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Apple ignores cracked Macbooks
SLEEK PASTEL gadget maker Apple has decided to stick its fingers in its ears and go la-la-la over a widespread problem of cracked Macbooks.
The problem has been moaned about on various forums for a while now, but Apple has ignored the complaints or just deleted them.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, which seems to have just woken up to the problem down under, the fault occurs in the range of Macbook laptops with plastic cases that have been on the market for several years and are still being offered for sale by Apple.
It usually takes a few months for cracks and hairline stress fractures appear in the plastic chassis, particularly around the palm rest, hinges, input/output ports, back corners and air vents.
In case Apple says that all this is a minor and rare problem, there are shedloads of pictures posted in Flickr showing how grim it all is.
Now it seems that a US law firm, Seeger Weiss, is investigating the issue with a view towards filing a class action lawsuit and is calling on affected customers to come forward.
Apple says that the problem has nothing to do with the cheap, shonky, plastic that it uses in its expensive machines. Instead it blames Apple fanboys who were a little rough with their toys.
One of the big Apple fanboy community sites seems to be having a bit of a crisis about the problem, however. Anthony Agius of MacTalk.com.au admitted that it was certainly a design fault. He added that he had not seen a Macbook that was used regularly that had not developed some sort of issue.
"Personally, I think it's one of Apple's worst quality products. No other Apple product in recent history has been quite so shoddy," he said.
Now that's shocking language coming from an Apple fanboy. In their universe Apple products are perfect and if something goes wrong Apple replaces it.
With Apple gear being so expensive, it does seem a bit strange that their casings appear to be cheaper than something found in a cheap Chinese laptop that sells for a quarter of the price.
Richard Olsen actually slit his wrist on one of the cracks that appeared in his white Macbook. He didn't do it out of despair at the state of Apple's build quality, it was just a splinter of plastic.
Fortunately Apple told him that he had caused the problem himself and therefore it was not covered by warranty. So that's all right then. µ
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I would like to know if anyone has shared my experience.
Like many people in this forum I have been denied coverage of CRACKING BOTTOM CASE replacement. I was passed around the applecare phone service for 2 weeks, where representatives told me lies about looking at pictures of the computer (when they had not even received any) and supervisors did not return my calls after numerous messages. Finally they declared “accidental damage” and they would not cover replacement costs. When I asked for a WRITTEN STATEMENT of the decision, with reference to a warranty stipulation and copies of photos, they said they would not provide it. They refused to even send me an email explaining their decision and said that for any legal matter I must put my attorney in contact with them.
What kind of company refuses to explain in writing why they are not honouring a warranty which you have paid $300 for?
I think the bottom case issue is very good subject for a collective lawsuit as it is a known flaw and thousands have been denied access.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO THINK THAT THIS IS AN OLD STORY, YOU COUL;D NOT BE MORE WRONG. I AM FIGHTING A PITCHED BATTLE WITH APPLE OVER CRACKS IN MY MACBOOK WHICH IS PUIRHCASED IN 2008. THERE ARE CRACKS IN UPPER AN LOWER CASE. THE ONE I WANT TO GET FIXED IS IN THE UPPER CASESTRTING IN THE CORNER NEXT TO THE "FN" KEY. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE CRACK IS IN THE WRONG PLACE AND ITS THEREFORE NOT COVERED BY APPLE!! WHEN I BAUGHT IT IN 2008, I LATER FOUND OUT, THE ISSUE WAS ALREADY KNOWN ABOT ABOUT. WHY WERE APPLE STILL SELLING LAPTOPS THAT THEY KNEW WERE FAULTY? DISGRACEFUL BEHAVIOUR!
I bought my first Apple computer exactly a year ago,and I think it's a great product but was a bit heartbroken when I saw the edge of the palm rest chipped. I had noticed the edges of the vent had some cracking, but no breakage yet.
I take good care of my computers and with my MacBook I took extra care because it looks so gentle, and I love it!. Anyway, I heard that Apple replaces keyboards for free and this confirms it.
I'm actually glad I can replace the keyboard because i've seen it can get quite dirty after a while (mine is still clean tough :), but since it's free replacements YAY me! I can now be less careful MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!
I had the same problem, coming up for two years old, under Applecare, 6 or 7 replacement keyboards (due to palmrest cracking, two replacement backs, one due to cracking round scrow holes due to repeated removal and refiled by Apple authorised repairer and the other due to the Sata HDD strip breaking when upgrading my HHD. Oh and one new battery. I must say all BUT one of the backs was replacement FOC by Apple.
But, and here is the Big up to Apple. I asked if they would replace my MacBook considering the previous repair issues, (following the lead from Dave Hamilton on the Mac Geek Gab!(BEST MAC POD CAST EVER!!!)) and guess what.. for 2 1/2months now I've been over the moon wih my Uni-body 2.2Ghz MacBook...FOC from Apple. For which I only has to purchase another 3 years Applecare.
WELL DONE APPLE EUROPE ! ! !
how many casings are replace and for what reasons and in some cases how strong a IBM LCD's are. In fact even with the cracks Apple makes a better product.
