Robert points to an exhaustive Arstechnica review of Apple’s new Aluminium Powerbook. Overall, the reviewer says the machine is fine.
To me, fine doesn’t cut it for a $2000 purchase. Among the issues that the reviewer notes: inoperable cover latch right out of the box, dead pixels in the display, and dramatically short battery life. To me, those are deal breakers. If I pay $2000 for a machine (probably as much as $1000 more once you figure in shipping, support, and extras), I expect it to come to me free of defects and, if any are present, they should be corrected or the machine replaced immediately—ESPECIALLY if I buy the service plan.
I know many people who purchase Apple products experience none of these issues, but I work in IT and see a TON of laptops come in and out of this place. I’ve had two Dell laptops at my current place of work, and both have been remarkable work horses, with perfect displays, tons of battery life (although that diminishes over time), stellar performance and loads of features. Of course, the primary problem with them is that they run Windows. However, I’ve had remarkably few issues with either of them and, when I have had issues, Dell has sent somebody to my location to correct it immediately (my CD-ROM drive died after about a year and was replaced).
My current machine is a badass, with built-in wireless ethernet, DVD/CD-R and USB2.0 ports (among many others) and runs Windows XP, which is very solid and somewhat decent in the usability realm. My old machine currently serves as a great wireless “surfing” station in my home, and has been running with maybe two reboots (for patching) over a duration of about 3 months (Windows 2000 Professional). The “home” machine is about 3 years old and, although the fan sounds like it’s grinding coffee beans, all is well.
My point? I’m not sure. It just seems to me that spending thousands for a laptop that comes broken is something nobody should have to endure, and Apple’s policies (a RESTOCKING fee to replace a display with dead pixels, which is also true of their $3000 displays—unbelivable!) flat-out SUCK. A friend of mine purchased a 23” (I think) Apple Cinema Display with 3, non-adjacent dead pixels in the center and had to pay the restocking fee to return it to the Apple store. He has sworn off Apple for life, or so he claims.
People scoff when Apple loses or fails to gain big business and government contracts, but with support like that, it’s no wonder. Pro-Apple types usually point toward “security” concerns in Windows or how some group or other said that Apple has a lower “total cost of ownership” (a claim I highlydoubt). Corporations do not like to pay for malfunctioning, non-supported hardware (unless, of course, you’re the corporation I work with, who likes to buy loads of “buggy” Sun hardware, which, while technically broken, is, at least, supported).
As much as I WANT to run OS X, and as close as I was to deciding that the 15” Powerbook was going to be my next computer, I just can’t do it. I don’t like to play roulette with my hard-earned money and I’m definitely not a gambler.
15 responses so far ↓
1 Tom // Oct 9, 2003 at 1:27 pm
But to those of us who like Macs have different priorties than you. We’ll deal with Apple’s customer service record (which swings from sometimes decent to downright lousy), but to us, an OS that is “somewhat decent in the usability realm” is a deal breaker. I’d rather deal with 50 dead pixels than to have to deal with XP.
2 G. i // Oct 9, 2003 at 1:47 pm
Sure Tom, because you Maczealots would by even a turd if it had an Apple logo on it, and Stevie boy told you so.
3 tom // Oct 9, 2003 at 1:51 pm
at least its a good looking turd. you probably don’t care that your ugly box is ridden with viruses because billy G. told you that security is M$ top priority.
4 John Konopka // Oct 9, 2003 at 1:51 pm
I just bought a 15” Al PB and I love it. I did have a small problem with the Airport antenna cable. But that is not a deal stopper. Battery life is a little over three hours with 10.2.8 installed. Overall this is a fantastic machine. The connectivity is incredible, it is light, rigid, quiet, fast. This is by far the best Mac I’ve ever used.
5 Interested // Oct 9, 2003 at 1:55 pm
What’s this about a Apple turd? How do I “by” it? Please provide a URL. Yum!
6 Don Friar // Oct 9, 2003 at 2:06 pm
I just took delivery of a 1ghz 12” PowerBook, and it is perfect. No dead pixels, no latch issues (which from what I’ve read, disappear with a little use) battery life as expected, and yes it’s a head turner. This is my second portable Mac, and both were problem free from the start. In between, I bought a flat panel iMac, and it too was 100% pixel perfect, and a great machine. There’s always going to be a few manu problems, but check most customer satisfaction surveys, and Apple is always at or near the top.
7 scotty the body // Oct 9, 2003 at 2:08 pm
I’m with you, Tom. I’d MUCH RATHER be running OS X, which is, BY FAR, the best desktop operating system out there.
But Apple has not hit me with the correct combination of “value” in the hardware department yet. I can do what I need to do in XP, I already have thousands of dollars worth of software installed, and I just can’t economically justify the “switch.”
In fact, I’d be willing to be that most people who do “switch” are pirating software or dropping HUGE sums of money that will take years to return any value. This is the worst part of the M$ monopoly and Apple’s totally crap years back in early 90s.
