Q: Early 2008 MBP w/ NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor fail
My beautiful Macbook Pro 17" (early 2008) just started getting stripes on the screen and randomly shutting down; research and a call to a local Mac repair person say this is the known problem with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor.
What do I do now considering the class action suit in the States, and it being 2014? Do I take it to my nearest Apple store and request a fix/replacement?
I've been a Mac user since the early 6100, moved to my beautiful G4 ('Albert', as he was lovingly known), then on to the eMac 800. Bought the Macbook Pro 17" in May 2008 because I needed it to travel with but now it's presenting with vertical stripes and will suddenly shut down for no reason.
Have a Mac Mini which is my main machine, but I really need the MPB for when I travel abroad.
I don't think it's fair that the machine I bought, which I now I find out has a known issue with the graphics card, won't get dealt with because Apple closed the replacement programme in December 2012 (according to this page on Apple MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues). And if it's a known faulty piece of hardware that was installed in their machines, how can there be a time limit on the replacement? If I only use my machine once in a blue moon that means it will, logically, fail much later that a person who uses a machine every day, so why do I lose out. I spent just the same amount of money to buy the new machine as everyone else so where are my consumer rights?
If there's an Apple representative that would like to respond and resolve my issue, I would be grateful. I can take my machine to the nearest Apple 'genius' bar tomorrow for the diagnostic to prove it's a faulty Nvidia graphics processor.
I'm hoping my dad with his Dell PC, which he bought in 2005 and is still running, is not right to scoff at my Mac love!
With kind regards,
Tracy Shorrock
@Freelancealot
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.6), 17" aluminium body
Posted on Sep 21, 2014 4:27 PM