I'm sure there are some Mac users here. If your Mac ever fails and Apple 'repairs' it, you should know something about what they do.

I bought a late 2011 model Macbook Pro six years ago. It was a good machine, and it served me well even to this day. In 2015 though, four years after I got it, the GPU died. Apparently this was a known issue; Apple fixed it for free and sent it back. All good! Great customer service right?

Well, Back in October the GPU failed again. I took it back to the Apple store, and after a hardware test confirmed it failed the same way. I was expecting another free repair; after all, they supposedly fixed the issue 2 years ago right? Wrong. The warranty program ended in January, so I would be on the hook for the repair. I asked why they wouldn’t fix it for free, seeing as how the repair they did two years ago didn’t work. They suggested I jus get a new one, as it wouldn’t be worth it to repair.

Now, after asking Apple themselves, and some third party repair stores, I realized something shocking: Apple didn’t actually fix my Mac back in 2015. All Apple does is swap the logic board out and replace it. Of course, this means that I am getting back the same faulty GPU, but one which simply hasn’t failed yet. They didn’t actually fix the root problem.

I was pretty pissed. Imagine if you had a car with a bad transmission because of a known issue. The company issues a recall, and instead of installing a new transmission with that issue fixed, they just install a different faulty one which hasn’t failed yet. Would you not be pissed? So paying for the repair would be worthless since they literally wouldn’t be repairing it. The GPU coming back would likely fail again, since it’s the same faulty model.

Now, the reason why this is an issue and I don’t just get a new one is that I love the matte screen. All new Mac laptops are glossy, and I hate that shit. I can’t see anything under lights and it’s awful.

One of the repair guys at a third party shop helped me hatch a plan. A plan for me to get a free computer.

The first thing I did, was buy a 2012 Macbook Pro off of craigslist for 600 bucks. An actor was moving back home and selling his stuff (I guess it didn’t work out for him), and his 2012 model had it all and was as fully loaded as possible: Max RAM, fastest GPU and processor, and a MATTE SCREEN. As a bonus, the GPU in this model was actually good and wouldn’t fail. So now I have the same computer but better, but I’m still pissed at Apple and down 600 bucks. So phase two.

I take the failed 2011 model back in, and I request the repair. I tell them I’m doing it because of the matte screen, and I can’t just buy a glossy one because I can’t see it under studio lights. Basically I need this machine right now. They send it off, and 3 days later it comes back working.

Here’s where the fun begins: I take it home, fire it up, and start a GPU Test benchmark at max settings. I simply leave the thing running, working the GPU full blast. Remember: all Apple did was replace the GPU with the same faulty model. It’s only a matter of time before it would fail again. The repairman had experience with my model Macbook - he said the repairs never work, and he's even seen a replacement chip fail within hours. So, his suggestion was to force it to fail.

After 8 non stop days of running the benchmark, the GPU crapped out. I returned it to the Apple store, and said that their repair didn’t work. They test it, and sure enough the GPU is dead. There’s a 60 day warranty on repairs, so they take it back and give me another GPU. 3 days later I get it back.

Take it home, repeat the process. This time it took 2 weeks of solid benchmark running, but the GPU failed yet again. I return to the store again.

This time, I tell them it failed again. I calmly explain how I paid for a working computer, and still don’t have it. That I’m disappointed their repairs keep failing. I tell them I just need a machine that works. They explain that they will take extra care with this one, and fix it again. Comes back 3 days later. After 19 days of the benchmark, this GPU craps out. Maybe they did take more care.

On returning to the Apple store, I tell them their repair has failed 3 times, and that all I want is a computer that works. Seeing as how they’ve wasted 2 grand on my machine already, they determine that the best course of action is to simply give me a new Macbook Pro. Now here’s where the last part of the plan comes in. I explain that that’s very generous, but the new Macbook Pro has a glossy screen. I explain that it’s simply unsuitable for my job, and I won’t really be able to do it properly. After all, the reason I wanted this machine repaired was because of the nice matte screen. I'm often under studio lights and need to be able to see. i paid for a matte screen with these repairs, and I still don't have it.

After hearing this, they offer to refund the cost of the repair in addition to giving me the new Macbook Pro. Score!

I sold the brand new Macbook Pro on craigslist within 3 hours for 2 grand. $2000-$600 = $1400. I now have a kick ass 2012 Macbook Pro even better than my old one, and $1400 extra in my pocket.

The moral is: if you have a Mac that has a known issue, Apple is likely not going to actually ‘fix’ it if you have it repaired under warranty. It will fail again, so plan accordingly.

I'm surprised you aren't already aware that is standard practice for them. Apple is all about selling you the experience, and they go to great lengths to craft and control it. (I'm not bashing them for it)

**story time**

I worked worked for a few years as an IT guy for several school districts in my state.

At the time (and today still) getting iPads and chromebooks into classrooms was all the rage.

You know kids right?

Think they care about a $600 iPad they get from the school?

Hell naw.

So my supervisor decided to pay to get me trained to repair broken screens, batteries etc for iPhones and iPads through Apple's official licensed repair tech program so we could sell that service to these schools.

