I am getting a funky smell coming from my keyboard. I have cleaned the board with some canned air but it still stinks. It doesn't smell like anything burned but more like body odor (yeah, I know, "eww"). I keep my computer pretty clean and I bathe regularly, so I don't know what it can be. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Hmmm. A long time to be without a computer, but I thought worth it, and within the full two weeks that I would still be in the Pasadena area. I explained to the local Apple staff that I would be leaving Pasadena after this time period and they assured me we should have no problems. (AN ASIDE TO THIS LONG ASIDE: Regarding the digital monitors located behind the Apple Genius Bar, which display nifty images and Apple slogans, has anyone noticed something not so "genius" in action? I'm referring to an image of what appears to be a Leonardo di Vinci manuscript with a sketch of a early modern machine...possibly a flying machine. Well the image is backwards...Apple used the image backwards and you can tell because the manuscript's handwriting runs right-to-left. I thought Apple was a little more savvy than to use the image incorrectly -- especially at their "Genius" bar)
MY THIRD ATTEMPT AT A RESOLUTION
Four days after my initial visit to the store I received a call from Apple Pasadena confirming the replacement keyboard had arrived and the computer would be ready to be picked up that afternoon. Great. Two minutes after that call Apple Pasadena called back to tell me that the wrong part had been order (the pleasant, but imprecise genius accidently ordered a regular desktop keyboard, not the specific part for the iBook G3). Amazed, and really needing my computer back to get some work done, I told them I wanted my computer back while the correct replacement part was ordered. So, they agreed I could have my computer back while we waited for the new part. Yet, now I was worried about the remaining 10 days I had till I departed Pasadena, and I reminded Apple Pasadena about this pressing departure. They assured me the part would be there "soon". Well, 10 days passed and no part arrived. I called the Apple Pasadena store daily on the last couple days before my departure -- to encourage them to do all they could to secure the new keyboard -- but that didn't seem to improve their response. Well, now two weeks had passed and the problem hadn't been resolved and now I was returning to my Austin home for only a one week hiatus, before hitting the road internationally for a several week stint. What to do?
MY FOURTH ATTEMPT AT A RESOLUTION--mostly my fault...
Dispirited by having a meaningless AppleCare "approval" that hadn't resolved my keyboard issue, I called AppleCare back the next day, late in the afternoon, to ask them to help resolve the issue. After waiting for about 20 minutes in the phone queue, listening to really loud, agitating rock music, I reached an AppleCare representative. After she found my Dispatch ID number (generated by the local Apple Pasadena store) and I started to explain the problem -- and then my mobile phone connection dropped. Unbelievable. I waited about 5 minutes, hoping that the Apple staffer would call me back at the phone number I provided (because you can't call back the specific person you are speaking with), but had no luck. So, I redialed AppleCare...and guess what...it was five minutes after 6:00 p.m. PST...and they were closed for the day. Twenty-five minutes of waiting and nothing to show for it.
MY FIFTH ATTEMPT AT A RESOLUTION
Thoroughly frustrated by this two week effort to have my computer keyboard replaced, but unwilling to let my AppleCare authorization remain meaningless, I called the Apple Austin store when I arrived home. I was passed along to the Genius Bar, which was staffed with a smart and pleasant Genius. I explained the problem, we laughed, I told him about the two-week ordeal, and he said he could definitely order the right keyboard but I absolutely had to bring the computer in to verify the model. (I was surprised by this insistence because Apple "knows" what computer I have -- AppleCare polices are tied to specific serial numbers and model numbers.)
I told him there was no way I could leave it because I only had seven days until I departed Austin again. Then the Genius suggested...why don't I have AppleCare mail the replacement keyboard to me. I told him that was a great idea, one I proposed to Apple Pasadena, whose staff insisted the part was not customer-installable. Of course, this information is patently false because Apple has posted an Quicktime movie of how to replace the iBook G3 keyboard on this website. I chuckled to the Austin Genius about the Apple Pasadena's lack of knowledge and thanked him for his suggestion. At this point...I realized there was a possible resolution in sight -- if I could convince AppleCare the keyboard was customer-installable, they could mail the part to my Austin home and I could replace it inbetween my travels.
MY SIXTH ATTEMPT AT A RESOLUTION--A HARD WON SUCCESS
I called AppleCare that same day, now just about two weeks after I initially reported the problem to Apple, and was able to speak with a Technical Support representative within 10-12 minutes of waiting in the AppleCare queue. I consider myself lucky because I connected with GLENN IN MARYLAND who understood my problem, patiently listened to my two week adventure, confirmed the part was customer-installable, and ordered and Fedex'ed the keyboard via expedited service to me. Although I called AppleCare on a Friday afternoon, the part still made it to me on Monday morning. I unpacked the part and installed it within 10 minutes. Wonderful. It is absolutely wonderful.
