Huge hassle with Nitro AV Firewire 800 PC Express card
I recently bought a new Nitro AV PC Express card from FirewireDirect for my Macbook Pro. The card worked well in my early build Macbook Pro with the 2.0 GHz processor. It was nice to have FW800 restored to my machine, though the solution of having a clumsy spring-loaded card sticking out the side of the machine is hardly elegant.
I then bought a later build Macbook Pro with a 2.16 GHz processor and was surprised that the PC Express card would not work as the card would not stay seated and just popped back out. As the PC Express card worked on my first MBP, I thought it might be a hardware component so I sent the newer MBP to Apple and asked them to replace the component. Apple looked at it and returned the MBP without repair, deciding that it was "within spec". I took the card to a local Apple store and tried the card in the Macbook Pros there. At the genius bar they told me all of the MBPs in the store were of the newer variety and the PC Express FW800 card from NitroAV would NOT work in any of the machines. It seems some hardware component has been changed in later builds of the MBPs.
I contacted Nitro who said they have had complaints on this but they were not willing to do anything for me and encouraged me to contact the store where I got the card. I called FirewireDirect (on my own dime, the Austin, Texas has no 800 number). I explained the situation and at first the CS rep sounded as though what I was saying was new to him. Then it was clear he was familiar with this situation and he gave me no end of trouble, basically saying it was not their fault that Apple changed the component and they could do nothing. When I pressed the matter he said they were selling hundreds of these cards and it wasn't their fault or their responsbility. He told me I could return the card but I'd have to pay a restocking fee. I argued with the guy and finally got him to send me an RMA number to return this card. But this was obviously a huge waste of time and money to simply restore to my MBP a function that my Powerbook G4 had. This component manufacturer and whoever builds these machines for Apple seem to not be communicating very effectively. I chalk this up to the difficulties of being an early adopter. But I'd warn any fellow MBP users away from even attempting to use the NitroAV Firewire 800/1394b PC Express card.
I then bought a later build Macbook Pro with a 2.16 GHz processor and was surprised that the PC Express card would not work as the card would not stay seated and just popped back out. As the PC Express card worked on my first MBP, I thought it might be a hardware component so I sent the newer MBP to Apple and asked them to replace the component. Apple looked at it and returned the MBP without repair, deciding that it was "within spec". I took the card to a local Apple store and tried the card in the Macbook Pros there. At the genius bar they told me all of the MBPs in the store were of the newer variety and the PC Express FW800 card from NitroAV would NOT work in any of the machines. It seems some hardware component has been changed in later builds of the MBPs.
I contacted Nitro who said they have had complaints on this but they were not willing to do anything for me and encouraged me to contact the store where I got the card. I called FirewireDirect (on my own dime, the Austin, Texas has no 800 number). I explained the situation and at first the CS rep sounded as though what I was saying was new to him. Then it was clear he was familiar with this situation and he gave me no end of trouble, basically saying it was not their fault that Apple changed the component and they could do nothing. When I pressed the matter he said they were selling hundreds of these cards and it wasn't their fault or their responsbility. He told me I could return the card but I'd have to pay a restocking fee. I argued with the guy and finally got him to send me an RMA number to return this card. But this was obviously a huge waste of time and money to simply restore to my MBP a function that my Powerbook G4 had. This component manufacturer and whoever builds these machines for Apple seem to not be communicating very effectively. I chalk this up to the difficulties of being an early adopter. But I'd warn any fellow MBP users away from even attempting to use the NitroAV Firewire 800/1394b PC Express card.
MacBook Pro 2.16 2GB RAM 120GB HD, Mac OS X (10.4.5)