Great that Apple has been replacing your casings... but why are they cracking and keep cracking?? The fact that some of you have had to go back 2-3 times is NOT a good thing....
I work in a laptop support dept at a College and just 2 weeks ago someone brought in an old IBM R51 laptop that got RUN OVER by a *CAR*. The plastic did not break and in fact the unit still works. Now THAT's tough. The LCD cracked but we have a few dozen replacements LCD's.
Fluxit, So, the free market system works! Any company were defer cost from repairing or fixing another product to another. I am sure Bill Gates failures in their OS systems have been defer to future customers. Make sense to me! Apple has response to the needs concerning the Macbooks. They have alter future Macbooks and learned from their Mistakes! Bill Gates on the other hand still makes defective products and never learns!
For all of you folks who are so happy with the service you have received on your cracked Macs- Good for you.
Keep in mind that the repairs are not free. You'll be paying for them the next time you buy from Apple. The more repairs a particular model requires, the more it costs Apple and by extension you the customer.
Working as a laptop tech, I can vouch for the truth of this article. I have not seen a single Macbook WB (stands for white/black) come in that didnt have some sort of damaged plastics that was not from customer abuse. Some of these laptops were in otherwiser pristine condition but had cracked palmrest (around the edges) and harline fractures all over the base.
The overal design quality of the MacBook WB is terrible when compared to the rest of Apples lineup of laptops.
I guess it will be Politically Correct or PC to call white macbooks crackers.
My white macbook got cracked in the I/O region after 8 months using it ONLY at my home office table.
Such a deception :-(
Just recently I had my Macbook repair without even a question about what happen. The Macbook develop two cracks near the edges not far from the touchpad. Apple did a outstanding job in repairing it. I was told this was a ongoing problem and Apple was willing to repair it and it took less than two hours to do so! Apple didn't ignore the problem of Crack Macbooks, it address them as far as I was concerned and I am one happy consumer! The Cost to me was 0!
Mark from Arizona
Witty Tech news website The Inquirer was today accused of ignoring readers concerns over the cracked journalist Nick Farrell.
Despite many readers posting to the effect that his relentlessly negative whining about Apple was boring, the Inquirer has paid no attention at all.
My Macbook cracked once, I just brought it into a Apple Store, they replaced the top case for me, I was a year out of warranty...no problem the guy said, its a problem with the fact its made from plastic, so job done, why make a big deal of it?
So, another (old) example of that famous Apple build quality. A new one that seems to be affecting the Alu MB Pros, the 'mouse click' function of the new style touch pads, is breaking. I'm just say'n. Get what your paying for? I still dont believe it.
... My wife got hers fixed last year (and already has more cracks) and plans on bringing it in for repair again. So far, the service has been great.
Even if apple replace these macbook. Why the problem is still there?
I bought a snowboard a few year back. The topsheet kept peeling. After changing the board 3 times in 2 years got tired and I went for another brand. Who care if they change it without asking for nothing ... it just a bad quality product.
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/04/apple-tweaks-warranty-policy-on-macbook-cracks.ars
I'm not sure where the Inquirer is getting its information (sounds like a gleeful Apple-hater), but Apple is fixing cracked plastic Macbook cases even after the warranty has run out. My wife got hers fixed last year (and already has more cracks) and plans on bringing it in for repair again. So far, the service has been great.
This is an ancient story.
My wife and I have two MacBooks - one three years old (white) and the other two and one-half years old (black). Both of which have had cracks on the top inside keyboard area cover.
Both had problems with cracks at the edge and the black one also had the bezel around the display pull away from the frame in the upper right corner.
Both were fixed at the area Apple Store without question or hesitation.
??????? Issue ?????????? What are you talking about?
Also, you refer to Apple as the "SLEEK PASTEL gadget maker Apple".
What pastel colors are you refering to - black or white MacBooks? Silver metal MacBook Pro's? Black or White with silver iPhones ? The bright and colorful iPods - not pastels?
Check your color chart and your Apple history. Apple hasn't made pastel anythings in some time.
There is only one configuration left on Apple's site for the plastic Macbook. The rest are all Macbook Pros which are all aluminium. I'm guessing they are still selling the plastic Macbook just to have something at that $999 price point. I suppose not every Apple design can be a winner though. This one certainly isn't.
Most Mac's ain't aluminium, only a few select models are. If Apple cared they would ALL be aluminium and cracked cases wouldn't be replaced with the same material, but with aluminium or an enhanced plastic etc. However obviously, Apple isn't doing that, it has dropped its standards a LOT. If this happened with a Porsche, Ferrari, Rolls Royce/Bently etc they would rectify the problem and issue a re-call. Unfortunatly Apple seems to be acting like KIA these days.
Pulling out some old news again, you forgot to mention that Apple has acknowledged the issue and will replace the damaged casing out of warranty free of charge.
This is also one of the reasons that most macs are now aluminium.
...the cracks are forming due to the over abundance of happiness and joy contained within the MacBooks.
oh.
one white macbook - 2years old - keyboard replaced 5 times