Monday, August 9, 2010

Apple's opinion is that my computer is fully functional

I sent a screenshot to Apple where my CPU, GPU and Chipset is near and above 100°C (according to HWMonitor)
I was in a belief that all this "your computer is ok" crap is only because they do not believe that my computer really overheats. So I decided to try once more and show them yet another screenshot.

This is direct translation from email I got from Apple technical customer service.

"I apologize that you feel that there is a lack of faith. I'm am sorry to infortm that screenshots will not change Apple's opinion in this case. Apple's opinion is that your computer is fully functional. We have inspected your computer as much as possible and all possibly faulty parts have been replaced at least once and the situation have not changed. Unfortunately I must inform that from the technical point of view this case is finished.

I hope that the answer is clear enough. I'm sorry that we can't proceed any more."

How should I understand the "from the technical point of view" So there is still hope i.e. from legal view?

Someone from (non technical) customer service should have called me last friday. Still waiting that call. Good thing that I'm used to this waiting. Every time someone from Apple tells me that they will call me back tomorrow it means at least 5 days. Next week means 2-3 weeks.

Next Tuesday I have a meeting with a lawyer. He or she can clarify which laws Apple is now breaking.

Friday, July 30, 2010

It's is within specs

So there you have it. Computer that shuts down every time if you try to play 3D games with it is "within specs". Off course not in real world... only in Appleworld.

Yesterday I talked 52 minutes with Apple customer service and I was told that because Service points could not reproduce this "flaw" and Apple cannot fix my computer by swapping parts then my computer is within the specs.

I off course wanted my money back then if they can't give me fully functional computer. I've started to think that I might have to hire a lawyer to write well formatted letter to Apple telling why they are obliged to give me my money back.

I'm now waiting call from Apple telling me if I can get my money back or do I have to seek justice some other way.

Monday, July 19, 2010

One week without any message from Apple

I just wanted to tell that I'm REALLY disappointed of Apple and how they do their customer "service"

I've had broken computer for 18 months! That's right! one and a half year! And still Apple refuses to fix it or give me my money back.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

They're still waiting answer from the engineers

I got a short mail from my customer service person. He told that he is still waiting answer from the engineers and he have sent a query to ask what is taking so long?

My laptop battery died few months a go. Apparently due to the extreme heat it have been exposed. Lets see what breaks next or will apple take this machine back before it will stop working completely?

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

New motherboard and new heatsink... no help.

Sorry for not writing for a while. I was on a vacation and meanwhile my computer was on a repair.

Before I left on a tour around Europe I dropped my computer to a service and this time Apple told that they will change motherboard and heat sink no matter what the service point will find.

When I came back I picked up my computer only to notice that my externally flawless computer have gotten a nasty bump and few scratches. Off course they denied all at the service point and I had to take my bruised computer to home.

I did not expect anything else than massive overheating and thermal shutdown when I started 3D games. My expectations were fully satisfied. 25minutes of gaming (of which 20 minutes CPU was underclocked to 1596 MHz) and then computer went to suspend.

I sent mail to Apple and asked "Now what?"

One week later I send another mail "Did you get my last mail? Now what?"

Then yesterday I called them and left a voice mail "Will you call me back?"

Today I got call from my second Apple representative. He was as abashed as the engineers. He asked if it is ok to me if he sends me weekly update by mail to tell me if there has been any progress in my case.

No I'm waiting first mail to arrive somewhere around next Wednesday .

I will not be satisfied anything else than money back. New MBP would be ok too as I can always sell it and then buy a decent real computer.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Not broken?!

Today I was told by Apple's help desk that my computer is not broken.

They do know that my computer overheats and the they even agree that there is design flaw because it gets too hot. But because it can not be fixed by replacing hardware parts therefore it is not broken.
Apple computers are not broken if there is design flaw. It's just the customer who is not pleased with the computer.

I don't anymore know what is the current situation. My computer is now at the service. I don't know whether I should get it back because Apple may ask me to bring it back to service some time soon.

I told the Apple help desk that this is really bad customer service if I as a customer have to do all the work. I've spent about 10-15 hours on phone and at least 10 hours running pointless tests which Apple asked me to do.

Almost forgot the sad part. Service did not find anything wrong with my computer. They are not allowed to use any other method than the test programs provided by Apple.

Don't waste your money on Apple.
If there is even slightest need of service... Then you're screwed.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Thermal paste flood

Little amount of thermal paste is better than none.
But too much is definitely worse than little.

The Thermal Paste Reapplication Endeavor

Everybody remember when first Intel CoreDuo MacBook Pro's came out? There were way too much thermal paste and temperatures were "quite high"

Apple should have learn their lesson.

I'm tempted to open my MacBook Pro to check if there is similar problem with excessive thermal paste. But Apple have promised to check whats wrong with my computer so I don't peel this apple... yet.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Apple! Where's your spine?

I was told to take my laptop to a service.
Apple now suspects that the motherboard might be faulty. I gave them the error code I received some time a go when i ran the hardware test. "4SNS/1/40000000: TNOP-76.375"
The "TNOP" part here means that it has something to do with the temperature sensor.

Too bad that it has nothing to do with the ineffective cooling. Seems more like a excuse rather than a solution.
  1. If it would be faulty temperature sensor why the computer would shut down due to overheating even the fans spinning full speed? (ok... this one is possible with wild imagination)
  2. Why would the computer run constantly at lower clock speed if it would not be too hot?
  3. Why would my computers broken temperature sensor affect EVERY UNIBODY LAPTOP IN THE WORLD!?
I understand if this would be an single case and only my computer acting this weird. Then it would make sense that faulty temperature sensor would make the fans spin 2000 rpm even at full load. But this is not a single case! This is a fault that every Apple laptop released since late 2008 is affected. I just tested my fiancees 13" MBP and hardware test did not show anything wrong and yet her computer acts exactly the same. When under excessive load fan (only one fan in 13" model) does not speed up not until it is too late.

Pay attention to number 3. Maybe somewhere next Wednesday magically every Apple laptop might start working when they fix my possibly faulty temperature sensor.