POSTSCRIPT: PLEASE READ THIS APPLE, IF YOU ARE LISTENING
I think the sixth resolution attempt demonstrates that Apple can perform well when they want to. What took 18 days to resolve could have been accomplished in about 2 days...if Apple wasn't so stingy with their AppleCare service. In the end, the amount of Apple staff time I occupied probably cost Apple 4 to 5 times the expense of replacing the part on the first call. What a poorly-tuned business decision and customer-unfriendly policy on Apple's part. I really love my Apple. I started with an Apple II and now own this iBook G3 (2 logic-boards and one hard drive replaced), which is ending its useful life, and a great PowerMac Dual 1.8 G5. I'll be replacing the iBook in the next year...probably with what I hope will be a more durable product, the PowerBook, but I hope I don't have to go through these shenanigans again. If Apple is going to offer a product like AppleCare -- they need to price it appropriately and honor it. Six attempts at securing a modest repair is simply a shame.
I could have saved you a lot of hassle if you had posted here first. I have an Apple Knowledge Base link to
Customer-Installable Parts, which includes (at the very top of the list) the
keyboard.
Ronda...good point. However, AppleCare wouldn't acknowledge the keyboard was a real issue until I took it into Apple Pasadena. So I couldn't get the part ordered. Apple Pasadena also told me they wouldn't send me the part. And Apple Pasadena botched the order for the part...so I might have had a full-sized keyboard sent to me...instead of what I needed. I didn't appreciate your "live and learn" comment -- how is that helpful?
Sorry. Didn't mean it to be flippant. I just meant next time you'll know to check out Discussions when (if) you have a problem.
Nobody with AppleCare should even have to be here. The AppleCare folks get paid to know what's what, so anyone with AppleCare should not have the kind of hassle you had and should not have to be on Discussions.
Your experience just shows that it may be a good idea to check in here to see what you can find out. I normally would comment to someone with AppleCare, "Whatcha doin' here? Call Apple."
Live and learn. (Hope you don't still find that offensive. I'm talking about
me.)
Thanks for the follow-up Ronda. You are absolutely right about AppleCare. Sorry for being so "sensitive"...I've just had it with Apple...yes, I need to Live and Learn too. 🙂
Oh, no problem. I just didn't want you feeling any worse about things than you already did.
Lots of folks come here thinking this
is Apple. Not that you do, but I don't want anyone reading this to confuse that issue. These Discussions are hosted and moderated by Apple, but they are user-to-user forums. The moderators use a light touch, and you will seldom see an indication that they are even here. They are like guardian angels, making sure that everybody plays nice.
Goodness Gracious Me. I
have had this trouble when I used to have an iBook, But it just needed a good compressed air spray and there was (probably) rotten crumbs (it was an ebay computer), bugs, etc. it was really gross. I really wish I had an iBook back along with my beloved powerbook G4 DVI that I am typing on now. This post has got to be one for the books "time-being-around" wise. I would just like to suggest that if you have this problem, I think that it is from the machine overheating. If you use you r iBook on a pillow or something for a long time, dont. it plugs up the vents.
Roger Martinez1 said "AN ASIDE TO THIS LONG ASIDE: Regarding the digital monitors located behind the Apple Genius Bar, which display nifty images and Apple slogans, has anyone noticed something not so "genius" in action? I'm referring to an image of what appears to be a Leonardo di Vinci manuscript with a sketch of a early modern machine...possibly a flying machine. Well the image is backwards...Apple used the image backwards and you can tell because the manuscript's handwriting runs right-to-left. I thought Apple was a little more savvy than to use the image incorrectly -- especially at their "Genius" bar)"
The above mentioned graphic is indeed by Leonardo daVinci, who wrote all his journals so that they could be read in a mirror, so they would look like they were going right to left. Genius indeed.
My keyboard too smells funny, but I just live with it.
My son (headed for his freshman year of college this very day) does mirror writing. He says he likes to take class notes that way because it forces him to focus and really think about what he's writing.
Wow, Kevin and Elizabeth thanks so much for educating me about this facet of Leonardo's life! How brilliant is that -- to be able to write in such a fashion! I know this is an Apple forum, but can you recommend any websites relating to this paticularity of Leonardo's writing? Just curious.
The writing really caught my eye because I was in the Pasadena area studying Spanish paleography at the Huntington Library and I was surprised to see such a neat manuscript on a digital monitor at a store. I thought what I studied was much more irrevelant to modern life.
Also, kudos to Apple for getting it right -- now, I can breath easy and continue to feel like I'm surrounded by really smart and interesting people.
Glad to know I'm not the only one with a stinky iBook out there!!
Here's my question. I have a 500 Mhz G3 dual USB iBook. The stinky keyboard in question is one the keyboards with the short tab on the lower right to keep it locked into place.
All the replacement keyboards I can find have a longer tab there. Is there a way to make those keyboards fit/work with my machine? These are touted as working with ANY G3 dual USB, so will they fit?
I have a very servicable G3 iBook (now going on 4 yo). The smell became a broblem over the last couple of months. I do not have AppleCare for this iBook, and would like to fix this problem on the cheap.
Are there 3rd party keyboards, or used Apple keyboards from newer iBooks (presumably of a different plastic).
This computer is still working great, and I would hate to abandon it for this. Besides, with the smell -- who would buy it?
