[P1] Logic board, estimates of probability of success of

[James Feathers]

On Jan 9, 2004, at 2:27 PM, iBook List wrote:

>
> Subject: Re: [P1] Logic board, estimates of probability of success of
>  repair
> Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 14:44:44 -0600
> Message-ID: 
> <602E83AC744FCE4780C320233278E86D023E99D0 at WSCHEXV2.winston.com>
> From: "Myers, Curt" <CMyers at winston.com>
>
>
> Does everyone have these issues?  It seems like a lot of people on 
> this=
>  list do.  I've only owned a clamshell, that thing is a tank never had 
> a=
>  problem (knock)
>

No, not everyone. My experience on this issue includes the following 
iBooks:

14" 800 MHz, 640 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive

This is my current, primary 'Book. It goes to work with me daily. I 
also take it when I travel--road trips mostly--two to three times per 
year. It is used on desks and my lap. The only "extra care" it gets is 
the result of a habit developed by owning a build-to-order Wallstreet 
with the infamous 13.3" screen (the one with the video cable routing 
problem and flaky hinges): I always open/close the screen from the 
center, at the latch, not one side or the other.

14" 600 MHz, 640 MB RAM, 30 GB hard drive

This was my previous main 'Book. It got the same treatment as my 
current one. I would still be using it, but I was seduced by the 32 MB 
VRAM in the newer machine. I sold it to a friend, several months ago, 
and it's still going strong. I believe it's used mainly on the lap, 
sometimes by a 15 year-old.

Tokyo 2000 Tangerine iBook, 300 MHz, 320 MB RAM (64 MB + 256 MB), 20 GB 
hard drive (installed myself)

This is my backup machine. Before my first 14", this got the same 
treatment as my current iBook. It's still going strong, running 10.3.2 
(I install new updates on this machine and run a while before risking 
my "production" iBook). I use it three or four times a week (e-mail and 
web browsing mostly), just because I still like the design so much!

Original Blueberry iBook, 300 MHz, 288 MB RAM (32 MB + 256 MB), 3.2 GB 
hard drive

This is my partner's. She's still running 9.2.2, for obvious reasons. 
If she ever needs to run OS X, I'll install a bigger drive and more 
RAM. This one has actually had the most problems. IBM had a bad run of 
hard drives in this capacity--the current one is the third in this 
machine, but it's outlasted the previous two combined. The DC-in card 
has also been replaced. I would normally have done that myself, but she 
had AppleCare, so I figured why knock myself out. None of its trips to 
Apple took over four days (round-trip).

All of the above machines also have AirPort.

I've worked in Quality for several companies over the last...almost 
twenty years now (that makes me feel old!), and have to say that this 
sort of problem usually comes in batches. Switching suppliers, or even 
having the same supplier change their manufacturing process can be the 
cause. Unfortunately, using refurbished parts for repairs can 
perpetuate it--which might have something to do with the disturbing 
trend of the same owners seeing failure after failure.

/me knocks on wood!

Cheers,

James


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