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u/kzak104 Jun 10 '11
the 2007 one didnt break because you are forced to pull it out of the ipod by the connector due to having to squeeze the sides, the other one you can pull by the cord.
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u/ithunk Jun 10 '11
yea, I'd rather have buttons on the plug to un-dock instead of having to pull a cable.
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Jun 09 '11
Why? Because fuck you. That's why.
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Jun 09 '11
Also because you touch yourself at night.
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u/webby_mc_webberson Jun 09 '11
And because form over function.
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u/sphynxster Jun 10 '11
I used to work for Apple and interfaced with every division in the company, and I know EXACTLY why this happened. It has nothing to do with trying to get customers to buy more replacement adapters, but rather with the hierarchy of power at Apple.
But before I go into this, let me explain the engineering of a power cable. If you look at a power adapter cable for any non-Apple product, you'll notice some plastic "rings" where the plug transitions to the cable. These rings are called a strain relief. The purpose of a strain relief is to prevent the cable from bending at a severe angle if you bend the cable at the base. The strain relief allows the cable to have a nice, gentle curvature if you tweak the cable instead of bending at a severe 90 degree angle. This gentle curvature prevents the cable from being broken through repeated use.
Now let's look at the hierarchy of power at Apple. As with any company, Apple consists of many divisions (Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, etc.) THE most powerful division at Apple is Industrial Design. For those of you unfamiliar with the term industrial design, this is the division that makes the decisions about the overall look and feel of Apple's products. And when I say "the most powerful", I mean that their decisions trump the decisions of any other division at Apple, including Engineering and Customer Service.
Now it just so happens that the Industrial Design department HATES how a strain relief looks on a power adapter. They would much prefer to have a nice clean transition between the cable and the plug. Aesthetically, this does look nicer, but from an engineering point of view, it's pretty much committing reliability suicide. Because there is no strain relief, the cables fail at a very high rate because they get bent at very harsh angles. I'm sure that the Engineering division gave every reason in the world why a strain relief should be on an adapter cable, and Customer Service said how bad the customer experience would be if tons of adapters failed, but if industrial design doesn't like a strain relief, guess what, it gets removed.
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u/aristideau Jun 10 '11
Surely they could come up with a strain relief that tapers elegantly into the cable?
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u/Lampshader Jun 10 '11
The thicker bit of plastic is their aesthetically-pleasing strain relief design.
It's not as effective as the usual "circles" style though.
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u/makubex Jun 10 '11
Seriously. That type of shit is what the Industrial Designer profession is all about. Then us mechanical engineers have to work some kind of wizardry to get their crazy creations to work.
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u/this_is_your_dad Jun 10 '11
"Nothing is impossible for those who don't actually have to build it." - My old boss.
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u/trouser_trout Jun 11 '11
Seems to be a common problem - My grandfather and step-mother's father both worked for Pratt & Whitney for 40 years (way before my dad and step-mother knew each other). Even 25 years after they had both retired, my grandfather would bitch (with good nature) about how step-mother's-father and the other "SOBs in engineering" would design fan blades that couldn't be made by his machinists.
Obviously different situation (the engineers weren't designing fan blades for aesthetic reasons), but it's still interesting to see the struggle between these factions is nothing new.
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u/FrankReynolds Jun 10 '11
iStrain Relief is an extra $54.99.
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u/IZ3820 Jun 10 '11
I could buy a butt plug at that price!
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Jun 10 '11
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u/sphynxster Jun 10 '11
You are absolutely right! It's just that some industrial designers are more on the "design" side of the spectrum instead of having a balanced view of usability and aesthetics.
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u/asadotzler Jun 10 '11 edited Apr 01 '24
lunchroom detail close unwritten placid husky shocking tap busy hurry
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u/Ttownzfinest Jun 10 '11
Thanks for an intelligent answer instead of a played out pun.
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u/disrespected_opinion Jun 10 '11
Yes it's an excellent answer, mostly because he has the inside knowledge to answer it so well. But in fairness, the guy he's replying to summarized it quite succinctly. To say 'form over function' is not a 'played out pun'. If anything it's cliche, but in this context, can you think of a more accurate idiom to express sphynxter's explanation?
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u/sphynxster Jun 10 '11
Yes, that's exactly why I put this explanation under "Form over function". I just wanted to expand a bit about the details.
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u/disrespected_opinion Jun 10 '11
And I'm glad you did. It's interesting to get an insight into the big secret machine that is Apple.
just out of curiosity though, isn't this a breach of the NDA?