8 scotty the body // Oct 9, 2003 at 2:09 pm
That’s good news about the 15” coming out perfect! Seems to be about a 1 in 4 shot of getting one with defects…
9 tom // Oct 9, 2003 at 2:32 pm
adobe will let you switch if you sign an affidavit promising to stop using your windows versions…
10 Tobias Buckell // Oct 9, 2003 at 7:32 pm
If money is the issue you could consider trying the iBook. I got the 900mhz iBook. I tried to configure a comparable Dell laptop (firewire, fast video card, etc) and it was a hundred more for the ‘cheap’ model.
At work we’re all Dell. I help with support. We get stuff that’s shoddy, and their support is horrible as well. Our helpdesk lady refuses to call in stuff now. Our main PC technician spent 3 hours on hold the other day.
Recently one of our students got an iPod and wouldn’t stop talking about how awesome it was. I told him, ‘now take that impressed feeling and imagine you were talking about your software and laptop in the same tone and you’ll understand why I’ll switch to a Dell at work only if they pry my iBook away from my dead hands.’
I’m not your random mac zealot. I get paid to support and teach people how to use windows.
To get work done and when I go home, it’s all Mac
OS-X is really a total paradigm shift for me, much like when I went from Windows 3.0 to 95 and the first time I saw a GUI.
I love my computer again, and am fascinated by it
11 Corax // Oct 9, 2003 at 8:41 pm
Would you like to buy a computer? It runs at 4 MHz, had 16 kilobytes of RAM, a floppt drive and monochrome monitor. Oh yeah, it costs $7,000. Its by IBM.
12 Stephen Shepard // Oct 10, 2003 at 12:21 am
Apple’s dead pixel policy is not much different than any other manufacturer out there, including Dell. Where this differs is Dell has a 30 day satisfaction policy which gives you the option to return equipment if not satisfied. However, specifically the dead pixel policy is no different.
This problem is solved by simply purchasing your Apple product from a reseller who has similar return policies in place.
My point? The author ranted without getting details on other manufacturers policies and as a journalist you would think that would be required even at halfass.com.
13 trav // Oct 10, 2003 at 8:27 am
The question isn’t the customer satisfaction or return policy. It’s the out-of-the-box manufacturing quality performance—which, in the case of many machines, notoriously Macs, is iffy.
The Coase Theorem would suggest that if a company has a wildly liberal returns policy, then it’s because it needs one.
14 George Lien // Oct 10, 2003 at 10:03 am
I just bought myself a last generation PowerBook G4 for $2,500, 30 months after I bought my first PowerBook G4, which was $3,300.
No “dead pixel.” And it is free of defects.
I don’t doubt “your friend’s bad experience.” But computer companies too have to watch their bottom lines. Ever notice that your Windows operating system now come with time limited tech support services?
My point is, I have been a cross-platform computer user ever since 1995 (Mac back in 1989, Windows in 1995, Linux in 2000). Now I build my own PCs and buys Apple laptops.
Just because you are afraid to try a better computer experience does not giive the right to spread F.U.D. (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) online.
Please stop spreading F.U.D. on the Internet.
Also, this site is worthless. I will remember never return here.
15 Doc Griffin // Oct 10, 2003 at 11:19 am
Hi, Scotty.
If you’re not completely browned off on the idea of getting the Powerbook, there’s a way you can eliminate the risk of getting one with a stuck pixel. Since you’re in Atlanta, head on over to Lenox Square in Buckhead, go to the old Eddie Bauer retail space and you’ll see it’s now an Apple Store.
Tell the salesperson you’d like to buy a 15” AlBook, but you’re pretty picky about the displays, and say the deal depends on a defect-free screen. State that you’re wiling to hand over your check (or, better, credit card) first, but the box has to be opened before you leave the store, and that you’ll leave it right there on the counter if it’s no good.
It’s what I did. Apple’s customer-unfriendly $300 restocking fee is avoidable for those who happen to be within driving distance of an Apple Store.
(And don’t worry about a stiff latch. Mine got better with usage and works perfectly now. I’d bet they’re engineered that way.)
The poster who mentioned the iBook is right. I’m a geek with (too) many machines and five OS’s, but it’s an Airport-equipped iBook that wormed its way into becoming my choice for sofa surfing / impromptu home use / DVD-watching travel companion. My Powerbook is better for more intensive CPU and disk-related activities, but damn, this little iBook is just.. well.. handy. Better wireless range, too.
The best explanation of all the manufacturer’s stuck pixel and stuck sub-pixel replacement policies are available here http://www4.tomshardware.com/display/20030319/
None of this should be taken as an excuse for Apple’s return policies, which could be more generous. But as the Coase theorem indeed posits, they don’t need to to be more generous. Apple’s DOA rate is lower than anyone else’s (Consumer Reports) and their pixel defect rate is no worse and no better than average (above URL).
As for which OS is best… that’s easy. It’s the one that crashed least recently.
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