JiveMasterT wrote:
Actually seems fair. It takes time, patience, and care to replace it. If you pay the extra few hundred bucks you get peace of mind knowing it was done right and someone is there to back up the work. If you do it yourself, you save a little money but if you broke something in the process or it doesn't work you're left to pick up the pieces yourself.
If you can do it yourself then go ahead.
I see this is a few months old, but I'm looking to replace the top-deck (not even the keyboard) on my early 2006 MBP).
I both agree and disagree with your comment about the price being fair. First, it's not a few extra hundred dollars for the labor, it's only $65, which is a little pricey, but still a fair price for the labor, especially if you're the kind who gets nervous at the sound of cracking and popping while working on your computer. Pulling the top deck is pretty easy, it only takes about 10 minutes, and instructions are all over the net, including YouTube videos from MacSales.com (OWC). Any video showing you how to replace the hard disk on one of these will include the steps on pulling the keyboard. I've done the procedure myself a half dozen times while replacing the hard disk multiple times, and even upgraded the WiFi chip to 802.11n as well.
My issue with the price is the price of the replacement part! He's getting the normal retail price, but what a rip-off! $300 for what is essentially a piece of plastic with some screw holes and tabs (the keyboard itself is not included in the price). You can buy a 2006 model MacBook Pro for $600 on ebay or craigslist. Is the top deck
really worth half the price of the fair market value on these machines? Sheesh.
