5 ms·

I dislike Apple, but one thing I'll say in their favour is that I can wander into any Apple store and get a replacement device when it breaks (or maybe even a r

I dislike Apple, but one thing I'll say in their favour is that I can wander into any Apple store and get a replacement device when it breaks (or maybe even a repair if I'm lucky). Lenovo, on the other hand took weeks to get back to me and then quoted $400AUD to replace the display backlight - with someone else's name on the quote. If I've got LTE connectivity, I'm probably going to remote in to some other box with a lot more processing power, rather than code on a limited laptop/mobile processor.

subfay 8y ago
Valid but just look: Good Windows notebooks are so cheap, you can have a second device lying around in case of emergency. IDK if you have the moeny for a second Macbook, whatever model...
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
groby_b 8y ago
Have you actually brought a device to be repaired within the last few years? They take it in the back to diagnose it, come back with a sad expression and tell you they need to send it in, and you can pick it up in a week. (And that's not even mentioning the fact that most Apple stores are a zoo, and you can easily spend an hour waiting for your 'Genius' appointment)
- cstejerean 8y ago
  If I was in a hurry I’d buy a replacement device, restore from iCloud, and then return it in a week when my original device is back from warranty.
  - bdcravens 8y ago
    That’s a lot of cash to tie up.
    - GordonS 8y ago
      Sure, but at least it's only tied up temporarily, rather than permanently if you buy a new device. I wonder if it's possible to rent a decent Macbook though?
- cageface 8y ago
  They wanted to take my 2017 MBP for a week to replace the faulty keyboard. I was forced to buy a new machine because I can’t afford to be unproductive for a week. Having a $3000 machine sidelined for a week by a design flaw that oringinates from Apple’s obsession with making pretty and thin devices over any practical considerations means I will be taking a very serious look at a windows laptop for the first time in over ten years when this MBP is due for replacement.
  - rixrax 8y ago
    Exactly same story here. Second time that 2017MBP went for a repair I drove to a Best Buy and got a 2017 Razer Stealth. Life is suffering: on Razer I replaced Windows 10 with Ubuntu (which at that time wouldn’t work without long list of patches and tweaks; it’s better now with recent kernels), I hate the touch display, I would have preferred 1080p display over 4K, but at least modern Linuxes mostly do display scaling well enough. And then there is the touchpad. Which is several years behind MBP touchpad. And it’s not like it was much cheaper than the MBP. But It runs google docs and Emacs as well as the MBP did. And has the keyboard that works. So I’m just fine. I may in a year or two try MBP again. We’ll see.
    - Fnoord 8y ago
      Get a 2015 MBP instead. They have a force touch touchpad yet not the larger ones, not the broken keyboard, still work decent, are cheaper (some 2nd hand in good state provided you don't search for exotic hardware combinations), don't have touchbar, still have magsafe (though you can make USB-C magnetic). I have a 15" MBP2015 and a 13" MBP2014 (the 13" MBP2015 would've been a better choice). I love them both. Only downside is the coating, and they're getting a bit aged. Apple even warn that the screen on MBP2016 and later can get damaged from debris on the keybaord, especially with keyboard protector enabled. My MBP2010 has been mistreated badly with debris and did not ever suffer from this. The MBP2014/2015 have it slightly more difficult already. If you fancy the newer series, the 2018 versions don't suffer from the keyboard getting stuck problems (cause Apple's clever hack). If you don't mind a portable trackpad the Apple Magic Trackpad 2 works native on Linux 4.20 [1] (which works on Ubuntu 18.10 at least) and the driver can be backported via DKMS. Fedora however has the module compiled into the kernel so you gotta recompile the kernel if you're running Fedora. [1] https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver
- kalleboo 8y ago
  I turned my 2017 MBP in with a bad keyboard and a bad USB-C port. Get it back after 10 days with a new keyboard... they forgot the USB-C port. Another round trip, 10 days later... they replaced the IO board on the wrong side of the laptop, the USB-C port is still bad. Screw it I have 3 other USB-C ports now I'm just living with it, I was without my laptop for a month (during which I used my old 2012 MBP which still works fine). Horrible experience.
Daneel_ 8y ago
Lenovo offers a next business day on-site replacement warranty that covers accidental damage. It doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve used the service a few times over the past five or so years and it’s been excellent. It really wasn’t that much extra, and it’s a no-brainer when you consider how valuable all the lost time from a multi-week replacement.
- windowsworkstoo 8y ago
  Bang on - all the major PC manufacturers offer this (for a small price of course). you typically get a tech and a part sent out next day, or even within 4 hours on the right plan
joaomacp 8y ago
A counter-example: in Portugal, Lenovo's support representative took my yoga 500 and replaced the motherboard for no cost. Don't remember the duration, maybe 1 or 2 weeks

subfay 8y ago

Valid but just look: Good Windows notebooks are so cheap, you can have a second device lying around in case of emergency. IDK if you have the moeny for a second Macbook, whatever model...

