Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

I will report my case today at Apple Care Benelux. My MacBook Pro 15" (early 2011) has gone up in flames last week. Not literally that is!

The mbp2011 petition has almost reached 37 400 complaints! Apple ... take your responsibility and help out your customers! What more do you need before you start acting!?

demuire wrote:

 

What would be the best way to report this?  I have written in a feedback form, but no reply yet. I went to an Apple store today and they refused to acknowledge that this is a real problem. My AppleCare is still valid though, so they offered to fix it yet again. It's the best they could do apparently. And if it fails after my AppleCare runs out in 4 months then too bad, because they consider 3 years to be a "reasonable lifespan" for a laptop.

 

 

It sounds like you have already reported it. It doesn't matter whether they acknowledge the problem or not, just as long as your case has been logged. If you have Applecare then you should definitely get it fixed, that's what I would do. I mean, that's the reason you bought Applecare, isn't it?

And if it fails after my AppleCare runs out in 4 months then too bad, because they consider 3 years to be a "reasonable lifespan" for a laptop.

Apple may try to get out of covering your laptop after your AppleCare runs out, but don't let them.  A documented issue that occurs during your warranty coverage, that then re-occurs after the expiration, is one that they did not fix and that they should continue to have to fix until they are successful.  Obviously...they won't be able fix it properly since they're simply replacing one faulty logic board with another.  But, after 4 repairs, the experience of this board's participants seems to indicate that you'll get a new machine.

Don't give up, and make sure you have a paper trail of the issue being repaired under warranty and photographic evidence of the issue re-occuring...if it does.

The G-man wrote:

 

I will report my case today at Apple Care Benelux. My MacBook Pro 15" (early 2011) has gone up in flames last week. Not literally that is!

The mbp2011 petition has almost reached 37 400 complaints! Apple ... take your responsibility and help out your customers! What more do you need before you start acting!?

Great, please have them refer your case to a senior engineer as well, not just the normal Genius guys.

Sadly, the petition means nothing to Apple since virtually anyone can sign it, whether they have a MBP or not. But the cases that are reported to Apple directly require a serial number of the machine so it's more legit. That's why I keep reminding the new guys around here to report your case.

I doubt Apple can keep quiet forever if the reported cases have reached the millions.

Apple may try to get out of covering your laptop after your AppleCare runs out, but don't let them.  A documented issue that occurs during your warranty coverage, that then re-occurs after the expiration, is one that they did not fix and that they should continue to have to fix until they are successful.  Obviously...they won't be able fix it properly since they're simply replacing one faulty logic board with another.  But, after 4 repairs, the experience of this board's participants seems to indicate that you'll get a new machine.

 

Don't give up, and make sure you have a paper trail of the issue being repaired under warranty and photographic evidence of the issue re-occuring...if it does.

+1.

Good point! I totally agree.

rennyz27 wrote:

I doubt Apple can keep quiet forever if the reported cases have reached the millions.

My Late 2011 completely died in November last year too, so I know how everyone feels.

But consider this: It's already publicly known that WB&M are suing Apple. It's on ALL known channels that this is happening.

Meaning, it's completely out in the open, easily known to millions already.

Still, when I suggested the use of 3D X-ray scanning of faulty boards to find evidence of what's actually happening, they responded: "I think it would be extremely helpful because Apple is arguing to the judge that no defect exists!"

So, in all honesty, would a million internally reported cases make a difference? And why? If -obviously- their mind is already set and they seem to be super keen on defending their case that 3 years is long enough to function...? Any machine with warranty is fixed and that's it.

I even wonder if the internal administration of problem cases would ever see the daylight in that law suit.

If you search for 'aysnmbp2011' you can get to a place where a public overview is being formed of this reality, that will end up at WB&M. That would be more concrete material then the "awareness" of Apple. They are of course as aware as the Phoebus cartel was long before them..

The best way to impact Apple is to vote with your wallet first, second make sure you go to the Apple store and tell them you are not happy, second fill out the feedback form and tell them you are not happy, sign the petition and join one of the suits, I joined the Canadian suit. Continue to make Apple know we are not happy. This is not a precedent I have posted on recalls they have made in the past, this might be more expensive but they have $180 billion dollars! Once the suit starts (April)  the media will start to report the events and make more people aware of the issue. All we can do is to collectively voice our displeasure using the methods outlined above. IMHO....

