Apple Involved in Suit Over Defective PowerBook G4 Memory Slots
by , 1:00 PM EST, November 3rd, 2008
News has surfaced that Apple is currently facing a new class-action lawsuit alleging that the company failed to fully recognize the scope of a memory slot defect present in its PowerBook G4 notebooks that left thousands of customers responsible for paying for repairs costs on their own.
The suit, which was filed by New York resident Giorgio Gomelsky in a Northern California court on behalf of himself and similarly-situated complainants who purchased a PowerBook G4 with the defective slots from January 1, 2003 to the present, alleges the following:
"Typically, when the additional memory is added, the PowerBook does not recognize the memory, resulting in slower processing speeds, decreased computer function and other computing problems," the complaint says. "Unfortunately for consumers, because both memory slots are hardwired to the PowerBook's motherboard, consumers who choose to repair the defect can incur costs of more than $500 in parts and labor."
According to AppleInsider, Apple, when faced with complaints regarding the issue, initiated the Memory Slot Repair Extension Program covering 15-inch 1.67 and 1.5GHz PowerBook G4s manufactured between January 2005 and April 2005, which expired on July 24th. The suit alleges, however, that the scope of the problem extended well beyond the range of PowerBooks that the Mac maker agreed to cover as part of the program.
Gomelsky claims to represent "tens of thousands of people nationwide" that purchased the notebooks with defective memory slots, and whose serial numbers fell outside the range of coverage by Apple for a free repair of the issue.
Attorneys for Gomelsky are seeking compensatory damages in the form of reimbursement of expenses incurred by their client and other class members who've had to pay out of their own pocket to repair the damaged memory slots. The claim also charges Apple with a litany of offenses, including violations of the California business code, breach of warranty, negligence and unjust enrichment.
Finally, the complaint alleges that Apple failed to provide adequate notice of its Extended Warranty program and didn't contact PowerBook G4 owners to inform them of said program under the warranty before it expired. Since the defect sometimes takes months or years to manifest, customers who've just begun to discover the flaw will be unable to receive reimbursement for repairs now that the Extended Warranty has expired, it adds.
Per the history of the case, Gomelsky reportedly wrote a letter to Apple's Cupertino-based offices in December of 2006 after being denied repairs for the issue. He later received a written reply, again denying his request. In March of 2007, Gomelsky wrote again to the company, citing online petitions and "the thousands of complaints posted on internet forums by owners of PowerBooks with defective memory slots"
Following a second unanswered letter, Gomelsky lodged a complaint with the Attorney General of California to begin the suit.
Observer Comments
Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:56 pm Subject: Shapes of Things to Come
Is this the same Giorgio Gomelsky who is a music producer, manager, and concert organizer? If so he goes back to when I was music loving teenager. He was the first manager of The Rolling Stones and after them he managed The Yardbirds. I haven't heard about him in some time so maybe it is someone else who just happens to share his name.
Shapes of Things
by The Yardbirds
"Shapes of things before my eyes
Just teach me to despise
Will time make men more wise..."
Mon Nov 03, 2008 4:07 pm Subject: He should contact Larry at OWC
Larry at OWC has given me the reason for the issue.
Apple has required bus slewing on the memory slot to achieve better battery life. This has required memory to be made to a very narrowly defined spec. Many users have bought RAM thinking they were to spec, simply thinking the memory module type would be sufficient to cover the installation of RAM. It is not. Unless it is specifically designed on its label for the Mac model, which many RAM vendors now do, and not just Apple, one can not think that just any RAM will fit. Not all PC2700 RAM modules or PC133 RAM modules are created the same. Latency issues pervade.
Another issue, which is more pernicious is the design of the slots for the machine which are side by side in a narrow cavity, making it easy to attempt to fit one module across two slots, thus damaging the motherboard, or not properly seat the RAM. People should be careful installing themselves that they can actually tell the difference between the two slot locations, and seat them accordingly. If they have any doubt, they should have an authorized service technician do the work. Apple itself may not install third party RAM, but many authorized technicians do.
Quotegopher wrote:
Larry at OWC has given me the reason for the issue.
Apple has required bus slewing on the memory slot to achieve better battery life. This has required memory to be made to a very narrowly defined spec. Many users have bought RAM thinking they were to spec, simply thinking the memory module type would be sufficient to cover the installation of RAM. It is not. Unless it is specifically designed on its label for the Mac model, which many RAM vendors now do, and not just Apple, one can not think that just any RAM will fit. Not all PC2700 RAM modules or PC133 RAM modules are created the same. Latency issues pervade.
Another issue, which is more pernicious is the design of the slots for the machine which are side by side in a narrow cavity, making it easy to attempt to fit one module across two slots, thus damaging the motherboard, or not properly seat the RAM. People should be careful installing themselves that they can actually tell the difference between the two slot locations, and seat them accordingly. If they have any doubt, they should have an authorized service technician do the work. Apple itself may not install third party RAM, but many authorized technicians do.
That may be some of it but not all. I am a Tech with ~20 years of working on Macs and PCs. I stopped misinstalling memory a long time ago. Also this would not explain systems that worked with two chips and then stopped, such as mine.
My G4 1.25 Ghz PB had the problem after about 4 years of service. I installed the second 512 and the system had run for a couple of years with no problem. One day I turned it on and it only saw 512, not 1024. Only one slot was being recognized. AFAIK Apple never recognized that the 1.25 units also had the issue.
I updated to a new MacBook last month but I still have the old G4 for secondary duties. I will be following this suit closely.
[quote="gopher"]
Apple has required bus slewing on the memory slot to achieve better battery life. This has required memory to be made to a very narrowly defined spec. Many users have bought RAM thinking they were to spec, simply thinking the memory module type would be sufficient to cover the installation of RAM. It is not. Unless it is specifically designed on its label for the Mac model, which many RAM vendors now do, and not just Apple, one can not think that just any RAM will fit.[quote]
Sorry--that doesn't cover it. My PowerBook is outside the specified serial number range and it stopped recognizing one of Apple's own factory-installed modules.
I have one of the affected laptops. I bought AppleCare which ended May 2008. Today I attempted to add memory only to experience the problem.
Apple knew who were were. Why didn't they make some effort to at least contact the affected owners. I'm going to see how I can get added to the complaint as a listed plaintiff.
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