Apple or Lemon?

Hey guess what, my computer is broken again (just in time for finals)!

Last night I spoke with someone at Apple Support who assured me that my computer was eligible to be replaced. Unfortunately when I called back today and spoke with a Product Specialist I got the run around (the first guy didn’t have the authority to authorize a replacement). What he told me was that even though I had replaced the power supply, the logic board, the hard drive and the optical drive, my computer didn’t qualify for replacement. I was unclear as to whether this was because the repairs didn’t happen within a certain amount of time relative to each other or because I had replaced the power supply myself instead of taking it to an Apple Specialist but he was the opposite of helpful.

I wasn’t mean but I did try to convey my frustration, to explain that the computer has never worked properly, that I am an online student who can’t do her homework at home while her 6 year old sleeps if I don’t have a functioning computer and that I was tired of missing time from work to take my computer to the shop or spend time on the phone with tech support. The Product Specialist still said I had to take it to the shop to try and get this problem resolved and that if it broke again then we could talk replacement. Even better, while he told me this he was condescending; as an example, after explaining that I had tried to shut down without anything connected to the computer and reset the SMU, etc. he suggested that I was choosing restart instead of shut down from the menu (like I didn’t know the difference). He also said that when I took it in to get repaired, IF (note the emphasis) it actually needed to be repaired, it would probably be something minor.


More than anything I am frustrated and I feel like a fool. I can’t tell you how many people hear my story (or stories) and ask me why I didn’t push harder for replacement or, before this current issue, why I still own a computer that is obviously a lemon. My response to these questions? I defend Apple! I assure them that the issue is a fluke, that the computer will be repaired and all will be well in the land of Apple, that Apple computers are known for their reliability. I’m like a fucking Apple cheerleader! But honestly, I sometimes ignore small problems just so I don’t have to go though the hassle of getting the computer fixed again and I feel like an ass who has been taken advantage of. This computer will probably be my last Apple purchase.