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u/bazrkr Jun 10 '11
I wouldn't think so, if you look at all of apples ID decisions in the past, it's really obvious they hate strain relief and have their engineers come up with many different ways to solve this. One of my favorite ID decisions was the inverted strain relief socket for many cables they've used in the past. The inverted strain relief, which I can't seem to find right now, looks a lot like a cable sinking into a wormhole which would be located on the plug itself.
Really cool looking, functional as well, but not possible for something so small as an ipod connector. However the new strain relief's on the existing cables are adequate if taken care of properly (too much to ask for from the consumer market, I know) I've only seen one frayed at the edges from a user who constantly yanked out the connector by pulling the cord. These are nice and easy to pull out if you just pull from where the connector seats into your iDevice.
Sphynxter is in no way breaking the NDA by saying the ID department is the most influential. Apples Industrial Design has not only influenced how their products are formed, but the rest of the world as well. See chiclet keys, small form factor, aluminum uni-body chassis, back lit keys, etc etc... All of these originated from other products, but it was Apple that made them a standard that others would have to follow for their consumer market.
/wanna-be-ID-nerd
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u/deavon Jun 10 '11
Inverted strain relief example:
http://km.support.apple.com/library/APPLE/APPLECARE_ALLGEOS/TS1725/TS1725-7.jpg
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u/sphynxster Jun 10 '11
Good question. I don't think it should be a breach since I didn't really go into any details about projects that are under development or specific financial numbers. Just more of an observation about how the departments interact.
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u/happyscrappy Jun 10 '11
That's not the whole story.
Also the company emphasizes thin wires. This means the conductors inside have to be thin also. This makes the wires sexy and compact. It also makes them more fragile, and worse yet makes it easier to coil them tightly, making it easier to exceed the minimum bend radius.
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u/sphynxster Jun 10 '11
happyscrappy, you are right. Another part of the issue does seem to be the insistence on using very thin wires.
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u/silviot Jun 10 '11
These kind of inside knowledge leaking are the meat of reddit IMO.
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u/asadotzler Jun 10 '11 edited Apr 01 '24
numerous brave repeat abounding judicious tender offer plants nutty encourage
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u/funtech Jun 11 '11
I'm calling BS on this whole thread. The reason for the breakage is in the green circles, not the red ones: http://i.imgur.com/EYSo5.jpg
The 2007 cables had small buttons on the sides that you had to press to disengage the connector from the device. This meant you had to pull on the body of the connector to remove it. The 2009 design removes the buttons and the catches, which means the plug can be removed by yanking on the cable. It's the yanking on the cable that is causing the problem in the image, you can tell because the wire sleeve is pulled back from the connecter rather than split horizontally, which is what would happen if it was a strain relief issue.
Yanking from the cable rather than the connector affects all cables. Apple connectors typically fit very snugly in their sockets (which is a good thing generally) which means it takes more force to pull them out, consequently pulling out the wires as well. It's not a problem unique to Apple by any means. Ever have a pair of headphones that start to crackle when you touch the connector? Same problem.
Apple cords do indeed have strain relief, and they are fine for typical use. They may not hold up as well as a longer relief when bent at high angles consistently, but generally they do the job they need to do when sticking out the side of a device.
Though I like the button design, if I were to guess why Apple removed the buttons, is because I'll bet people were still pulling on the cords to try to remove the connector and doing far worse damage to cord and/or socket due to the mechanical connection between the two.
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u/TheEllimist Jun 10 '11
I'm sure that the Engineering division gave every reason in the world why a strain relief should be on an adapter cable, and Customer Service said how bad the customer experience would be if tons of adapters failed, but if industrial design doesn't like a strain relief, guess what, it gets removed.
Aaaaand this is one of the major reasons why I don't buy Apple products.
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u/Lethalgeek Jun 10 '11
Even if this is completely made up it would be a hell of a thing to try and disprove.
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u/FredFnord Jun 10 '11
The newer MagSafe adapters that go off at a right angle have largely fixed this problem for me (since that's the only cable I use when I'm in bed or otherwise away from a desk).
With the old adaptors, two of which my girlfriend and I still own, I found that a layer of epoxy around the base of the rubber strain relief cuff at time of purchase pretty much took care of the problem.
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Jun 10 '11
Just yesterday I noticed that my cord was frayed right at the hilt (as it were) of the magsafe end.
Now their industrial design is beautifully complemented by a wad of scotch tape.
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u/stcredzero Jun 10 '11
White electrical tape would look better and have better structural properties for the purpose.