Hello everybody! I am hereby, sadly, reporting another case of a broken early 2011 MBP 15". About a couple of weeks ago my computer began to freeze and show a warning popup informing me about a graphics failure. When trying to reboot the system i only got a blank white screen with the fans starting to go at full speed, then the computer automatically shut down.

Thanks to this thread and some video tutorials on youtube i managed to deactivate the discreet graphics card in single user mode, and i now have a working computer, although i can't run any graphics intensive software.

I have called the Swedish Apple support to report my problem. Since i'm out of warranty and don't have apple care they referred me to an authorized repair centre which quoted me around 5000 SEK (around 570 USD). It's a lot of money for something that doesn't appear to be a permanent fix. :/

Speak out, often and loud on every medium of communication on which you have access.  Make Apple’s commitment to a quality product common conversation.  People will vote with their dollars.

Individually Apple is not listening, individually we don’t represent enough money for Apple’s priorities of value; money over virtues.

On this list there are tens of thousands of us who know tens of people.  We have Facebook and twitter followers, we know our local newspapers, we know technical authors or we are technical authors.  We have all the ingredients of a force multiplier if we have a focused purpose, to get the word out concerning Apple products quality.

When Apple learns it must deliver the best quality hardware to sell their best quality software solutions they will have a better company and we will have a solution for the bricks we bought.

Each of us has a skill, each of us is respected by our circle of friends, spread the word.  We are from all corners of the world.  If Apple continues to deliver unreliable products our investments in Apple products will turn into IBM jr.

Education’s child is freedom.  We need to provide education to free us from one inferior choice.

Apple is in a unique position, they have but one source of platforms to deliver their very clever software.  If the world begins to question the reliability of those platforms it will not matter how clever their software is, if it's being delivered by a brick.

I think those recalls were for 3rd party parts. I may be wrong.

Can we get logic boards without the crappy solder thats used in the UNITED STATES? Europe is supposed to have (at least where i read on the internet, cant trust everything on the internet) better solder used based on this finding overseas.

Anyone in Hawaii have the same issues? I'll be heading to the Apple store soon and then i'll be calling my local Better Business Bureau to see what can be done if anything. I'll be using the lawsuit and this thread to show the extent of the issues and how the "repair" is also going to fail (as many have). We also have a free News station/lawyer help line called Action Line here in Hawaii. I'll report this to them as well as a friend who works at a News station to see if they have any help or information that can be thrown my way.

My computer was able to finally boot after 1 month just acting as a paperweight. It finally made it to safe mode. It reported to me that I had a graphics crash and asked me to report it to Apple. I sent off the report. About 2 hours later, just sitting on my desk it froze and needed a hard reset. It wasn't able to make a reboot.

Apple please make a script or an update for firmware for those who don't need the discrete graphics, can you please make something to FORCE the computer to stay in non discrete? I can get it to boot to the recovery screen and stay on that screen for DAYS, I had left it on for 2 days on the recovery screen. Once it boots into Yosemite it crashes on boot up, the progress bar makes it about 25% way up, disappears, then white screen of death.

Seeing how lacking in quality this machine has for me, its put a fair sized dent in my Macbook Pro Retina 2014. I no longer feel my investment in ANOTHER Macbook Pro is actually an investment. I could have had 3-4 i7 PC laptops for the cost of these machines, 2 for use and 2 for back up. Or buy 2 PC laptops save myself $500 and take a VACATION!

Waiting on a solution I had to resort back to my 8 year old PC desktop to replace my 2011 Macbook Pro for now. I used the 2011 Macbook for in home studio use and it never sees the outside elements. Its on a desk running 2 monitors with Ableton or Traktor. Both are non intensive programs with respect to graphics use.

Apple please come up with a PERMANENT solution, UPGRADED logic boards, firmware Update, etc... please give us solutions to this problem!!!

Apple achieved massive public acceptance first by marketing quality, second by delivering startling creativity.  Then came the money.  The question is has the virtue needed to produce quality been replaced by shiny trinkets?

Apple is in a unique position, they provide the only platforms to deliver their very clever software.  If the world begins to question the reliability of those platforms it will not matter how clever their software is, if it's being delivered by a brick.

At this juncture we have a vested interest in Apple's success because we have invested in Apple products.  If Apple shows they are not interested in producing the best product: is Apple demonstrating they are not interested in the hours, days, months, years of labor it took for us to purchase their product?