mjohnson@Apple.COM (Mark B. Johnson) (02/21/90)
APPLE CD SC SERVICE PROGRAM ANNOUNCED
CUPERTINO, California--February 19, 1990--Responding to
customer concerns about intermittent failures of its
AppleCD SC, Apple announced today the details of a
service program to correct the reported problems. This
program is in conjunction with a manufacturing change
designed to eliminate the cause of this problem at production.
Apple determined that the source of the problem was dust
and other airborne particles deposited upon the optical lens
as air was drawn into the drive by a cooling fan. Accumulation
of these particles reduced the intensity of the drive laser
beam, causing intermittent read failures, or CD-ROM discs
that would not appear on the desktop. As of December 1989,
drives are no longer manufactured with a fan. Additionally,
Apple has created the AppleCD SC Repair Extension Program;
a service program for customers that wish to prevent or
correct the problem with their drives.
Customers of AppleCD SC drives manufactured prior to
December 1989 are eligible to have the drive repaired at no
charge through authorized Apple dealers. Any customer that
has paid for a drive repair (associated with this problem)
out -of-warranty is eligible for reimbursement by Apple.
Customers with questions about the program should contact
an authorized Apple service provider. Questions regarding
eligibility may be directed to Apple Customer Relations at
408 252-APPL.
This solution comes at a critical time for CD-ROM, as
the acceptance and usuage of the technology grows. For
example, during 1990, Apple will use CD-ROM to deliver
information such as developer and technical support information,
system software, programming and development tools. An example
of this is the highly popular Developer CD Series Volume II.
This disc is a set of tools, code and information from Apple
including tools to write and test code; libraries of sample
code; examples of great human interface techniques and the
latest in software technology for and by Apple developers.
Apple expects continued support from the mainstream
Macintosh developer community as more products such as the
"Microsoft Office on CD-ROM" are announced. This CD-ROM
provides a Microsoft customer with the basics needed to get
up and running in one compact place including:
- the latest versions of Microsoft Excel, Mail, PowerPoint
and Word
- all the documentation online, cross referenced and searchable
by keyword
- audio-visual tutorials for each application
- more than 40MB of complementary third party products
such as templates, clip-art, etc.
Confident that 1990 will be an exciting year for CD-ROM,
Apple believes this solution and the repair program will
restore customer satisfaction and capitalize on the growing
momentum of titles announcements.
Q: Why did Apple include a fan in the first place?
A: The fan was intended to minimize the operating temperature
of the optical head. Subsequent Apple studies have determined
that this fan is not necessary for the performance and cooling
of the unit. Moreover, the removal of the fan does not
adversely affect the performance or operational life of the drive.
Q: What AppleCD SC drives qualify for the Repair Extension
program?
A: To determine whether a drive qualifies for the free repair,
the customer must be experiencing read failures (i.e., the
CD-ROM disc doesn't mount on the desktop or is ejecting from
the drive, etc.) and the serial number of the drive must start
with F7, F8 or F9 (i.e., F9474WUM2850) This number is located
on the back panel. Drive failures due to physical damage, wear
or electrical failure of the mechanism do not qualify for this
program.
Q: What happens when I bring my drive in for repair?
A: The service provider will disconnect the power connector
leading to the fan and install a new CD-ROM mechanism.
Q: What is the process a customer should follow for reimbursement
of out-of-warranty expenses associated with the dust accumulation
problem?
A: These customers should submit the following information to
qualify for reimbursement:
- Proof of purchase
- Service Repair Order - that should include the following:
-Name of dealer performing the repair
-Date of the repair
-Parts used in the repair
-Cost of repair
- Proof of repair payment (i.e., canceled check, credit card
slip,etc.)
This information should be sent to:
Apple Computer, Inc.
P.O. Box 78901
New Augusta, IN 46278
Attn.: AppleCD SC Repair Extension Program
Customers should keep a copy of the items listed above for
their files and allow six to eight weeks for claims to be
processed. If customers have questions concerning their
claim status, they can call (317) 299-3600.
Q: Are there any other steps that should be taken?
A: At this time, Apple is confident that this solution will
eradicate the dust accumulation problem. As with any electronic
equipment, Apple recommends that care is used in the choice of
the operating environment and the handling of the AppleCD SC.
Apple is investigating routine cleaning procedures for
those customers that wish to take additional preventative
measures. However, at this time, it does not recommend a
particular cleaning solution.
Q: How long will the program run?
A: The repair program will run as long as there is a demand for
such a program. However, Apple is encouraging users experiencing
these problems to bring in their drives as soon as possible.
Copyrighted 1990 Apple Computer, Inc. Apple, the Apple Logo, and
AppleCD SC are registered trademarks of Apple Computer,
Inc.
--
Mark B. Johnson AppleLink: mjohnson
Developer Technical Support domain: mjohnson@Apple.com
Apple Computer, Inc. UUCP: {amdahl,decwrl,sun,unisoft}!apple!mjohnson
"You gave your life to become the person you are right now. Was it worth it?"
- Richard Bach, _One_