# MacBook Pro CD slot buckling



## JAGflyer (Jan 10, 2005)

My MBP is less than a year old (8-9 months maybe). I have noticed the right side where the palmrest meets the plastic on the casing there is a small opening showing something is warped. The CD slot also looks sort of buckled in the same area. The drive works fine though. Now, my hands are not that heavy and I don't apply a lot of pressure to the area although when I am surfing or using the mouse my palm rests in the area were I can see the warping. I have attached a pic where you can sort of see the collapse of the CD slot. It is not a major problem, but obviously enough of a concern to me to post about it. Since I come home via Yorkdale (the bus goes from Barrie to Yorkdale) I can easily pop into the Apple Store with the computer on my next trip home if necessary. Would they do anything or just say "minor wear". I have never dropped this laptop.


----------



## phuviano (Sep 14, 2005)

Yorkdale stuff is really good in the customer service aspect. With my previous MBP. I had dust behind the screen, which I though were dead pixels. I thought I had about 8 dead pixels, but only 1 was an actual dead pixels. The rest was dust. I forget what the policy for dead pixels are, but I believe its at least 5 or 6. 

They ended up replacing my screen, yes replacing it, not just cleaning the dust behind it. Oh just to mention, this was not dust you could wipe off with a cloth. It wasn't on the surface. They also change my dvd drive which I didn't even mention there was a problem with. My dvd drive would scratch up disc slighty.

I was a happy camper. I had a new screen, and new dvd drive, all replaced free from apple. The only downfall, I had to 2 weeks for my laptop.


----------



## JAGflyer (Jan 10, 2005)

Well, I go to school out of town and this is my only portable computer, so either they give me a replacement on the spot (or a loner) or I wait for it to be fixed. Otherwise I will need to wait until I'm done this semester to take it for servicing.


----------



## prsphoto (Aug 30, 2003)

I had a similar issue with my 12" 1.2ghz G4 iBook.

Since it was out of applecare, I fixed it myself by taking a thick piece of cardboard and wedging it back to normal.

my slot loading drive works great and you can't tell anything ever happened.......if you try this, obviously do at your own risk.


----------



## Eric0 (Nov 22, 2007)

JAGflyer said:


> Well, I go to school out of town and this is my only portable computer, so either they give me a replacement on the spot (or a loner) or I wait for it to be fixed. Otherwise I will need to wait until I'm done this semester to take it for servicing.


Servicing won't take more than a day or two. The long 7+ day waits are because techs usually have a few computers to fix before yours. That means your computer sits on a shelf in the back of the shop till they can fix it. 

I had my screen replaced this fall as the colors went psychedelic. I just asked for them to order the part and call me when it was in. Cut my time without a computer to less than a day.


----------



## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

I'm sure one of the Apple Service Techs in this forum will weigh in on this one soon - but at 8-9 months, that's obviously not an original design flaw, it's damage done to the machine by the user (or, better said, while in the user's care). 

A friend of mine dropped his 12" Powerbook a week after buying it - same thing happened to him. He hasn't been able to put a CD in it now for three years.... 

I suspect that this will likely cost you, if you want it fixed - because Apple will no doubt say they need to replace the bottom casing, they won't go the "bend it back" route. FYI, we tried to bend my friend's Powerbook back into shape, but no-go. This is one of the reasons I strongly advocate for the MacBook polycarbonate, rather than the aluminum of the MacBook Pro line... if someone *must* have the power of the Pro line, then they also need to invest in a nice *hard* case to protect it.


----------



## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

JAGflyer said:


> Well, I go to school out of town and this is my only portable computer, so either they give me a replacement on the spot (*or a loner*) or I wait for it to be fixed.


You want Apple to give you a creepy guy to keep you company while your computer's being fixed???

Sorry, but that little typo gave me a seriously amusing mental image. :lmao: 

For future reference, you meant "loaner" as I'm sure you know. I love it when little typos change the whole meaning of a sentence.


----------



## JAGflyer (Jan 10, 2005)

Uh oh, now CDs don't want to easily come out. I need to get this fixed, hopefully not on my dime because I did not do anything to damage this thing except for use it normally.


----------



## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

About two years ago my macbook's cd drive bent inside in some way. It would not accept or read cd's. I phoned Apple under warranty and told them about it and he said there was nothing they could do because it was user damage. I had had the computer for honest to god, two months and I think it left the desk maybe 5 times to go to the sofa with me.

Those slot drives are a little flimsy I think. After that little venture I have always invested in extremely hard cases for all my Apple products.