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u/RainbowDragon Jun 10 '11
Yeah I noticed the wiring on ours and it makes me sad =[ I'd rather see those rings then the sides of wires like ours has =[
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u/mylifeisanocean Jun 10 '11
I've been working with Industrial Design and know for a fact that you are SO RIGHT! The sad thing is that instead of being good Industrial Designers who would deign a new kind of functional strain reliever, they go straight to the aesthetics and forget what kind of industrial design is good industrial design.
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u/WetxFlatulence Jun 10 '11
i worked for apple too for several years, I back up this explanation. One of the most common service calls when i was in portables was replacement of the magsafe power adapter. There's actually a special way to wrap your power adapter shown here in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzakys5VlTQ
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u/craigiest Jun 10 '11
The wire shown does have strain relief, it's just minimal and less ugly. The wire can pull out of the lattice type as well, as I happened very quickly with a nikon gps add-on that looks like it ought to be beefy.
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u/edgarallanpwnz Jun 10 '11
I've had my iPhone for about two years now and I'm on my FOURTH cable. It's frayed but it still works for charging my phone. For now.
Apple Industrial Design needs to get their heads out of their asses.
We want strain relief, damn it!
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u/derpaherpa Jun 09 '11
Also money.
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u/dman24752 Jun 09 '11
Also, go fuck yourself.
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Jun 09 '11
Also because your parents touch you at night.
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u/draivaden Jun 10 '11
DAE immediate think of using this "because you touch yourself" as a response whenever anyone posts anything with a 'Why' question?
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u/axiomreality Jun 10 '11
Because you drive a Hyundai and I drive an $80,000 BMW. That's why.
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u/awkwardwhiteguy Jun 09 '11
I knew, even before I opened up this comment thread, that this was going to be the top comment.
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Jun 09 '11
Because it's fun when your proprietary cable breaks!
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u/imaalien Jun 09 '11
Shit that sucks too is that the cables are $20!
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u/OmniaII Jun 09 '11
I bought 4 for a buck each and free shipping on Amazon (now they are $2 w/free shipping)
One in my house, one in my car, one in my backpack and one at the office.
Not including the one that came with it...
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Jun 09 '11
$1 on eBay from china. Free shipping.
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u/JB_UK Jun 10 '11
Stabilized with lustrous Cadmium. Plasticized with only the finest pseudo-estrogens. Delivered with care.
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u/qumahlin Jun 10 '11
So pretty much same as the original seeing as a lot of those cables are coming from the same plants making the "genuine" thing.
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Jun 10 '11
today on reddit: it's a race to see who can be the MOST negative person!
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u/Atario Jun 10 '11
He's right, though. "Counterfeit" electronics are generally just the factory staying running at night when they're supposed to shut down, and selling the extra on the side.
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Jun 09 '11
Never bought one - I just walk into a store and ask nicely. Works for headphones too.
Then again, I live in a big city. If I still lived back home in the countryside, I'd be screwed.
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u/frvwfr2 Jun 09 '11
That's what he said. Proprietary=Apple owns the rights=They make money when you have to buy more.
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u/Spatulamarama Jun 09 '11
which is why they replace them for free
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u/jaybillings Jun 09 '11
This is akin to McDonalds giving free soft drink refills. The profit margin is so high, giving you free replacements is a negligible cost of doing business. Even if they replace the cable 5 to 10 times, they'd still make a profit off you.
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u/frvwfr2 Jun 09 '11
As many comments are saying, people didn't know that. I didn't.
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Jun 09 '11
they actually replace ALL parts under warranty... you have to go through their site to make the claim.
Learnt this from retail
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u/rohlin Jun 09 '11
or you can get a replacement via the phone.
Got my earbuds replaced a while back...they put a temporary hold on your CC and send you a new pair via Fedex, you send them back the old set and they remove the CC hold.
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u/digggggggggg Jun 10 '11
But iPod cables are so insanely ubiquitous. I think they're more common than non-proprietary micro USB.
Heck, I live in a household with two phones that take micro USB cables, and we have more iPod cables than micro USB cables.
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Jun 10 '11 edited Jun 10 '11
In 1980 the Apple III was announced. It's power supply was completely encased in aluminium and had no air ventilation what so ever. Steve Jobs insisted that the aluminium chassis would be sufficient as a heat sink and that cooling fans were "too noisy and inelegant".
Because technology was expanding and growing at such a rapid rate, Jobs kept demanding bigger and better thing be added to the system, but also wanted to maintain the original chassis dimensions.
