# Lifespan of a MacBook



## kiltguy (Jul 2, 2008)

I just got back from a reseller, He informed me that the lifespan of the MacBook is about two years and that I should purchase an extended warranty...cough...
My question is of the MacBook owners out there how durable is this product?...the MacBook I mean. (I have the 2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo 2GB 667 Mhz DDR2 SDRAM)
Many thanks
Robert


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

I can't comment on the "lifespan", but for any portable I would recomment the extended warranty; not just any warranty but specifically Applecare.
If you shop around you can get a pretty good price on that - Sig Electronics is one place to check or even ebay.


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## 9780 (Sep 14, 2006)

So far, in 2 years of owning my 1st gen Macbook, I've had:

- the Logic board replaced (twice, since the first replacement they put a defective one in lol) (in London)
- keyboard/trackpad/palmrest replaced (for cracked palmrest, common in 1st gen macbook) (in London)
- superdrive replaced (in Tokyo)

total cost of repairs, without Applecare: astronomical
Cost of repairs, with Applecare: ZERO.

Get the AppleCare.

Patrix.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

My 1st-generation MacBook (purchased July 2006) has had:

- palmrest & keyboard replaced (crack along front edge)
- two batteries replaced
- 1 AC adapter replaced (cord cracked & sparked at the cube)

and it needs to have the palmrest section replaced again (cracked).

I'm also having recurring problems making it do a "deep sleep" (save to disk when battery power about to give out), making me think that a motherboard issue may be happening...

But - as I have AppleCare, I have peace of mind.

Strategy: buy it just before the end of your first year - that gives you all year to save up for it.

M


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## kiltguy (Jul 2, 2008)

Thanks for the info. Seeing as I qualify for an education discount the hit isn't as bad so I will follow up on this.
Cheers
Robert


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

.


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## Max Amerongen (Oct 27, 2007)

I've had mine for a bit over a year and a half. The palmrest is cracked, but the battery life isn't any worse than when I got it, and other than a few scratches, there isn't anything wrong with it. A friend of mine has one that has been around longer than mine, and has no problems either. Another has had ome for around as long as mine, and is still going strong. That's why I love Macs.


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## ertman (Jan 15, 2008)

Wow 

I was going to get one for school, but now I am wondering if the quality is any good.

Has the quality improved over the last couple of iterations, or atleast more people with better experiences?

Let me know.


Thanks​


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## titans88 (Oct 3, 2007)

I've had mine for about 18 months now, and no issues to report at all!


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## seymorerage (Feb 28, 2008)

I know people that have had nothing go wrong. I think the quality is as good or probley better than a cheaper laptop.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

I believe - not 100% - that the cracked palmrest issue was only with the 1st-generation, and that the case had been modified internally with the 2.0 ghz -and-up models.

Corroboration?

M


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## cap10subtext (Oct 13, 2005)

Most issues are exclusively with the 1st gen ones. My 1st Gen had a crackling power adapter replaced and is currently suffering from the yellowy palm rests that was a known issue due to the plastic used. 

Performance wise it's surpassed every expectation I have ever had. I love it, I'd recommend it to anyone.

Having said that I recommend apple care to anyone too regardless of what model it is. Apple products are amazing but no brand of electronic product is without its lemons. Apple care is a reasonable deal for what is frequently superior customer service and satisfaction.


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## lreynolds (Dec 28, 2005)

Mine had a battery and cracked palm rest replaced in the first year by Apple under warranty, and also the hard drive, just out of warranty by a few weeks, but they covered it anyway. Other than that it has worked great, highly recommended.

And yes, it is 1st gen, bought in Sept 06. Didn't get Applecare, fingers crossed.


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## 9780 (Sep 14, 2006)

ertman said:


> I was going to get one for school, but now I am wondering if the quality is any good.
> 
> Has the quality improved over the last couple of iterations, or atleast more people with better experiences?


Despite needing those repairs, it's a very solid one. Repairs only made it better. Which means of course the last couple iterations have improved. And with AppleCare you get the peace of mind anyway that you won't shell out more $$$ than you originally paid to have yours repaired lol, in case something does go wrong (wear and tear is real, and defects can happen, on ANY machine)

Patrix

PS: of course, since you asked about the lifespan and if AppleCare was worth it, you got stories of people needing repairs and paying no thing thanks to AppleCare, so that would obviously give the impression that it's a low-quality product, since you asked about low quality instances...