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

groby_b 8y ago

Have you actually brought a device to be repaired within the last few years? They take it in the back to diagnose it, come back with a sad expression and tell you they need to send it in, and you can pick it up in a week. (And that's not even mentioning the fact that most Apple stores are a zoo, and you can easily spend an hour waiting for your 'Genius' appointment)

cstejerean 8y ago
If I was in a hurry I’d buy a replacement device, restore from iCloud, and then return it in a week when my original device is back from warranty.
- bdcravens 8y ago
  That’s a lot of cash to tie up.
  - GordonS 8y ago
    Sure, but at least it's only tied up temporarily, rather than permanently if you buy a new device. I wonder if it's possible to rent a decent Macbook though?
cageface 8y ago
They wanted to take my 2017 MBP for a week to replace the faulty keyboard. I was forced to buy a new machine because I can’t afford to be unproductive for a week. Having a $3000 machine sidelined for a week by a design flaw that oringinates from Apple’s obsession with making pretty and thin devices over any practical considerations means I will be taking a very serious look at a windows laptop for the first time in over ten years when this MBP is due for replacement.
- rixrax 8y ago
  Exactly same story here. Second time that 2017MBP went for a repair I drove to a Best Buy and got a 2017 Razer Stealth. Life is suffering: on Razer I replaced Windows 10 with Ubuntu (which at that time wouldn’t work without long list of patches and tweaks; it’s better now with recent kernels), I hate the touch display, I would have preferred 1080p display over 4K, but at least modern Linuxes mostly do display scaling well enough. And then there is the touchpad. Which is several years behind MBP touchpad. And it’s not like it was much cheaper than the MBP. But It runs google docs and Emacs as well as the MBP did. And has the keyboard that works. So I’m just fine. I may in a year or two try MBP again. We’ll see.
  - Fnoord 8y ago
    Get a 2015 MBP instead. They have a force touch touchpad yet not the larger ones, not the broken keyboard, still work decent, are cheaper (some 2nd hand in good state provided you don't search for exotic hardware combinations), don't have touchbar, still have magsafe (though you can make USB-C magnetic). I have a 15" MBP2015 and a 13" MBP2014 (the 13" MBP2015 would've been a better choice). I love them both. Only downside is the coating, and they're getting a bit aged. Apple even warn that the screen on MBP2016 and later can get damaged from debris on the keybaord, especially with keyboard protector enabled. My MBP2010 has been mistreated badly with debris and did not ever suffer from this. The MBP2014/2015 have it slightly more difficult already. If you fancy the newer series, the 2018 versions don't suffer from the keyboard getting stuck problems (cause Apple's clever hack). If you don't mind a portable trackpad the Apple Magic Trackpad 2 works native on Linux 4.20 [1] (which works on Ubuntu 18.10 at least) and the driver can be backported via DKMS. Fedora however has the module compiled into the kernel so you gotta recompile the kernel if you're running Fedora. [1] https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver https://github.com/robotrovsky/Linux-Magic-Trackpad-2-Driver
kalleboo 8y ago
I turned my 2017 MBP in with a bad keyboard and a bad USB-C port. Get it back after 10 days with a new keyboard... they forgot the USB-C port. Another round trip, 10 days later... they replaced the IO board on the wrong side of the laptop, the USB-C port is still bad. Screw it I have 3 other USB-C ports now I'm just living with it, I was without my laptop for a month (during which I used my old 2012 MBP which still works fine). Horrible experience.

Daneel_ 8y ago

Lenovo offers a next business day on-site replacement warranty that covers accidental damage. It doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve used the service a few times over the past five or so years and it’s been excellent. It really wasn’t that much extra, and it’s a no-brainer when you consider how valuable all the lost time from a multi-week replacement.

windowsworkstoo 8y ago
Bang on - all the major PC manufacturers offer this (for a small price of course). you typically get a tech and a part sent out next day, or even within 4 hours on the right plan

joaomacp 8y ago

A counter-example: in Portugal, Lenovo's support representative took my yoga 500 and replaced the motherboard for no cost. Don't remember the duration, maybe 1 or 2 weeks