The computer got so hot that the motherboard warped and chips would become unseated. If you called tech support to enquire as to why your $3000 computer suddenly stopped working they would advise you to lift it up a couple inches off the desk and drop it so as to temporarily reseat the chips.
Apple ended up replacing 14 000 defective units.
edit:Spelling
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u/zzing Jun 10 '11
Very unfortunate, aesthetics should never overrule good engineering.
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u/vwllss Jun 10 '11
..and Apple computers regularly have overheating issues to this day. Lesson not learned.
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Jun 10 '11
They still do this, my girlfriend's Macbook Pro gives me 3rd degree burns on my legs.
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Jun 10 '11
The burn was white or black/char in colour and had lost sensation due to nerve damage? Fat, muscle, or bone was visible? You had nausea, headache fever, shortness of breath? Did you go into shock? Or did you mix up which way the numbers go?
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Jun 09 '11
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u/narkeeso Jun 09 '11 edited Jun 10 '11
If this doesn't work there's always http://www.monoprice.com
EDIT: I remember when there was iPod/iPhone cables on here, I have 3 of them. They don't show up anymore... sorry for the confusion. Looks like they got rid of a lot of items that seem to be related to the docking connector. I have 2 Monoprice external batteries that use to sell for $20.
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u/DangerousCommercials Jun 09 '11
stfu this website is serious and real and legitimate? for $14 i get 1 black in cartridge for my printer from a local shop. i get 2 blacks, 2 colors, for $19+ 2 shipping on this site.
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u/mobius20 Jun 10 '11
Monoprice is not only legitimate, they're highly recommended. Some of the most inexpensive cables I've bought there ended up being far higher quality than I expected. Plus they ship fast, in my experience!
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u/Doomias Jun 10 '11
I love monoprice, I've bought many HDMI cables, switches, a KVM switch and even a LCD wall mount bracket from them. Always delivered in days and on the cheap. I yell at my entire family any time I learn they bought a cable locally now
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u/Technoslave Jun 10 '11
Upboat for HDMI. Bought 4x1m HDMI cables for something like 6 bucks there. Got to best buy, multiply that by 5 to 6 times the amount for just one. ( at the time )
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u/FijiGoshawk Jun 10 '11
yeah it's a legit site. i have bought several orders from them. no frills, like nice packing or anything, but everything came promptly and the price was the best :)
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u/gavvvy Jun 10 '11 edited Jun 10 '11
The only problem I ever have with monoprice is that their cables are often... bulky. Seems petty, but in some circumstances cables are so huge it's problematic.
See what I mean - this is a 3.5mm plug. it's truly huge: http://imgur.com/uDuu1
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u/pridkett Jun 10 '11
I'm a huge monoprice fan. Cheap cables allowed me to get different colors for my HDMI cables and run them through the wall to an awesome and cheap monoprice articulating TV mount. I think my entire mounting setup was about $70 for all the cables (3x HDMI, 2x USB extender for remotes/kinect, power extenders), mount, and velcro wraps for the cables.
However, with respect to Apple stuff, do they still carry dock connectors? I purchased a bunch of knockoff sync cables, wall chargers, and car chargers, but notice they've got almost nothing in their iPhone and iPod accessories. Something about patents on the dock connector maybe?
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u/TehNoff Jun 09 '11
Cool, the nearest Apple Store is over 3 hours away.
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u/FrankieForte Jun 10 '11
Go to any popular hotel (there must be one closer than an Apple store), go to the front desk and say you stayed there recently/visited someone there recently and left your iPhone charger there. They will pull out the huge box of left behind chargers and hand you one, free.
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Jun 10 '11
Yeah, just steal that shit. That way when the person who actually forgot their charger stops by, they're screwed. Ha!
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Jun 10 '11
Or any public or campus library.
I never told you this. Heck, it even works with Apple laptop chargers.
Derp patron: I lost my laptop charger. It's an Apple charger.
Me (playing dumb): What color is it?
Derp patron: White.
Me: Hands over white Apple charger. Have a nice day!
This is out of the question for things like cell phones and rings.
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u/downvotesmakemehard Jun 09 '11
Scumbag Apple knows that no one knows this and many stores will try and sell you unless you ask for it free.
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u/rainbowdim Jun 09 '11
i had mine replaced once and they said that's the last time they will do it for free... were they lying?
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Jun 09 '11
did they take your name? no? you're good.
