Miscellaneous Ramblings

15" PowerBook G4 Lower Memory Slot Problem Revisited

Charles Moore - 2007.01.02 - Tip Jar

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A Low End Mac reader writes

Hi,

I saw your article from about one year ago. Would it be possible for you to write a short "update" (refresh) one year later? . . . to attempt to make more people aware of this problem....

Check out the online petition. It is up to nearly 2300 users that Apple is not going to help.

I am a new "Luser" too. I just discovered that my Mom's PowerBook is also defective....

I think you would do the Mac community a service to bring this to the attention of your readers again.

Thank you.

Okay, here goes with a recap.

The PowerBook Lower Memory Slot Failure petition reads:

Apple Repairs Out of Warranty 1.5 GHz and 1.67 GHz Machines!

Are you affected by the lower memory slot fault?

Please check out http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303173 the following page on the Apple site to find out more.

Note that this is only a solution for a small group of people affected. To Apple Computer, Inc.

This is a petition to get recognition for the fact that many PowerBooks have a fault with the lower memory slot. Up until today, Apple does not fix this problem out of warranty or acknowledge that there might be a production fault in all recent 15" aluminium PowerBooks. Some very unfortunate Apple customers have had this lower memory slot break and repaired - either within warranty or outside of it - and have had it break a second time, after an alledged fix. This leads us to believe that Apple does not know how to permanently fix this problem, or does not want to allocate the funds to do that. To clarify, the fault has apparently manifested itself in the following PowerBook models, according to user accounts taken from the Apple Discussion Forum, located at http://discussions.info.apple.com:

  • PowerBook G4, 15", 1.67 GHz
  • PowerBook G4, 15". 1.5 GHz
  • PowerBook G4, 15", 1.33 GHz
  • PowerBook G4, 15", 1.25 GHz
  • PowerBook G4, 15", 1 GHz

As customers, we demand recognition of this fault and the assurance that our PowerBooks will be repaired at no additional cost outside of warranty.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned (2263 signatures as of January 2, 2007)

You can find details about Apple's PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) Memory Slot Repair Extension Program online. Topics covered including:

  1. What is the PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) Memory Slot Repair Extension Program?
  2. What are the symptoms of an affected PowerBook G4?
  3. Which PowerBook (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) computers are included in the Repair Extension Program?
  4. Is the PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) Memory Slot Repair Extension program available for other Apple computers?
  5. How can I tell if my computer is affected by the component issue identified for the PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) Repair Extension Program?
  6. How can I participate in the PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) Memory Slot Repair Extension Program?
  7. What if my computer exhibits symptoms not caused by the component Apple has identified for the PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) Memory Slot Repair Extension Program?
  8. I have a remanufactured PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) that fits the description noted. How can I determine whether my PowerBook G4 qualifies for the program?
  9. Is there a cost for participating in the PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) Memory Slot Repair Extension Program?
  10. How long is the PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) Memory Slot Repair Extension Program available?
  11. Does the PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) Memory Slot Repair Extension Program extend the warranty coverage on my PowerBook G4?
  12. Are there any known safety issues caused by this component issue?
  13. Can I determine if my PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) has the component issue and fix it myself?
  14. If my PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz) is still under warranty, how does this program affect me?

Notably, the program covers repair or replacement of the memory slot in PowerBook G4 models manufactured between January 2005 and April 2005 (2005-01 through 2005-04) with eleven-digit serial numbers in the range: W8503xxxxxx through W8518xxxxxx, which is the bone of contention addressed by the petition, as it seems that the issue transcends the circumscription period acknowledged by Apple.

Symptoms of an affected PowerBook G4 include:

  • The computer does not start up; instead, there are three short beeps (typically) followed by the the sleep LED flashing periodically.
  • When both SODIMM memory slots are filled (populated), only one slot's memory is recognized.
  • System performance may be degraded because the memory in only one slot is not recognized.

These symptoms may only occur intermittently. LEM

Charles Moore has been a freelance journalist since 1987 and writing for Mac websites since May 1998. His The Road Warrior column is a regular feature on MacOpinion, and he is a news editor and columnist at Applelinks.com.

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