I took the courses and the main solution to fix things they push you to, is to replace it. Like, "Chapter 1, you have an iPad that won't charge. Requisition a new one, send old one back". No checking to see if the battery was faulty or anything, just replace the whole dang thing.

That's why they push iCloud and syncing to their servers- they'd rather migrate your account and give you a replacement. It doesn't cost them much. The profit margin on their products was ridiculous.

I'll have to see if I still have the 'catalog' of parts we COULD order to replace, but it was crazy. Like, a $2 speaker, for example.

Their stuff is disposable by design.

In the news *right now* they are getting flak about throttling processor speed on iPhones with old batteries. Been doing it for years. They reason they cite for doing so may or may not be valid from person to person, but... eh.

Good!

Fuck Apple. That is all.

Sent from my iPhone 7.

In the news *right now* they are getting flak about throttling processor speed on iPhones with old batteries. Been doing it for years. They reason they cite for doing so may or may not be valid from person to person, but... eh.

The reason they state makes a certain amount of sense. You just have to believe it's not complete bullshit, which I'm not actually convinced is true.

Planned obsolescence is ridiculous, and in this day and age of environmental concerns, it should be a punishable offense.

The reason they state makes a certain amount of sense. You just have to believe it's not complete bullshit, which I'm not actually convinced is true.

It definitely is not complete bullshit, that issue happened to me constantly on my iPhone 4 and 5 after a year of use. When I got the battery replaced the issue disappeared.

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I went from being able to last a full day on a charge to my phone dying within 3-4 hours without being used.

Still rocking iOS 8.3 on mine.

Aside from the fact that playing some specific podcasts (Like Bungie's) will occasionally cause the phone to reboot, I'm pretty happy with the performance.

Warranty on Repairs is 90 days.

I have a feeling that I’ll be in the minority in this, but at what point does Apple not owe you anything more? Like, if your laptop fails in 2027 are they responsible for it? Did a one-time laptop purchase guarantee you a working laptop for eternity?

I ask sincerely. If I buy a laptop on Jan 1 of 2018 it doesn’t seem reasonable to me that I’d still be using it in 2024. Or, expecting it to work without repairs, I guess. Does Apple have a 5-year warranty or something?

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Warranty on Repairs is 90 days.

I was told 60.

1. The whole point of this post Is that they do not fix defects. If they fixed the GPU design and replaced the broken one with the new design, there would be no issue. Instead they give you the same broken model.
2. You must not buy Apple. Their computers last a long time. I use my 2008 Mac Pro to capture video and cut films (in 4K even) to this day. The Pro moniker means it’s built to last. Or at least it used to be. So paying a lot for the machine is no big deal since they last so long.

If they fixed the GPU design and replaced the broken one with the new design, there would be no issue.

That's... that's not how laptop design works...

First, Cody: Apple switches their monitors back and forth between matte and glossy almost every year, and then charges $100 extra if you want it the "old" way. They've been doing that since the first iMac, iirc.

Anyway, my alternate method commences:

I used to own a 17" MacbookPro. I loved it. I think this was a 2007 model? I'm not sure. But it had all of the real estate space of a 17" screen plus the portability of a laptop. It also had a boatload of ports: firewire, thunderbolt, usb, etc, and a DVD-R drive (Apple calls it a "superdrive"). Anyway, one day the logic board failed. Known problem on the macs of that era (as Cody pointed out).

I took the mac in to the genius bar, and they told me it would be a $1200 repair since I didn't have applecare. Oh? How much is applecare? $300. Okay, how much will the repair be if I buy applecare first? Free. So I spent $300, bought applecare, and sent my compy off for service. When it comes back, there are green lines down my monitor. Seems something broke in shipping. Also, apple discontinued 17" monitors some years ago, so they can't replace the monitor of my computer. Their solution: I got to go to the apple store, build a laptop with whatever specs I wanted, and they'd give me that for free. I mentioned that I needed all those ports and such, and the new computer didn't have any of them except for usb and thunderbolt, so they threw in a bunch of dongle thunderbolt to whatever converters and a superdrive.

So I got a mid 2012 macbook pro, fully loaded, and a superdrive, and all these dongles and converters, for free*. Technically I paid $300 for apple care, but they applied that to my new laptop as well, so...

It's weird to think that it is now 2017 and this computer is still boss. Apple really needs to update their hardware.

First, Cody: Apple switches their monitors back and forth between matte and glossy almost every year, and then charges $100 extra if you want it the "old" way. They've been doing that since the first iMac, iirc.

Show me how I can get a matte screen on a Macbook Pro built after 2012…

You can't.

Also your 2007 model would not have had thunderbolt. I think you are getting confused. The first 17 inch Macbook Pro to get thunderbolt was in 2011. If you did in fact replace your 2007 with a 2012, you wouldn't need dongles… the 2012 has ethernet, usb 3, thunderbolt, and Firewire 800. Unless you got the RETINA 2012 version, in which case it would have USB 3 and Thunderbolt but no firewire.

