No one wants to fix your PowerBook. Apple’s charge for repairing the screen of a 15″ PowerBook equals the cost of a new one. Fortunately, there are 3rd-party techs who can provide customer service at a reasonable price. Read more…
Last week, I trudged into my old reliable Mac store [name obviously changed to protect the innocent] carrying my old reliable Titanium PB with a ruined screen, and their consoling service techs gave me the sorry official Apple prognosis: cost of repair would be $1400–for a 15″ LCD screen.
Gadzooks, I could buy a new PowerBook for US$1500. Or a 20″ LCD for US$999. Does it cost US$1400 in American labor for 15 minutes it takes to instal an LCD in my PowerBook? Curiously, I had the same screen–in fact the same PowerBook–repaired at the same store a year ago for US$700. What gives, I thought?
Hardware prices usually decrease over time! Was I entering… the Mac Twilight Zone? So, offered for your consideration: the most common repair on PowerBooks is screen replacement. Repair or replace? Avarice or economics? I may be old fashioned, but I chose to repair. A service recommended to me, TechRestore, did the repair in a few days, as opposed to more than a week that Apple took the last time, for US$499. Shipping included.
Is Apple’s service department working for their customers or for marketing? This is a common issue facing technology companies today. I would expect better from Apple.
