it sounds like even you were surprised at the astoundingly good service you received (in a bad situation) that exceeded all your expectations. Not sure why that makes an unrelated company (Apple) a joke? I mean it seems irrelevant.
Next day on-site service is a standard for business laptops, I expect that. I was surprised it was for free, dirty keyboard is not usually covered in basic warranty.
Apple is a joke because it sells 'premium' products, with low quality and bad service. I really do not want to digg out harddrive from my laptop, before sending it somewhere, to get it back some time in future. Especially for something trivial like broken keyboard.
I'm trying to understand your expectations. You wrote:
>Next day on-site service is a standard for business laptops, I expect that. I was surprised it was for free
Do you really mean this? If Apple had charged you then next-day on-site service would have been a good experience? It's only because this was not even a possibility in this story that you are saying they're a joke?
just trying to understand your expectations here. (And FYI I don't have any relationship with Apple, Dell, or any other parties we're discussing.)
- As far as I know Apple does not even offer next-day on-site repairs as paid service. You have to send your laptop somewhere. Giving laptop with sensitive information out of my hands is not an option!
- Someone else wrote here that it costs $500 to replace keyboard on Macbook (needs new casing). That is a joke!
- It is not possible to replace keyboard on new Macbooks without major dissassembly. So on-site keyboard replacement is not possible even theoretically. Dell does everything onsite, including motherboard or display replacement.
- Next day on-site service is a standard in business environment. It applies to laptops, machines, trucks... No joke here, stuff breaks, stuff must be repaired, show must go on...
- I personally expect to have next-day on-site as an option. I would pay premium in case of emergency. In this case it was not urgent, but very nice surprise. Apple is a joke because they do not even offer that..
Thanks for your answers. So $500 to replace the keyboard is too much. Out of curiosity, for your use as a business user would next-day on-site replacement for $150 been acceptable? If not $150 then how much?
(I realize it sounds like I'm doing market research but I'm just interested in your view and have no professional affiliation with this sector.)
honestly, I dont know. This stuff is usually negotiated in bulk, or as insurance. I would pay even $1000 if its an emergency. $150 on-site if parts are $50 is very reasonable price.
My point is that macbook is not easily serviceable machine.
On Dell I will replace battery myself in a few months, very easy.
Hi, I had a sleep on it. I thought about something. So, a few things about your responses made it clear you're not a native speaker of English - which is fine. I think I didn't consider the possibility that you're just using a word wrong. Based on your more detailed response, I don't think you consider Apple's service options "a joke". Here is an online definition of a joke (in this sense):
>informal
>a person or thing that is ridiculously inadequate.
>"public transport is a joke"
Perhaps I am wrong and you find it "ridiculously" inadequate, but from your comments it sounds more like you consider it sub-par or not competitive.
Let me think about if I can think of something Apple has done that's a joke. (I just Googled one.) So, the Apple III had no fan even though it needed one (engineers had miscalculated its heat profile) and as a result had a 100% failure rate. Its chips would melt out of their sockets.[1] One official solution to reseat the chips was to lift the machine 3 inches and drop it, to reseat the chips. This was in official company support documents.
That's a joke. (The story we're commenting under about failing keyboards might also qualify - but the support option itself doesn't seem to match this definition.)
Basically I think you're just using too harsh of a word for the options we're discussing - better words might be: lacking, inadequate, sub-par, etc.
I can produce good english if necessary, but too lazy on net forums. I understand what joke is.
I (and many of my friends) do consider Apple a joke for enterprise use. Joke in sense of "useless" or "inadequate".
'Genius' in some store does not really cut it.