I think your details are wrong. My guess is your 17 inch was 2011, and it was replaced with a Retina 2012. They sold the non retina 2012 until 2015, because it was so popular… because it had all the ports and a matte screen.

First, Cody: Apple switches their monitors back and forth between matte and glossy almost every year, and then charges $100 extra if you want it the "old" way. They've been doing that since the first iMac, iirc.

Show me how I can get a matte screen on a Macbook Pro built after 2012…

You can't.

Also your 2007 model would not have had thunderbolt. I think you are getting confused. The first 17 inch Macbook Pro to get thunderbolt was in 2011. If you did in fact replace your 2007 with a 2012, you wouldn't need dongles… the 2012 has ethernet, usb 3, thunderbolt, and Firewire 800. Unless you got the RETINA 2012 version, in which case it would have USB 3 and Thunderbolt but no firewire.

I think your details are wrong. My guess is your 17 inch was 2011, and it was replaced with a Retina 2012. They sold the non retina 2012 until 2015, because it was so popular… because it had all the ports and a matte screen.

When I go to "about my mac" it says "Retina (mid 2012)". When I look at the ports, it has two thunderbolts and one USB on one side, and HDMI, USB, and an unlabeled slot that I believe is a microSD card reader (WHY??). No ethernet, no firewire, no disc drive.

My older mac may not have had thunderbolt, but I really thought it did. Maybe it was just the monitor port that had the exact same connection cable?

As for matte screens, well, I obviously haven't bought a mac since 2012. That sucks that they dropped the matte entirely. They had been swapping back and forth for a while there.

Stupid cell phone company.

I went from being able to last a full day on a charge to my phone dying within 3-4 hours without being used.

If it's not possible to downgrade your OS, might I suggest looking into the iPhone SE? It's the iPhone 7 chipset in an iPhone 5 case (headphone jack and all). I love mine.

I went from being able to last a full day on a charge to my phone dying within 3-4 hours without being used.

If it's not possible to downgrade your OS, might I suggest looking into the iPhone SE? It's the iPhone 7 chipset in an iPhone 5 case (headphone jack and all). I love mine.

I sometimes find myself wishing I had got that instead of the iPhone 7. I don't mind the headphone jack. Very rarely I wish it had one because I left the little adapter dongle in the car or something, but it's not a huge issue.

My biggest thing is the size. Even the smaller base iPhone 7 is just slightly too big. It's mostly not an issue, but there are certain apps that are difficult to use with one hand--it's just big enough that my thumb can't reach all the way to the top of the screen. There are a lot of times when I appreciate having the larger screen, too, so it's a trade off.

The reason they state makes a certain amount of sense. You just have to believe it's not complete bullshit, which I'm not actually convinced is true.

OK, no. I'm calling bullshit on this "maybe bullshit" call. It is ABSOLUTELY true that old worn down batteries can cut out under load. I've had more than 1 phone which has exhibited this exact behavior when the battery starts to go bad. As in, around the time that I start to notice it's not holding a charge as long as it should, it ALSO starts powering off unexpectedly, and it's usually when it's doing something somewhat intense.

Planned obsolescence is ridiculous, and in this day and age of environmental concerns, it should be a punishable offense.

That's not what's going on.

My biggest thing is the size. Even the smaller base iPhone 7 is just slightly too big. It's mostly not an issue, but there are certain apps that are difficult to use with one hand--it's just big enough that my thumb can't reach all the way to the top of the screen. There are a lot of times when I appreciate having the larger screen, too, so it's a trade off.

All phones have been too big for YEARS. If you ask me, ideal screen size is somewhere between 4.3-4.7 inches.

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Planned obsolescence is ridiculous, and in this day and age of environmental concerns, it should be a punishable offense.

That's not what's going on.

Yeah I completely agree, if they actually wanted planned obsolescence it would be based on the age of the phone, not the age of the battery.

https://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/terms/repair/Retail_Repair_US_Terms_Conditions.html

https://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/terms/repair/Retail_Repair_US_Terms_Conditions.html

For someone who has claimed to be writing a tell-all book for the past decade, Cody always seems to be pretty terrible at the most basic research. If the book's title isn't "#Codywaswrong" I'm cancelling my preorder.

https://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/terms/repair/Retail_Repair_US_Terms_Conditions.html

For someone who has claimed to be writing a tell-all book for the past decade, Cody always seems to be pretty terrible at the most basic research. If the book's title isn't "#Codywaswrong" I'm cancelling my preorder.

I just trusted what I heard. It’s possible I am misremembering and they did tell me 90. I didn’t exactly look it up.

Also the “basic research” is why it takes so long. Some stuff is hard to double check if you know what I mean.

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It cost me $75 to replace my battery and have the phone be like new. I considered it worth it. Now Apple is offering to do the same for $30.

It cost me $75 to replace my battery and have the phone be like new. I considered it worth it. Now Apple is offering to do the same for $30.

Yeah It's great. They offer $29 battery replacement until December 2018. I'll walk in and get a new one next Christmas!