C's Mac Is Back

C's Powerbook started acting up in July. We called Scott, our local Mac go-to guy, and he told us that there was a problem with the GPU (Graphics Processor Unit) overheating on Powerbooks of that vintage. He advised C to shut down the Mac when she wasn't using it, instead of leaving it on all day. C tried that, and it did help, but the situation was deteriorating before we went on vacation.

When we came home after our vacation and C tried to import photos from her camera, the Mac was really sick, and destroyed some of her photos. Then it wouldn't run at all. We called Scott again. He told us that Apple had acknowledged the defect with the GPU and had extended the warranty period for that item to four years. I checked the purchase receipt and found that we were two weeks past the new limit.

I took the computer to our local Mac dealer on Wednesday and told him my story, but didn't get any sympathy. It was going to cost $700 to replace the defective part. I came home, called Apple Support and repeated my story, with the same result. I asked to speak to someone with more authority. The second person I spoke to said he would check with his supervisor, and put me on hold. After a few tense minutes he came back and said the repair would be covered under the warranty!

I took the Mac back to the dealer on Thursday and left it to be repaired. The repair person said it would be ready on Wednesday or Thursday of next week. At 5:00 pm today (Friday) I got a call telling me the repair was done. We drove right over and brought the Mac home.

C was delighted. While we were on vacation she'd decided to start her own blip journal when we came home, and was very frustrated when she wasn't able to. I've achieved hero status, at least for a while.

I'll let you know when she's on blipfoto.