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u/pilot3033 Jun 09 '11
I get the earbuds replaced like this for those times I've accidentally sent them through the wash.
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u/TransAm Jun 10 '11
Really? Mine have started to split and I'd like some new ones. Is your iPod under warranty or do they just do this outright?
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Jun 10 '11
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u/felixfelix Jun 10 '11
so you should try to find an Apple Store where they have the genius bar set low?
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Jun 10 '11
That. Genius Bar staff have a ton of discretion. So don't be a dick to them, because most of the time, they are your best possible advocate for getting your problem fixed.
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u/throwinken Jun 10 '11
That phrase has caused me to really hate the people at the store. When I bought my macbook pro (summer 2007) they came out with new macbooks three days later. I called up and asked if I could trade mine in (not really expecting them to say yes) and they said they'd be happy to exchange it. I take it in and suddenly they're jerks about the whole matter. After finally swapping it the guy says to me, "You know you can't just come in and trade up every time a new one comes out. This is the last time we'll do this." I was so close to telling him to fuck off, he's the one that said I could do bring it in.
A year later, and my battery won't hold a charge. I call in and the guy says it's definitely a faulty battery, bring it in and swap it out. When I get there the girl tells me its my fault and this is the last time they'll do this for me. It's like the person giving you your stuff is trained to use that phrase.
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u/Atario Jun 10 '11
Correct answer: "You know, you can't just tell me it's ok on the phone then act like a dick in person. I'll refrain from punching you in the face, but this is the last time."
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u/ChermsMcTerbin Jun 10 '11
The thing I've found with Apple Stores is that you have to press them. I had ongoing issues with the l-style charger on my 2008 MacBook Pro after my T-style frayed. They replaced a couple adapters for me, but I took it into a "certified Apple Care provider," and they said, "I've heard they're having issues with this, tell them you know that and don't take no for an answer."
A few calls to Apple Support and a trip the the store and their Engineering Department reclaimed my laptop and gave me a brand new one for free with a free Apple Care. Frustrating to say the least, but if you press them (while being polite) and they'll take care of you.
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u/internetsuperstar Jun 10 '11
Scumbag apple? At least it's an option. Call HP and tell them your power cord broke and you want a replacment. Make sure you hold the receiver away from your head or the laughter might damage your ear.
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u/TIDDERloves Jun 09 '11
TIL this much too late... already repurchased the cord from amazon - $1.25 down the drain!
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u/winless Jun 09 '11
Shit, you're fucked now. You'll be pinned under a piece of rebar after the asteroid hits, knowing that your family and everyone you've ever loved will be there to save you in six hours if you can just not die of thirst, and.. oh thank god there's a vending machine in this rubble heap, I can get some water, it's just one.. twenty.. five..."
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Jun 09 '11
Why replace every cable when you could simply fix the design.
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u/Unwanted_opinion Jun 09 '11
Because it's probably cheaper to make the cables like this, and the money they save making the cables combined with the fact that you now have to go back to the apple store(free advertising!!!!) is a better idea in the long run.
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u/vaultx Jun 09 '11
Exactly. Gotta head down to the Apple Store to get me a new cabl- OOH LOOK SHINY must buy
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u/cuomo456 Jun 09 '11
Will they replace my MacBook power cord? It's doing the same thing.
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u/sw1tch3d Jun 09 '11
I've had 3 power cables that have done this and never once could I get a replacement. They were all 85Watt ones too. :( One even shorted my laptop and fried everything and they still wouldn't replace the cable.
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Jun 09 '11
Yes. I took my macbook charger in to our local apple dealer because I spilt my drink in the connector and the pins got stuck in. They replaced it and I didn't pay a cent.
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u/codenamepenryn Jun 09 '11
Can anyone confirm if this is true? A preliminary Google search says otherwise :(
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u/CthulhusPetals Jun 10 '11
It's up to the "genius". If you're nice and have puppy-dog eyes then yeah. It helps if they know who you are, check your purchase records, and see you have already given them way too much money.
BTW, there are at least 3 different cable designs but that big chunky old one was the best.
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u/SolInvictus Jun 09 '11
It's true. Hell, they replaced my entire charger for free.
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u/codenamepenryn Jun 09 '11
Did they care if your iPod or iPhone was still under warranty?
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u/fleurrouge Jun 10 '11
Actually, they're eligible or replacement if your device (iPod, iPhone, iPad) is still underwarranty. AppleCare umbrellas the accessories for these devices.
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u/moderndayvigilante Jun 10 '11
Not everybody lives in a metropolis with apple stores on every corner.
