Josh Ong
The MacBook Bottom Case Replacement Program is available to owners with affected MacBooks, regardless of current warranty status.
Apple offers three options for replacing the case: set up an appointment with an Apple Genius and visit an Apple Retail Store; visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider; and self service by ordering a replacement case kit online. Do It Yourself kits include a new bottom case, screws, a Phillips head screwdriver and instructions for removal of the old case and installation of the new one.
Customers who have paid for a repair or replacement because of the issue can also contact Apple regarding a refund. The note advises that no action is required for owners who aren't currently experiencing the issue.
The program will be offered worldwide and will cover affected MacBooks for two years from the original purchase date, though it does not extend standard warranty coverage. Further extensions of the program may come as Apple continues to "evaluate service data."
Apple introduced the redesigned polycarbonate unibody MacBook with a unique non-skid rubber bottom in October 2009. The entry-level notebook line received a quiet update in May 2010, adding Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics.
According to Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu's checks with suppliers, the Mac maker will update the MacBook line in a matter of months. Wu estimates the white MacBook accounts for roughly one-third of Apple's portable business, which makes up 73 percent of all Mac sales.
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10 Comments
I can't help but think that the white MacBook is dead. It really doesn't fulfill any purpose in the lineup any more. The low-end $1000-1200 market is super crowded with 4 different models to choose from.
I predict when the MBA goes Sandy Bridge, the MacBook disappears. Heck, the MacBook Air should simply be renamed "MacBook" at that point. The only reason the $999 even exists is for education purposes in schools, and I see that need being filled by the iPad in the future.
Where the heck is the warranty coverage for all of us MacBook owners with original models that have the splintering of the plastic around the edges???
Where the heck is the warranty coverage for all of us MacBook owners with original models that have the splintering of the plastic around the edges???
When I took my whitebook in for a logic board replacement, they also replaced the top case. Just take it in and ask a genius to fix it. I should do that again (and get my keyboard fixed)
The bottom has finally fallen off the Apple train.
LOL
You can stop right there. Shaw Wu is about as accurate as the weatherman. Hasn't he been booted from his previous analyst gig?