Okay, so here's an update. I know I should have the names and dates of people I spoke with at Apple but I wasn't planning on writing a serious article on the subject so I'm going to keep it brief and simple.
First of all, if you're getting the dreaded error mesage and you have AppleCare or original warrantee... take your computer in for repairs and mention the error message. Although Apple hasn't said anything to us they seem to have spoken with there service personel because they don't even hesitate, or test the drive from what I can tell, they just put a new one in, no questions asked.
Do not waist your money trying every brand of disc on the market. It's not the discs, it's the drive.
My experience with Apple has completely turned me off. I took my MacBook White 2008 in for repairs when the bottom case was cracking so badly I was afraid it would literally fall apart. This is when the DVD drive was replaced... but they refused to fix the cracking case. (Note, this wasn't the keyboard top case but the bottom.) This is on a laptop that spends almost all of its time sitting on a desk. I have found new cracks that magically appeared when the thing hadn't been moved in days.
It took many phone calls to Apple and I spoke with several people explaining that I had paid aprox. $350.00 Canadian for AppleCare and I expected them to fix this. They offered to supply the part but not the labor. I said this wasn't good enough and they finally conceded and fixed the problem.
To appease me they sent me some Apple swag, a baseball cap, water bottle and a t-shirt, all ablazened with the Apple logo of course. The kicker is by the tie the swag arrived, aprox. 6 weeks, the new bottom case was cracking all to ****. lol
This poor service seems to be intermittent. Some people receive excellent service and I don't know on what criteria Apple decides to base their treatment of customers on.
I have a neighbor who had exactly the same areas of crackage that I had, she took her laptop to the same service center for an upgrade and when the service tech noticed the cracks he contacted Apple to see what they could do Apple didn't even hesitate to repair it. She was out of warrantee and had no AppleCare!
I've been around these forums since 2006, I have had posts and entire topics deleted and/or edited by Apple loyalists. I have been told not to raise certain topics. I've had to change my user name but that doesn't seem possible any more.
The sad thing is Apple is pretty ****** good. But when they don't step up to the plate and take responsibility for they're mistakes they lose good customers.
I'm done with Apple. My next computer will be a Toshiba and they offer Linux drivers as well so you know what I'll be doing.
From a previous thread on the same topic matter:
That's great! And in all honesty I'm happy for you. <=== Note: No sarcasm
There's two point here. The first is that any Google search will prove that any thinking person that these drives have a higher than normal malfunction issue. Maybe 80% of the drives are fine, but that number should be higher.
The second point is the interesting one; The absolute inability of certain persons to believe that Apple can do something wrong. Steve Jobs and Apple are people. They make mistakes, they deny there's been mistakes made, usually folding only after class actions have been filed.
Apple still has a way to go before they're almost perfect but as long as the Apple Gestapo are there with their "I've never had that problem", "That's not Apple's fault", "I don't know what you're talking about", (With fingers in ears) "I can't hear you!".
Not to mention the ever popular move of deleting posts and banning users.
Apple is so fricking close to being the best thing out there. They're so far ahead of Microsoft already. But the attitude has cost them a lot of customers. Their lack of interest in listening to the consumer.
They're great at predicting what the consumer will want, I'll give them that, but that doesn't mean they LISTEN.
I'll end it here. I'm under Apple Care so it's no sweat for me but I had to say something, as everyone should.
iBook G4 sound balance issue... never resolved.
MacBook White stains easily... Apple says we all have dirty hands
MacBook White casing cracks... Apple says we don't know how to open and close our laptops
Keyboard letters wearing off... Apple says we have unusual, natural body oils
Defective main-boards... Apple says plenty, none of it productive until finally a recall was issued
iPhones, poor reception... Apple says we're holding them wrong
And for every such statement their are people here standing with Apple saying we're all stupid. Maybe we're not cattle and like to think for ourselves. But as long as you guys keep collecting those shiny, blue 'Top User' (lol) Apple Points you'll stand by your man.
"I said "Good day sir!""
MacBook White 2.1GHz Duo, Mac OS X (10.6.5), 6Gig Ram
