was about to try the same wriggling procedure when I touched the wire and felt it was very hot. Just about half an inch from where my fingers were placed, the cable had melted. If I had left the laptop to charge overnight, it would have been a serious fire hazard.
Melted MacBook adapter cable.
I have taken extra care not to bend or pull the cables at the ends where it meets the adapter or MagSafe connector. For the record, I never had a Dell adapter fail on me this way.
Melted MacBook adapter cable, another side.
I’m taking this to Apple first thing tomorrow morning to get it replaced. I hope I don’t have to wait for stocks, or I’d be stuck with no laptop and a presentation I have to finish up by Thursday.
Update: I just returned from an Apple Authorized Service Center (Micro2000 at MacPherson). They told me they have to send my adapter in for evaluation to make sure it was not a user fault. (WTF do you mean user fault? I burnt the wire with a cigar?) If Apple rejected the replacement claim, I will either have to pay $150 for a new adapter, or pay $120 for the evaluation fee if I didn’t want to get a new adapter. This is a complete rip off! I don’t understand why people purchase AppleCare if this was their level of service. The worst part? It takes 3 days. I have stuff to rush so I can’t leave my adapter with them for 3 days. I’m going to drop by Apple at Orchard to see if they can get a 1-to-1 replacement for me instead.
People should just stop buying Apple computers. Somebody DDoS apple.com please.
Update: I went to Apple at Orchard and it seems they didn’t have the same rip-off policy – or at least they didn’t tell me I had to pay for this and that. They still need to send the adapter in for evaluation, but provided me a loan adapter while it was away. The replacement was approved and I got one two days later. Moral of the story? Don’t go to just any service center.