To Whom It May Concern:

This Powerbook G4 is in for its second repair. I purchased the unit in November 2001. The problems listed below appeared in April 2002. It initially went in for service in late May 2002. The main issues at the time were 1). Deteriorating paint along the carbon fiber bezel, 2). Frequent fan uptime, regardless of CPU usage, 3). Battery life of 80 minutes or less under a full charge, 4). Peeling and yellowing paint along the hinges.

These items are documented at:
http://www.djedwhite.com/pb1.html

The unit was repaired in two weeks and returned to me in June 2002. The logic board, top-case assembly and battery were replaced. The peeling hinge paint was not repaired or replaced.

Within a week's time, the unit began to demonstrate problems again. The amount of heat generated by the computer was quite excessive. The fan was active 99%+ of the time, and would generally activate within 14 minutes of a cold-start; regardless of CPU activity (in OS 10.1.5). If the machine were left idle overnight, the fan would remain active all night. I do use this machine with a Road Tools Coolpad on a flat surface, but this isn't a convection issue. I telephoned support and explained the problem. The product specialist was concerned that the processor and GPU were not properly attached to the heat-sink assembly (read: poor application of thermal paste, etc.). I brought the unit to the Woodfield Apple Store to obtain a second opinion. The Mac Geniuses believed that my Powerbook was out-of-spec, compared to the units they've encountered. I desperately wanted this computer to be a candidate for replacement, as the primary components (exterior, logic board AND battery) were replaced in the initial repair. Granted, replacement parts can also have problems, but I would have preferred starting with a clean slate. The reoccurrence of problems led me to believe that this machine was simply a bad unit.

In the weeks since my visit to the Apple Store, the paintwork on the replacement top-case began to degrade. This is most-certainly heat-related, as the paint near the speakers is beginning to bubble and reveal a turquoise-colored substrate. This is also evidenced by the deterioration of the paint in the side vents. The hinge paint was not addressed during the first repair, and has degraded substantially. The paint on the hinge covers literally fell off.... similar to a "scratch with your nail" lottery ticket. A technician was examining the computer while it was powered-up and his thumbprint was baked onto the bare hinge metal. This is a hot machine.

These items are documented at:
http://www.djedwhite.com/pb2.html

My aim at this point is to obtain a Powerbook in good working order, or at least operation consistent with the majority of G4 units in distribution. Excessive heat, peeling paint and 99%+ fan uptime is not "good working order." I was willing to overlook the cosmetic issues, but the heat and fan problems were not consistent with the behavior of similar Powerbook G4 units. Since I believe that the heat and paint issues are linked, I would like to move to a new machine. My business and Macintosh consulting practice are heavily dependent upon this computer. I'm in financial position where simply purchasing another computer is not an option, nor is having extended down/repair time. I can't sell the computer and cut my losses because of the cosmetic problems. This is a computer that I am still paying for. It has exhibited major problems in a relatively-short span of time from its initial purchase. I do enjoy Apple products, and despite this machine's issues, I've gained much utility from the Apple hardware/software combination. However, I feel slighted since I know that my computer operates outside of normal specification. Please help. I want to be a satisfied customer.

Thank you,

Edmund White - ewwhite@mac.com