Rock and a hard place

[khaosworks]

So what the hell do I do?

They replaced Cassandra's LCD screen, which made the problem less acute, but didn't get rid of the problem. She still fritzes when I jar her, or try to move her screen - which is fine but that means I don't dare move her while working on her and also means that she's not stable and could fritz at any time.

Which leads me to think that it's the logic board that is the problem as diagnosed earlier - which they didn't replace. Now, if I got the local AppleCenter (at Funan) to replace the logic board it won't be covered by the shop warranty, and that'll cost me probably over S$1000. If I send it back to Best-Denki (who hold the shop warranty), they'll take another fucking month and probably won't solve the problem again - and that month I don't have.

Do I live with the problem? Buy a new Powerbook? Pay the S$1000?

The alternative my gut is leading me to is to say, live with the problem until I finish up what I need to finish using Cassandra, pay the local AppleCenter the S$1000 to fix her, forget getting an iMac, and just buy/build a PC when I reach the US. Maybe this is God's usual un-subtle way of telling me to forget the iMac indulgence.

Comments

[eviltofu.livejournal.com]

Leave the powerbook here for fixing and get your sister to bring it over when she goes back to the US? I thought that all PBs have a world wide warranty. Is it still under the Apple warranty?

[pickledginger.livejournal.com]

That sounds doable ... and talking to the Apple folks does sound like a reasonable option.

Luck

[swisscheesed.livejournal.com]

You want to buy an iMac AND a gaming PC? Geez man, why are you spending money on stuff you don't need. Get what's essential and save the money. You'll need it. Seriously.

This is why I worry about you.

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

Thank you for being singularly unhelpful with the current situation and busting my balls about an option that I am already not going to take.

[swisscheesed.livejournal.com]

The snark is uncalled for.

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but I just don't need anyone giving me shit at the moment. I'm not in the best of moods about the entire customs declaration nonsense plus this crap.

[bigmeanie.livejournal.com]

These may be silly questions, but I'm asking because I don't know.

Do you need Cassandra to be in tip-top shape before you come over to the U.S.? If not, will having her fixed in the U.S. be outrageously expensive, compared to having her fixed there? Would it nullify her warranty?

If the answers to the above are 'no', 'no', and 'no', maybe you can wait to take care of it until you're moved?

I'm just trying to help. It's very possible that you've thought of all this, too. :) In the meantime, let me know if I can help in any way!

[merde.livejournal.com]

i will probably get beaten up for this, but i often find myself thinking that Mac users sound a lot like battered wives -- their Macs are always on the fritz in some way, but they vehemently insist that no, their Mac is really really reliable.

yeah, i think. your Mac really wants to be good. it's just under a lot of stress right now. things will get better. you just need to be patient, and give it its space.

*cough*

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

I've never had trouble with mine.

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

I don't want to sound too defensive here, but I'm still upset over recent events. Look over my journal for the last 18 months or so since I got Cassandra in November 2000. Note how many complaints I've made about her performance until this incident with her screen happened. None. I've never had any real trouble with my Powermac G3 either - my PowerMac 7500 worked fine until the hard drive just died after about 3 years of use. Dad's iBook has been reliable all the while.

I'm not saying Macs are 100 percent reliable. What is? But they're a darn sight more enjoyable to use than PCs.

[osj.livejournal.com]

Man, talk about flamebait...

I've had NINE Macs...NONE of them have ever been 'on the fritz', except for one where a lousy motherboard battery leaked and the acid burnt some of the innards.

Who are these Mac users that you know whose machines are 'always' on the fritz? Perhaps they don't take very good care of them?

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

You bump it and it goes wonky? Sounds like either you've got a short on the motherboard or the hard drive is dying.

In either case, if it's not under warranty, paying anything over about fifteen dollars to fix it is insane. Buy a new one.

PCs suck. You'll hate it.

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

If you're going to be a student, buy the new one after you get your student ID and shop at the apple academic store.

[sumtt.livejournal.com]

I agree 100% with springheel jack. The academic discounts on computer hardware means that you'll end up paying a much cheaper price for a new ibook once you're registered on campus. Plus, you might get a few more freebies thrown in as well such as a printer, etc ...

[eviltofu.livejournal.com]

oooh yes yes academic discount! find out how much it is!

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

Actually, the discount isn't all that much - just about US$100 off the unit price for most Macs.

[mdlbear]

If you can't get it fixed under warranty, don't bother -- you'll definitely be better off getting an academic discount on a new one when you get to the US.

Simplest thing is to back up to an external firewire drive (an iPod will do), and keep all your work on that. If Cassandra dies, give her a proper burial and just plug your drive into the next one.