Eagerly buys just-announced MacBook.
MacBook delivered.
After about four weeks starts to shut down intermittently. Happens seven times over the next five weeks.
Four shutdowns in a day. Calls Apple. Told to send it to service provider to have logic board replaced.
Macbook returns from repair.
Shutdowns again. More frequently this time. On average 2.8 times per day the next few weeks.
Calls Apple. Logic board needs to be replaced again. There's a new revision that addresses shutdowns. Promised compensation of some kind when my problems are resolved.
MacBook returns from repair.
First shutdown upon sleep due to low battery. Sleep at first seems normal: the display is shut off, the LED lights up, then before it starts to throb the machine shuts down.
Second shutdown upon sleep. Happens three times the next three weeks. During this time, I realize that the screen backlight is weaker, possibly since plastic replaced. Compares with friend's new MacBook to have it confirmed.
Calls Apple. Told to reset PRAM and SMC. Later same day: another shutdown upon sleep. Four more during the coming days.
Calls Apple. Told I will get a new replacement MacBook.
Asks about compensation. Support person says that new Core 2 Duo would be considered a compensation. I refuse to accept this, saying that I would have been compensated if second switch of logic board succeeded, but I wouldn't after having MORE troubles? Support person changes his mind and says we should talk about compensation when my problems are resolved.
New MacBook arrives. Core 2 Duo, yay!
First shutdown upon sleep. Happens a couple times the following days. Also, battery is sometimes reported as not found (crossed-out battery in menu bar). When disconnecting power cable, goes to sleep.
Calls Apple. Told to reset PRAM and SMC. This seems to make things worse. Calls Apple again. Replacement battery is ordered.
Replacement battery arrives. Seems to work fine. Later same day, shutdown upon sleep.
Calls Apple. Told to replace my 2GB RAM with the shipped 1GB (note: I had shutdowns before upgrading memory), then run Hardware Test, perform Erase & Install and run Apple-only install for two or three days. If problems remain, I'm told, the machine would have to be sent away for repairs.
Hardware Test shows nothing on consecutive runs of both Quick and Extended.
Finally has time to backup everything and do Erase & Install. Later same day: shuts down twice. I charge it just a tad and pull the cord: soon shuts down again.
Calls Apple. Basically told to always plug in the cord or put machine to sleep upon low battery warnings. (Support person claims the warning says this clearly. Which is not the case, it says "If you do not, your computer will go to sleep in a few minutes to preserve the contents of memory".) If I don't it's an error on my part and Apple denies responsibility. Also told to calibrate battery, which I do overnight.
Six shutdowns upon sleep. Twice battery is reported as missing.
Shutdown upon sleep. Installs battery update.
Gets MacBook from bag and finds that it is rebooting. Due to battery update?
Reboots as I close lid. Battery at 55%.
Shuts down upon sleep. Calls Apple. Long call. First told to reset SMC and PRAM and call back if problem persists. Not satisfied with that answer. Talks to other support person. Checks lots of things. Then told to do Erase & Install and run Apple-only install for a couple of days, to rule out that this is a software issue. Doesn't matter that I did this a couple of months ago. Sigh.
Tomorrow 1 year since placing the order.