Repair of the Week

by Matt, matt@smalldog.com

Last week a MacBook Pro 15”, 13 months old, came in for repair because the battery would not charge, and the machine had stopped responding to the power button. This machine had been “heavily” used, and did not have AppleCare. In this case, the machine required at the very least a replacement logic board, a part that costs over $1000. Generally, out of warranty machines can be sent in to Apple for flat-fee repairs. This program requires a machine to show no signs of accidental damage—no significant dents, scratches, bowing, or liquid spills—but this machine had lots of dents, plenty of bowing, a separating top case, and damage to the screen.

Apple will still repair damaged computers as mail-in repairs. They have a tier system for the extent of damage, and this one was a Tier 4, the most costly. The MacBook Pro was sent in, and had most every component—inside and out—replaced as part of the Tier 4 dispatch.

Sure, we didn’t actually perform this repair. But I thought it’d be a good reminder to readers that it’s important to take care of your laptop. Get a good carrying case. We have dozens and dozens to choose from.

It makes good sense to buy AppleCare with your computer as well. If your computer requires service only once in its three years, odds are that warranty will pay for itself several times over.