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PowerBook quality control. Time to sweat the details
May 15, 2002
by Stephen Hildreth
Editor-in-Chief
Since our recent news posting on PowerBook G4 quality control issues, we've received a couple of lengthy messages from PowerBook users who aren't particularly happy with the quality of Apple's recent PowerBooks. We don't think that Apple has a widesread quality control problem with PowerBooks or iBooks, but some users have certainly had their fair share of problems:
I did think long and hard before hitting you with this email as I'm sure you must be deluged with letters from readers all over the world. I do, however, think this story is worth telling, especially after reading some of the PowerBook comments of your readers.
I've been a long term Apple user (twenty-plus years), my first Apple was an Apple II. My latest is/was a PowerBook G4. I bought it in October last year when the PowerBook was upgraded to Rev. B.
It arrived in November and I managed to squeeze out six weeks of work before it died, so needed to be returned for repair. The fixed Ti returned and promptly crashed again. I phoned Apple to find out if they knew what the original fault was and they, "weren't sure". Apple offered a replacement. Great I thought...
The replacement Ti arrived three weeks later. Yippee. I opened it and... the screen was faulty, everything that should have been white was, wait for it, magenta.
!@#$
I phoned Apple right away and, embarrassed, they apologised and organised another replacement. Great I thought...
The replacement to replace the replacement to replace the original machine (confused yet?) arrived two weeks later. Yippee. I opened it and... the CD/DVD Combo Drive was faulty. I couldn't even install the System software as the drive crashed when the first CD went in.
!@#$ x2
I phoned Apple right away and, slightly more embarrassed, they apologised and organised another replacement. Great I thought...
The replacement to replace the replacement to replace the replacement to replace the original machine (now I'm confused, and I'm living it) arrived two weeks later. Yippee. I opened it and... the modem port was faulty. Every time the modem cable is unplugged the machine crashes spectacularly.
!@#$ x3
Finally, in frustration, I put up a web page outlining the problem with screen shots and video clips of the 'Amazing Crashing PowerBook' in action. I phoned Apple and they organised another replacement. I'll spare you the "replacement to replace the replacement to replace...", but this is my FIFTH machine from Apple.
It arrived last week and, wait for it, was missing an AirPort card and was short of RAM. Unbelievable.
!@#$ x4
Does this sound like I just made this whole story up? I didn't, everything's available online to look at including movie clips of the spectacular crashing modem port which, as a designer, I have to say produces some
wonderful looking screens.
Click here for details: http://www.fallt.com/gallery/
I really hoped that I was the exception rather than the rule here, but looking at your PowerBook problems pages it does seem like Apple have made some glaring Quality Assurance errors here.
Again apologies for clogging up your inbox, but I think it's important that this story is told and I hope, after reading it, that you agree.
Just wanted to inform others that there might be a paint issue on the new PB DVI's. My 800mhz machines paint is coming of already. Its more like the clear coat is being worn away. This is my 6th Powerbook, all of which have been carried in the same bag so its not how I am using it. Besides the unit is only 10 days old!! I am not a happy with Apple as there response was not to send me out a new unit but to have engineering investigate it. I hate to say it, but Dell or Gateway would send a new machine out right away. I think its ridiculous that they even ask me to send it in to repair it. After all I spent $3000, and the product is defective even if its cosmetic.
(Typos and grammar in this next message are not ours--Ed)
I use a TiPB/400Mhz (G4/400Mhz/10GB HD/1GB ram).
Now the Gist first:
- terrible heat and noise issues
- performance medicore for surfing (although, its definitely great for PS and Vid. Editing)
- using external HD as StartupDisk can reduce, if not eliminate, the fan noise completely
- ever since fan noise issue resolved, it was the HD whirring sound (@times clicking)
- performance when booting via external is not noticablily slower than internal HD
Here are the Details:
A) My Unhappiness
I totally agree that the TiPBs (Rev A) has serious heat issues. This is what I've gathered after about 10mths of usage.
- from day 1, heat generated by the powerbook was a hot issue with me!
- following that, was the noise when the fan turned on
- performace, sadly, i'm disappointed with it too when i compared surfing on the internet to my previous pb3400c (details on surfing below)
B) To Make me Happy (THE MAJOR INFORMATION)
- after several tries with external HDs (it cost me quite a bit), i realised that VST/SmartDisk indeed lives up to their name (i've yet to try Lacie)
- using a 20GB ThinDrive series, Graphic Edition (the Ti Edition i was told is exactly the same except appearances, however, i think some of the ThinDrive uses different HDs), to bootup OS 10.1.4, I totally reduce the noise cause by the fan! its so quiet now that my only complaint is having a "noisy" HD! actually, its just whirring and @times, clicking (does that mean that the 2.5" HD is failing? if so, i'd better do something about it --- get VST to change a new one as i bought it just 2 weeks ago!)
- even though, the one which clicks when in use. it can be trusted as a StartupDisk and when waking from it. its almost instaneous in OS 10.1.4! just like the internal 10GB HD.
- performace is not compromised @all. @least, not noticable.
Now for the Performace for internet surfing
- pb3400c/200Mhz/144MB Ram, uses the famous RAMDisk as StartupDisk. Whoa surfing is almost just as fast, if not faster than the TiPB, regardless under OS 9 or 10!
- browser used for pb3400c is icab (the leanest) opera is an option too
- a pity i've no supporting benchmarks, however, this is the real world; hence, i prefer the unofficial / unsupported testings : )
- must admit that i'm pretty paranoid about Benchmarks myself.
p.s.
- forgot to mention how hot it really is (the TiPB)
- the usual on/off key
- right speakers
- base of the unit (somewhere below the NUM PAD area) this part is really too too hot to touch i think, can fry an egg! |
