The MacBook’s back

I went over to the Apple Centre in Solihull, that’s in the UK, to pick up my newly repaired MacBook Pro this Monday. I thought I’d wait a bit before posting the results to make sure that the fix actually worked.

I can’t fault the service I received from the Apple Centre, but the quality of Apple’s online and telephone support is appalling.

I went round and round the automated telephone system chasing the status of my repair until I felt like I was about the have a brain haemorrhage. I’d already tried the online service only to find that it had no more idea about the status of my laptop than I did! Fortunately, I got a call from Solihull to tell me the laptop was ready just as a was beginning to wonder if I’d ever see it again.

It turns out that is was a failure of the new LED display, and to their credit Apple duly replaced the whole clamshell unit containing the screen. The fix seems to have worked, but my confidence in the design’s longevity has definitely been shaken. This blow is particularly keen due to the fact that the repair would’ve cost nearly £400 if the laptop wasn’t under warranty.

The long term question is now whether I should consider taking out the AppleCare extended warranty. It’s a lot of money, £279 for two extra years, but if the equipment is this unreliable…?