If you make a 2,000 dollar investment..make the extra 50-100 buck investment and protect your 2 grand!


----------



## JAGflyer (Jan 10, 2005)

Here is the email reply I recieved from Apple Store Yorkdale:


> Dear JAGflyer,
> 
> Thank you for your inqury regarding your Macbook Pro. Due to the nature
> and complexity of technical issues, Apple does not provide technical
> ...


What I am probably going to have to do is take the computer to the store next time I am in Toronto and have them look at it. If they are willing to cover the repair and parts need to be ordered I will have them order them. The next time I come into town the parts will have arrived and hopefully they will be able to fix the computer while I wait. My only other option is taking it to the Apple authorized service centre in Barrie. The problem is not urgent and I don't use the CD slot often so I think I will just wait till I can get it done at the Apple Store in Yorkdale.


----------



## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

Please let me know what Apple says. One of my sons friends has a MacBok Pro with the same buckling only slightly worse. CDs won't come out and the warping is very obvious. He has one other buckle in the case as well near the ExpressCard slot. I told him to take it in to be looked at.


----------



## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

Bad batch of cases?


----------



## JAGflyer (Jan 10, 2005)

So I visited the store at Yorkdale today. The Genius took a look at it and tried inserting a CD and ejecting it. As I already knew, it would not eject due to the slot being too thin. It just got stuck and then went back in. 

The bottom case is not covered by AppleCare and would cost about $250 to replace. I was quite surprised a piece of aluminum costs $250?? What really surprised me was that the bottom case is not under warranty for replacement. I spent $2000 on a computer and less than a year later this happens? I kept my cool but insisted he work on it while I wait due to the fact that I go to school out of the city and need my computer up there. Since another Genius was working, he took my computer to the back and removed the bottom case. He was able to bend it back to nearly perfectly straight and now the drive ejects correctly. There are some nicks where the slot is but I really don't mind them too much. 

I need to make sure I don't put too much force on the area. Usually when I am using the mouse I rest my palm right where the warp was.


----------



## Peteosx (Sep 7, 2008)

JAGflyer said:


> I need to make sure I don't put too much force on the area. Usually when I am using the mouse I rest my palm right where the warp was.


Yeah, that's about it.. The bottom line is that this IS A DESIGN FLAW. I have the exact same issue - stared occurring a few months after purchase. The issue is they don't have proper support on this thin piece of aluminum at the top part of the cd slot. So, Apple won't fix it. Oh well. I guess the butter knife will have to do...


----------



## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

For future information, once Apple accepts a computer for repair, they take it and keep it until the repair is done. None of this "order the parts and call me when they're in" nonsense.

My suggestion to the OP is to buy an inexpensive external DVD drive and avoid using the built-in one where possible (certainly avoid resting your hand on the area in question). At the end of the semester, have it fixed properly.


----------



## johnb1 (Aug 6, 2006)

*odd...*

My mom used to have a Macbook-PPC 1.25 Ghz (aluminum) up 'til a few years ago then things just went bad. 10.4.11 bushed her machine-usb ports wouldn't work, beachball errors all over the place. She took it in to her local Mac place-Westworld and they told her-we cannot fix it at all. I think it may have been under AppleCare, but I'm not too sure-so she said "to hell with it"- bought an Intel Mac Pro and she's been happy ever since. The old machine-well the bottom part of the case was bent, so I tried to unbend it-didn't work-as cd's and dvd's wouldn't go in, and I tried to put it back together with limited success-so... we gave it away to someone we knew. Apparently the darn thing still works, but you can't touch the aluminum outside or it won't work at all. I've learned 3 things about that :--
1) if something's broken and you think you can fix it, but you don't know for sure leave it the heck alone
2) If someone says "I can't fix it", make a scene
3) there's good in everything -how much I can't say 
Oh, and the guy(s) we used to like to talk to at Westworld left about a week before she took in to be fixed...I don't know anybody there anymore, and it's 
way near west ed mall, so I don't go there too often

Have a Happy Bunday

John B


----------



## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

chas_m said:


> You want Apple to give you a creepy guy to keep you company while your computer's being fixed???
> 
> Sorry, but that little typo gave me a seriously amusing mental image. :lmao:
> 
> For future reference, you meant "loaner" as I'm sure you know. I love it when little typos change the whole meaning of a sentence.


I assume you are a member of POEM (Professional Organisation of English Majors). Only members of POEM are allowed to make typographical or grammatical corrections online.


----------

