# apple removing thread about lower ram failure



## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

This is despicable. There was a long running thread of well over 300+ posters posting their lower ram slot failure on 15" powerbooks and their experience. Apple seems to have removed the thread from their discussion board.
I think this is a very serious problem like the failing iBooks.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I could not agree more. As a preventative just in case Apple does nothing about it we do recommend purchasing the extended warranty for those that do not have it already even tho expensive, it is less than the MB replacement. 

We're hoping Apple steps up and does something about this........'course they gotta preserve that 29% margin


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

well I did try.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

groovetube said:


> well I did try.


What does that mean? What happened? You ran out of money or something?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Groovetubes situation is a in progress not for board discussion.

I suspect Apple is chewing on this ( not just this one ) - it's not like it's new ....or uncommon.


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## DBerG (May 24, 2005)

groovetube said:


> This is despicable. There was a long running thread of well over 300+ posters posting their lower ram slot failure on 15" powerbooks and their experience. Apple seems to have removed the thread from their discussion board.
> I think this is a very serious problem like the failing iBooks.


What about failing iBooks, tell me more pls, I'm buying one, I'd like to know.


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## andrewenterprise (May 22, 2005)

Start that thread up again!


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## andrewenterprise (May 22, 2005)

DberG: iBooks had/ are having a lot of problems with logic board failures. They supposedly had fixed the problem with the introduction of the G4's but I had a logic board failure on mine (1ghz). MacDoc coudl probably give you more info.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

Someone has. There's a few. I recall the G4 noise threads, then the iBook logic board failures, all those threads were deleted from their discussion boards. It's the first place I look for possible issues on certain mac models. It's also on just about every mac oriented board I've looked at. It seems the problem is wide spread. The other thing one person noted before the thread was deleted (maybe that was it...) was that it seems the powerbook in most cases can perform normally for some time without giving the user any clue, until they happen to look at their about mac, and clue into the fact there seems to be a little less ram than was installed. That, and the loss of the chime on startup, but many will turn down their volumes.
Yes Macaholic, problem is in progress I think. I'm really hoping for a solution, I can't afford portables anymore at this rate.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

heh. Just checked. Already 4 threads started.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

The bulk of the iBook failures were in the 600-700 mHz range with a few 800/900 G3s.
We have not seen many G4 iBook issues at all and in the case of the 14" 900 G3s we sold close to a hundred last year and had maybe one failure but the 600-700s certainly did have an issue.

I'd not be in the least concerned about any G4 iBook in terms of any sort of systemic issues.

This Powerbook RAM slot issue is worrisome however.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

Good to know the G4 iBooks aren't that bad. I have a friend of mine looking to get a 14" Superdrive iBook -- to replace *his LC475!!*  Boy! What a JUMP that'll be!


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Macaholic said:


> Good to know the G4 iBooks aren't that bad. I have a friend of mine looking to get a 14" Superdrive iBook -- to replace *his LC475!!*  Boy! What a JUMP that'll be!


OMG I used the LC 520 I think back in elementary school 10 years ago... Wow... I guess if you're okay with using older software it still works.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

Well that's the thing; there's A LOT of new functionality in computers that he wants to (FINALLY) ante up the dough to do! The dude's a tightwad, and WAS behind the curve on technology 'till I opened his eyeballs


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

wow. That's sort of going from a scooter to a race car.

More threads keep popping on the discussion board, several a day, I don't know how they'll keep deleting.
The petition needs more visibility I think.

http://lowermemoryslot.editkid.com/


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

This is a pretty serious defect! My mom just got a refurb'd 15" Powerbook (1.5ghz) when she was in California.. unfortunately we don't have another ram chip to stick in to see if the problem exists... I hope Apple acts responsibly in this matter and recalls them.


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## ice_hackey (Aug 13, 2004)

People on that thread are blaming the SW update. ACK!

Apple killed my powerbook battery with a software update (10.2.8).
I ended up just getting a new PowerBook.

This seems like a business strategy, not a flaw.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

I'm sure there'll be all kinds of causes...

I did have plans to go to a newer powerbook. This has put that on hold for quite a while.


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## mac_geek (May 14, 2005)

groovetube said:


> The petition needs more visibility I think.
> 
> http://lowermemoryslot.editkid.com/



Wow. Doing a quick Google search for quality petitions for Dell and Sony turns up nothing. Doing the same for Apple reveals some real issues.

iNervous.


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

Did you actually read some of the "Quality Petitions" that are being posted? I noticed that most of them weren't complaints.. more so, petitions to ask for added features in programs or even.. a petition for Adobe to make a program that works with OS X. One where Linux users want Quicktime for Linux... etc.. I actually didn't see very many "Hardware" complaints at all.. nor quality control issues.

I think these petitions are a great way for Apple to implement new features and updates to things.

One thing I do know... if someone has a problem with a Dell.. they take it back to Walmart.. and ask for a new one. Hopefully, they don't get a lemon this time.. and if so.. they just go get another.. and another. I worked for HP tech support.. and this was the most common solution to problems.. it was either that.. or a re-format.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

hopefully it's a great way for Apple to acknowledge what is clearly a design flaw...


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## Cliffy (Apr 18, 2005)

I wondered why Apple would have installed a single 512 stick instead of the usual 2x256 in my PowerBook. I guess they noticed a problem.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

hmmmm. Never thought of that.


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## TroutMaskReplica (Feb 28, 2003)

recreate the thread here and post a link to it every once in a while at the apple forum. their thread delete button doesn't work around here ...


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## neonazarite (Jun 3, 2005)

The guy who started that Petition is actually starting a Class Action Suit against Apple - that should get things moving


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

well whatever it takes to get this fixed. At present, I have a PB worth not a lot that I'm still paying for because this is often a reoccurring problem. Apple only warranties a new logic board for 90 days.

I don't know what to do at this point.


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

Okay, now my wife's cursed AlBook is not showing the lower 256Mb ram. No wonder it's running slow like molasses after the Tiger update. I am wondering if Tiger caused this.


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

I just swapped the ram chips and lo and behold, the lower ram is back in action.

What would you do? Take it in for logic board replacement anyway?


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

The thing is, sometimes it will work for a little while. It makes me think it may be related to heat. I can take my 1 gig chip when the PB is cold, put it into the lower slot, and it might work as long as 2 hours. But eventually, it'll freeze, kernal panics, and then the 3 beeps on restart, no more lower ram slot. I've read that as a common thing, making people think it isn't a problem.

There was just an email sent out to all petition signers that a law firm has taken this on and a class action suit looks like is going to happen.


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## K_OS (Dec 13, 2002)

My 14" G4 iBook's logic board blew out earlier this year and my boss's 12" G4 iBook's logic board just bit the big one as well. After all the problems that Apple has had in the recent past It's getting very hard to convince people to buy Apple hardware thank god for the Mac OS.

Laterz


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

So if it's an intermittent problem, does it constitute a warranty replacement?

If a tree falls in the forest, does it make sound?


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

maybe Apple heard that tree. I looked today and lo and behold, Apple restored the 300+ thread on lower ram slot failure. (http://discussions.info.apple.com/[email protected]@.68ab7b77)
Maybe things are heating up now that a class action is becoming reality?


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

gmark2000 said:


> So if it's an intermittent problem, does it constitute a warranty replacement?


Yes.


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

Do I hear a voluntary recall of Powerbooks???


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