Major decision point

[ceagle]

Why do these things always happen when money is tight?

You may have read about my macMiseries lately.. with the audio and now the video freeze problems. :<
I haven't been able to do much at all online the last few days, because even with the minimum ram and no airport, I'm still getting the system freezes consistently a few minutes after startup now... *sigh*
Thank goodness I was able to get this older backup machine last year from yasha_taur ... *whew.. hugs thanksthanks*

But the dilemma is this:
I already went through the logic board recall in December last year, and Apple is telling me that the warranty on that is Only 3 Months... then it's $300 every time it breaks again... which could be Every 3 Months! ;P
I could get a whole NEW (used) laptop for that!

So now the question is:
a) pay $50 to bench-test to be absolutely sure it's the problem
b) skip that and just buy another machine, either a
c) used mac, or a
d) used windows machine

Whichever one, this will have a to a speed boost... probably to 800 or 900 minimum, since if I get a mac powerbook, I really want to get one of the last ones with the ability to boot in 9. (Any thoughts Yasha? email me?) :>

But even a used win machine would be okay.... though maybe I'm just thinking that right now because I'm so pissed at the moment with Apple only backing their hardware for 90 measly days...

grr!

Comments

[joeygatorman.livejournal.com]

A first to see how it goes, and B if the problem can not be resolved. No use spending all that money until you are convinced that it can not be fixed.

[feuerspucker.livejournal.com]

Not only money, my friend, not only money ._.

go through the bench test....

[mammallamadevil.livejournal.com]

and if it's a logic board, I'd go with both C or D if you can...

good luck from both Mac and PC worlds!...

MLD

[kat-ellis.livejournal.com]

I know practically diddly about Macs (dodges objects thrown at
him by Applefanatic fiancé ^_^) but if you had the logic board
replaced already and you are still having trouble that your own
tech ability isn't making headway on (and just by reading your
LJ I know you got several TONS of tech-smarts) I'd be looking
at new systems right now. Good money after bad is nogoodness.

[buran.livejournal.com]

If my "old" powerbook belonged to me and not the university, I'd let you have it for $500 or whatever, but I can't do that... that said, I think you need to climb the chain of command at Apple and not settle for the peon's "no" and tell them that it's a known defect and you expect either for them to stand by their product by replacing the known-bad part with a good one or replace the entire unit with one without the flaw. You should not have to settle for less, and of course they want to save money by getting you to give up and go away. Don't.

Contact Customer Care and not Tech Support (I think you can find their number via a google search) because they have more latitude than the tech reps do to make the customers happy.

That said, the new AlBook backlit keyboard is pretty spiffy. I'm using that feature right now to type this. Why aren't the newer machines OK with you?

[neocanis.livejournal.com]

Ooooh!!! That suck, I can't believe the Apple service were this bad :(

[telbert.livejournal.com]

Just so you can say to yourself that you tried, I'd recommend the bench-test, and go from there. If it's the logic board again, I'd say get a different machine of some kind. If it's something else, I guess it would depend on what the other defect is and what it would cost to replace.

If replacing the machine becomes necessary, the next things to consider would be weighing the relative costs between a used Mac vs. a used Windows system, and also your experience and comfort level with Windows-based systems. I'll keep good thoughts for you!

[mortonfox.livejournal.com]

Don't know anything about Macs. Sorry.

[makovette.livejournal.com]

System Information report written at: 06/27/2005 11:29:32 PM
[System Summary]

Item Value
OS Name Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Version 5.0.2195 Service Pack 4 Build 2195
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name NS2
System Manufacturer Compaq
System Model Workstation AP200
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 7 Stepping 3 GenuineIntel ~597 Mhz
BIOS Version EPP runtime BIOS - Revision 3.0 Copyright(c) 1982, 1999 Compaq Computer Corporation - all rights reserved
Windows Directory C:\WINNT
System Directory C:\WINNT\system32
Boot Device \Device\Harddisk0\Partition1
Locale United States
User Name CASPEED\Administrator
Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Total Physical Memory 392,752 KB
Available Physical Memory 209,592 KB
Total Virtual Memory 1,335,836 KB
Available Virtual Memory 982,680 KB
Page File Space 943,084 KB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

I'd like to keep the SCSI card and drives (this used to be the HRF server) unless things are really tight. Buy an EIDE 80GB drive for a song and you're in business. I can load pre-load any OS from BSD, Linux, "whatever" if you want me to.

Maybe $30 to UPS???

CYa!
Mako

coming to you live, from the ole backup machine

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

*nod*
It's rather mystifying...
I was able to get more stuff off the iBook drive tonight, and it hasn't freezed yet (though I haven't left it on for more than 10 minutes...).

So the video hasn't frozen... but the audio-built-in-speaker problem still persists, and looms as a portent of future doom, IMHO ... :<

I was able to locate a Hardware Check CD tonight also, and it didn't find any problems... yeah right! ;P
That just tells me it's a half-baked hardware checker.. because at least it should find the audio problem.

