Apple Computer announced the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program covering “repair or replacement of the logic board in specific iBook models manufactured between May 2002 and April 2003 that are experiencing specific component failures.” The problems that are covered under this repair program include:
- Scrambled or distorted video
- Appearance of unexpected lines on the screen
- Intermittent video image
- Video freeze
- Computer starts up to blank screen
Apple is going out of its way to make whole the iBook owners who have already paid for repairs. According to the website, “Apple will reimburse customers with eligible iBooks for the cost of repairs covered under this program, and will pro-actively contact affected customers where Apple has their contact information.” If you own an iBook that has already been repaired, you should probably call the Apple Authorized Service Provider that performed the repairs for you.
It’s good that Apple admitted that many iBooks built in 2002 and early 2003 have logic board problems, and that they are going the extra mile to find and compensate people who repaired their machines already. A lot of owners of the defective iBooks are probably wondering why Apple waited so long to do something about this. If I owned one of these machines, I know that I would have complained long and loudly. [ via CNet News.com ]
Hopefully, this repair program will give people more confidence in the iBook laptop line. A number of people I know have heard about problems with late-model iBooks and either waited to purchase until they have did extensive research, or chose a competing laptop. If this was ever a big problem, it should be off the table now because Apple is responding to the manufacturing defect and has defined the scope of it.
So, people who are shopping for laptops today can buy the current iBook G4 models with confidence that the problem has been eliminated. The iBook G4s are very nice machines for the price. The thing I wish the iBook G4s had as an option is the “SuperDrive” that allows the Apple Powerbook G4s to burn DVDs.