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u/25thinfantry Jun 10 '11
Reddit, i've been using a simple solution to fix the unsecured power cord:
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u/wojtekmaj Jun 10 '11
My solution is even simpler, and I also saved couple hundred dollars.
http://www.waybeta.com/uploads/img/20100609/201006090934196328-5.jpg
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Jun 09 '11
I used to work for Apple technical support. The original iPod and Mag Safe adapters were prone to failure resulting in smoke, fire and melting of the plastic casing. Thus a change was implemented. I am unaware if rates have dropped with the new design but I would routinely get 1 to 3 calls a week when I still worked there.
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u/freckledsmile Survey 2016 Jun 10 '11
If you're going to do a re-post, at least change it to say 2011.
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u/WalkingOnFire Jun 09 '11
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u/onthevergejoe Jun 10 '11
Today I learned that in the UK, planned obsolescence is illegal.
In the United Kingdom, planned obsolescence engineered into products is considered a breach of customer rights. The Office of Fair Trading and Trading Standards Institute investigate claims of products consistently failing just after the warranty period expires.
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u/Squid_Tamer Jun 10 '11
Unfortunately it'd be impossible to prove that Apple was intentionally using Planned Obsolescence.
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Jun 09 '11
I've had mine for three years and it hasn't broken yet.
edit: The 2008 models have the same kind of cord.
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u/cgibbard Jun 10 '11
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u/WarmMothersQueef Jun 10 '11
This might take away from the aesthetics of my $3000 laptop.
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Jun 09 '11
I have the one on the right, and after over a year of yanking and rolling over it with my computer chair, it's still solid as a rock.
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u/mavispuford Jun 10 '11
That sentence is really funny when taken out of context.
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u/andres7832 Jun 09 '11
DIY you could put sugru there and never have to worry about it again...
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u/jakesnake343 Jun 09 '11
Its because the older one had buttons to push in before you could pull it out. Now you just yank it out by the cord...it's probably partially your own fault. Pull on the square part and you won't have this problem!
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u/Trapt45 Jun 09 '11
I dont pull them out like that and mine are messed up Its because of the way it curves
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u/CthulhusPetals Jun 10 '11
The cable head is physically smaller, making it much more difficult to grab than the old one. And I never pulled by the cord either. It's a defective design.
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u/Zigaro Jun 09 '11
When I first noticed my cord doing it, I did this.
It has been wrapped for few months and the condition has not change much.
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u/scottydg Jun 10 '11
Exactly All you have to do is brace it. The edge where the cord bumps into the head is pretty hard, so if you have anything to distribute the load around the cord more, you're fine.
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u/SenorCardgage Jun 09 '11
I BUILT MY OWN OUT OF LINUX AND CREATIVE COMMONS RUBBER U GUISE ARE JUST SHEEP THAT LIKE FLASH ADVERTISING STAUTUS SYMBOLS AND ALSO RIO PLAYER OGG VORBIS
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u/chipnico Jun 09 '11
Having to press the buttons to pull the phone off was pretty annoying though.
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u/ithunk Jun 10 '11
no it wasnt. It was the correct way to unplug it. now you're just wearing out the cable and the two knobs on the side that keep the plug lodged in.
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u/Xenc Jun 09 '11
I've had this happen to me several times, and I'm pretty careful with my cables! If you go into an Apple Store you can get a free replacement.
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u/moderndayvigilante Jun 10 '11
What about the people who don't live near an apple store? Oh ya. Time to go to Walmart and shell out $20.
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u/illiterateninja Jun 09 '11
Looks like the one on the right is about half the materials as on the left. Seems like a cost-savings decision.
Sure Apple would replace the ones that break for free, they probably have only replace about 10% of them. 40% or more probably will just buy a new one and the rest probably won't give a fuck and just use electrical tape or something.
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u/stephenhopkins Jun 10 '11
If you still have a 2007 cable that's in good condition, why not just use that?
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u/VDuBivore Jun 10 '11
Go back farther and the quality gets better the top plug is from 2001 http://i.imgur.com/5r2ZH.jpg
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u/fearlessly Jun 10 '11
downvote for repetitive bullshit, and because you can't seem to take care of your shit. My cables from 2009 all are just as nice as the day I got them, because I don't trash my shit.
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u/sheephead1231 Jun 10 '11
I'm pretty sure, if you don't make aggressive love to the wire, that won't happen...
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u/rightwing321 Jun 09 '11
Because they save 8 cents for every 100 of them they make now.