One thing I'm feeling is yeah, like you said, ...I'm feeling less likely to pay for the bench test... because hey, that could just reveal another EXPENSIVE fix.. and I'm really starting to think I'd just feel safer with a new (used) machine.
The sorst kinda thing is when you're doing something on it and suddenly you have a crash and all is lost. ;P

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

*nods...* It's the total detour of your time and efforts and such a bother overall..!
Arf! ;P
*wingpats*

I like the way yoo theenk :>

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

*kerfuzzles*
It's lookin' pretty hopeful in that direction, mehopes!
If I can get a used 800mhz mac from a company unload, and then the spectacular machine from Mako... that'll be like a dream come true to obliterate this nightmare... *wags!*

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

awww...... *beak blushes and thanks ya for the kind comments* ^v^
Mission on track, as you say, generous gato!
Even though I've walked a few fixit trails, I must sometimes accept defeat... In fact many times in the biz (unless you have gobsa time and resources), they say it is just cheaper to reformat or move along, rather than dig into the innerds of discovery.. though sometimes that's good as a learning experience. The learning I got from this is just a feeling of betrayal by Apple.... sorta like, "Hey, we know our machines are mostly more solid and almost completely free of virus woes... we don't need you that much... ;P

I'll continue to clinically acknowledge what merits they have, but they may never get me to purchase a brand new machine ever again.

arf! ... I hope things are well up thar! :D

Thank You, Dragon Critta!

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Your input means a lot to me ^v^ *wags feathers*

I couldn't remember zacly which one, ..just sorta the ballbark timeline and megahertz..... *scritches head* :9
And yep... I'm leaning toward a PowerBook with the current mindset that maaaaaybe those aren't built quite as junky as the iBook line.
I know you've had good endurance with yours, so I don't count that one... but mine is among an entire series that had to be recalled 8|
And worse yet, it worked fine for a little beyond two years... get to nearly the end of three years (the applecare warranty period) and things start to fail like a chain of dominoes?? Seems mighty susssspicioussss to me...
I've got other macs that are still workin' after 15 years... wha hoppen? 8|

*heheh* ...thanx again! *winghugs*

good suggestions!

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

I actually did wait on the line almost a half hour (total time of phone call=52 minutes), just to hear the supervisor tell me the same thing, AND then suggest I pay him $50 just to have him sit on the line and listen as I would reinstall system disks... yeah right! ;P
I could've gone further up, yeah... but ya sorta reach the threshhold of annoyance at some point, and I guess that was it.. :/

ooooo! As for the newer machines, I'm sure they are ginchy (I work on 'em here n there), but for my needs I really wanna have the ability to boot in 9 .. it's an added flexibility, and installing some things in the Classic emulator really can be finicky too.

I may have one some day, but I'm feeling like I never wanna give Apple new machine money ever again, so it would likely be used if I do..

Thanks for the comments!

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

*nods and fuzzzles your ears*
Many a company has its ups and downs in service...
The lady I spoke to at Apple just after the logic board was replaced was actually quite wonderful!
This sorta makes me feel all-the-more betrayed now, with the every 3 months $300 prospect on the table .. :/

thank you, critter!

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

After tonight, I'm sorta leaning away from it again... but I might still try it.
I really am puzzled about the Audio issue.... and noone has posted any reply solutions about it thus far on any Apple boards or elsewhere I've asked... basic curiousity now at this point. I don't trust the machine any more... :<

I'm fairly happy with Windows systems (fairly)... except for the gaping holes one needs to block agains invasions.
Other than that, their cool :>
*choo choo!*

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

No prob.. thanx for the kind thoughts nonetheless :9

surely you jest....

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

....jest made my day, that is!! :D *flaps!*

wooot! come on... really? If you seeeeeeriously think you won't be needing that workhorse ennymore... I'll be overjoyed to make it hapnin' heah!... perhaps my first Skype-compatible machine! ;D

*hugpats*

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

You certainly went through some hell with yours, me friend... :/
At least I've been able to do some backups, so I don't feel completely beaten..
That's a good point too.. heeding the adage of not throwing good money after bad would be well-advised..

I'm sort of beginning to look foreward to the change of getting more HD space too, having been stuck at 10gig drives for so long... even a 40 would be a big relief!

It'll work out, buddywoof... thanks fur the caring wishes... ^v^ .

Re: surely you jest....

[makovette.livejournal.com]

Yepper, it's your's for the shipping.

You can get EIDE drive down there and build it or you can get a drive to me or whatever and I'll load it up.

The vid card is an ELSA - A German card that uses an Nvidia chip.

It's not the fastest box out there, but it'll run Skype just fine.

Call me after 7PM pal :)

CYa!
Mako

Re: good suggestions!

[buran.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, ALL companies can and do produce this kind of bad experience for their customers from time to time, so even if you switched to someone else, you might run into the exact same problems ... and do you want to really have to worry about viruses and spyware and re-buy all your software?

[buran.livejournal.com]

You know, you should write a complaint to the BBB (you can even file them online) that they're refusing to replace something they've admitted is faulty. A company gets a copy of the complaint when you do this so they know that they're being publicly reported as being sloppy, and when they find out they're publicly in trouble, sometimes they suddenly snap to.

[kaysho.livejournal.com]

I can't swear to anything on the Mac side, never having bought a Mac laptop; but on the Wintel side of things, there's a big price war going on right now in the laptop market as the low-end price point makes its slide from $700 - $800 (last Christmas) to $500 - $600. Best Buy has an off-again, on-again sale ("while supplies last", basically) on a Toshiba Satellite notebook for just $499. It's not a kick-ass notebook, but it's got good basics (15" screen, 40GB HD, 256MB RAM, b/g wireless, CD burner) ... and it's essentially the notebook I bought for myself at Christmas for $699. :)

Or if you want a Dell, you're welcome to use my employee discount (such little as it is), but if you can catch one of the Toshibas it's probably a better value.

that's sum helpful shtuff!

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

*wags*
Thanks for the tips... and I'll look forward to mebbe tryin' one o' them options soon!
Chat with ya after a week of da kine hula luau... ;D