Author Topic: four figure fix  (Read 5462 times)

phillyfilly

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 3
four figure fix
« on: May 09, 2013, 08:17:54 AM »
My flatmate (also my good friend) and I are both in college, and the track pad on her MacBook broke over the weekend. She took it to the Apple store for a diagnosis, and when she came back to our apartment, our conversation went a little like this:

Me: So, will the store be able to fix it in time for you to finish your term papers?
Flatmate: I'm not going to have them fix it. It costs $90, and it's just not worth that to me.
Me: Well, you can borrow my mouse for as long as you need it.
Flatmate: Don't worry, my dad is just going to buy me a new computer!
Me: ...

So, instead of paying $90 for a new track pad, my flatmate wants to spend upwards of $1000 of her dad's money to entirely replace the computer! I'm sort of curious to see how this goes over with her dad.

I was totally shocked. The computer is still perfectly functional - and only about 3 years old!

ketchup

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4323
  • Age: 33
Re: four figure fix
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2013, 08:40:23 AM »
Hey, if she doesn't want it, you just got yourself a $90 Macbook!

Rich M

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 191
  • Location: Boulder, CO
  • Fortune Kookie
Re: four figure fix
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2013, 08:56:05 PM »
A macbook is only a $1000?

Grigory

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 228
  • Location: Seattle, WA
  • (rhymes with "story")
    • my attempt at blogging
Re: four figure fix
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2013, 10:09:47 PM »
the track pad on her MacBook broke over the weekend
But... but I thought Macs were the most perfect machines ever designed by mankind and were built to last forever! (Does anybody else here remember the Mac mouse that had only 1 button? Heh...) Surely such a perfect machine wouldn't break down under any circumstances. [/snark]

JamesAt15

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 200
  • Location: Tokyo, Japan
Re: four figure fix
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2013, 11:55:45 PM »
A macbook is only a $1000?

Entry-level MacBook Air is $999. You can get refurbs for less, too.

plantingourpennies

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 443
  • None.
    • Money, Kittens, Happiness
Re: four figure fix
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2013, 07:31:34 AM »
If it is the kind of plastic MacBook with the replaceable battery I would suggest saving it.

Mine is 6 years old, and maybe one of the last laptops made by Apple (many other manufacturers as well) that I would consider repairable.

Best,
Mr. PoP

the fixer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Location: Seattle, WA
Re: four figure fix
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2013, 08:08:19 AM »
Try convincing her to sell it on eBay. Maybe that will teach her something.

BlueMR2

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2313
Re: four figure fix
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2013, 05:32:29 AM »
Normally I'm anti-insurance, but AppleCare is required as far as I'm concerned on Apple equipment.  The repair costs are astronomical on them, we've had so many failures, and AppleCare is relatively cheap so it just makes sense to get the insurance.

Latest one (Macbook Pro) came back with $200 more in covered repairs than a new one could have been purchased after suddenly failing to boot up one morning (gave a scrambled screen and strangled bootup sound).  I think the only remaining original parts were the shell and the hard drive (which they left untouched, so I didn't have to reinstall and restore my data!).  I specifically remember they gave me a new screen, new motherboard, new superdrive, and a whole set of new internal cables.  :-)  Their service department really does a good job.

nktokyo

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 370
Re: four figure fix
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2013, 11:32:51 PM »
I know people like that - they're still broke at 30...

Starstuff

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 92
  • Age: 35
  • Location: Ohio
Re: four figure fix
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2013, 12:11:05 PM »
Normally I'm anti-insurance, but AppleCare is required as far as I'm concerned on Apple equipment.  The repair costs are astronomical on them, we've had so many failures, and AppleCare is relatively cheap so it just makes sense to get the insurance.

Latest one (Macbook Pro) came back with $200 more in covered repairs than a new one could have been purchased after suddenly failing to boot up one morning (gave a scrambled screen and strangled bootup sound).  I think the only remaining original parts were the shell and the hard drive (which they left untouched, so I didn't have to reinstall and restore my data!).  I specifically remember they gave me a new screen, new motherboard, new superdrive, and a whole set of new internal cables.  :-)  Their service department really does a good job.

Agreed. My MacBook had a new hard drive, screen, 2 (3?) keyboards, disk drive... I lost track... But it took a lot of abuse in college. I figured once that I'd gotten $3,000-5,000 in repairs out of a $200 purchase. And the thing still works reasonably well 6 years later.

phillyfilly

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: four figure fix
« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2013, 09:43:25 AM »
Hey, if she doesn't want it, you just got yourself a $90 Macbook!

haha, good idea! I hadn't thought of that.