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## kiltguy (Jul 2, 2008)

patrix said:


> PS: of course, since you asked about the lifespan and if AppleCare was worth it, you got stories of people needing repairs and paying no thing thanks to AppleCare, so that would obviously give the impression that it's a low-quality product, since you asked about low quality instances...


It was only yesterday that this ever came up. I've had the machine since April. I've been totally impressed with the unit. It's fast, the battery lasts for hours (5) depending on the applications. Most of the negatives were on software and the cost.
I've managed to be able to deal with getting data from the hard drive of my acer reasonably well. The only stumbling block is quatro-pro a corel product spreadsheet from wordperfect office 11. That I need to use a PC to convert to excell and that isn't always successful. Abi word and neo office have dealt with wordperfect files OK.
Thanks all for the advice
Cheers
Robert


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

kiltguy said:


> I just got back from a reseller, He informed me that the lifespan of the MacBook is about two years and that I should purchase an extended warranty...cough...


What kind of freaking reseller was that? Talk about loyalty to your brands. Crappy sales patter to flog their crappy "extended warranty" - like these sound like guys I'd let into my computer NOT!

For the record:

KeyLime toilet seat- still running, no service except battery,
original model TiBook 400mhz - still running, no service except battery,
12" PB 1ghz- still running, no service except battery,
17" PB 1.67ghz- still running, screen replaced under Applecare, running well
15" MBP 2ghz - still running, no service, original battery battery,
MBA 1.6ghz - no issues

By running I mean fully updated to latest OS, etc. I always get Applecare (never store warranty). Service on the 17" paid back all the Applecare.

Also I have an original PB 100, a Duo210 and a Duo280C, although they require a bit of fettling.


YMMV


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## Details (Mar 28, 2008)

ertman said:


> Wow
> 
> I was going to get one for school, but now I am wondering if the quality is any good.
> 
> ...


I've had mine for just over two years, and so far I've had nothing go wrong with it. I've upgraded the RAM, and the Hard Drive, and enjoyed the whole experience of having my first Mac.

I'd think that the MacBook isn't any worse for wear and tear than any consumer laptop out there. If you're going to be carrying it around a lot, get a good quality case for it, and enjoy!


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

I've had two BlackBooks, each for about a year. Both are still in EXACTLY the same condition as the day I bought them, and no I don't baby them. I *do* stick them in a neoprene sleeve when traveling, and I *do* clean them with a soft damp cloth from time to time.

Personally I think the BlackBooks are quite durable, but of course my definition of durable does not involve dropping them down stairs, pouring liquids into them, or smacking the case against a desk edge (as many customers seem to do frequently).

Gut feeling based on working in a Mac repair shop: the iBook G4s were more durable in terms of how much abuse the case could stand and still look half-decent. But the iBook G4 (some runs anyway) had internal problems that haven't withstood the years too well. The MacBooks are IMHO better on the inside but perhaps more delicate on the outside.


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## azrail (Oct 3, 2007)

No Issues with a 2nd-gen MB 2Ghz - have replaced the HD (2x LOL) d/t need for more storage and max's out the ram - again w/out issues.

Still runs as new (getting close to a year) - despite the intial dud (DOA after EFI upgrade) this replacement has been everything it should be = solid & reliable.

Appearance-wise, slapped on protecitve/transparent film on the LCD, trackpad & palmrest (since new) so those items would have very minor, cosmetic surface wear if that. Outside case has had a few minor bumps d/t presentations/being careless - protective sleeve has prevented travel scuffing 

In summary, best computer/tech purchase to date and based on this experience will purchase another Mac as an upgrade to this current one.


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## hayesk (Mar 5, 2000)

No issues here. However, I always get AppleCare on portables - they take more physical abuse than desktops.


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## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

I had mine macbook bought christmas 2006 crap out on me about a month ago. It was just the HD that fried. It was starting to get heat issues so I was not surprised and wouldnt be if any other stuff went on it. 

If you can afford it I think the Macbook Pro is the better option even if you do not need all the power of it just because of its longer life. It is bigger inside, two fans, aluminum casing and more ports all help for heat dissapation which is what kills the computers. My Macbook lasted about 2 years until anything went wrong with it that was not my fault.


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## M. Warren (Jan 4, 2002)

My 1st gen Macbook is doing fine...well except for the little piece of the palmrest which broke off 6 months ago. Over the last year I maxed the ram to 2GB and swapped a new 250GB hard drive too (my original 120GB that came with it had about 9GB of free space). I was just thinking the other day how I really can't complain about sluggishness at all with this machine. Its certainly not babied at all either...I have it with me on stage when I'm DJing usually 2 or 3 times a month.


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