Yet another reason Apple can’t get into the enterprise

or “Dude, you’re getting a Dell.”

Jan 16: PowerBook doesn’t wake from sleep, won’t boot.

Jan 18: Give up tinkering, take to computer store for diagnosis.

Jan 20: The computer store determines the logic board has failed, sends PowerBook to Apple for repair. PowerBook is out of warranty, so the repair is paid. Computer store indicates the repair usually takes a couple days but can sometimes take as long as 5.

Jan 23: Apple receives the PowerBook.

Jan 24: Apple’s support site indicates the PowerBook is now in repair.

Jan 25: Call Apple to get a sense of when it might be done. I am told it should be done within five days.

Jan 30: Call Apple. Am told they meant 5 business days.

From this point on I call every couple days. The “we will have it fixed” within window shifts from 5 days to 5-7 days to 7-9 days to 7-10 days. After the fifth day the calls take one of three forms:

  1. “Yes, let me check… the status is that we’ve received your laptop and are working on it. We received it on Jan 24.” “I’m aware of that. Do you know when it will be ready?”
  2. “I have no record of that / We have that registered to another name, [the original purchaser] / We don’t recognize the dispatch number we gave you. Do you know that the store has sent it to us?” “Your computer confirms that you began repair work on the 24th. Do you know when it will be ready?”
  3. “Uh. Something’s gone wrong. Here’s what we’re doing to fix it. If you don’t hear from us by date X, call us again.”

The current estimate is that the laptop will be back in my (now well-rested) hands by the end of this week or the beginning of next. Anyone want to put odds on my laptop being back in my hands by next Tuesday (20 business days since repair started) or next Thursday (1 month since Apple’s receipt of the unit)?

Update: About 20 minutes after posting this Apple’s site moved the status from “Service” to “Return”, so I may have the machine back by this Thursday.

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