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From: robin@csuchico.edu (Robin Goldstone)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: macII doesn't turn on
Message-ID: <1990Sep20.225627.12840@ecst.csuchico.edu>
Date: 20 Sep 90 22:56:27 GMT
References: <1990Sep20.145235.23851@midway.uchicago.edu> <44993@apple.Apple.COM>
Sender: news@ecst.csuchico.edu (USENET)
Reply-To: robin@cscihp.UUCP (Robin Goldstone)
Organization: California State University, Chico
Lines: 38

In article <44993@apple.Apple.COM> anderson@Apple.COM (Clark Anderson) writes:
>
>From: rfl@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Bob Loewenstein):
>>My MacII for some reason decided to not turn on. Both the keyboard switch
>>and the little button on the back do not work. I checked the fuses in the
>>power supply and they are good. Any ideas from anyone out there?
>
>I'm 99% sure it's because your batteries are dead.
>
>                                          --clark
>
Clark - don't be too sure!  Several months ago I discussed the Mac II
power-on problem in great detail on USENET.  You must have missed the
discussion.  Anyways, there is a known power-on problem with Mac II's
that has the symptom described by Bob.  My mac has this problem and
when I queried USENET I found numerous other people who also have
the problem. It has to do with the connector between the power supply
and the motherboard.  The workaround is to unplug the power cord from 
the back of the Mac for 10-20 seconds then plug it back in. 

Apple has acknowledged the problem both in an AppleLink message to our
campus and then later in an Apple Service notice.  Unfortunately for
those of us who have this problem, all Apple has done is acknowledge
the problem and implement a fix for units in production.  They have
not offered any retroactive repair policy other than "if you have this
problem you should replace the power supply".  Thanks, Apple!  Admit
to a design flaw then ignore the installed user base! A Mac power supply
costs $250.  My mac failed just outside of warranty. 

As you can tell, this is a sore subject with me.  To those of you who
have seen my previous postings about this, I apologize for wasting
your time by bringing it up again.  But maybe one of these times
someone at Apple see this and pass the word along that this is a rotten
way to treat your customers...

Robin Goldstone, Systems Software Specialist
California State University, Chico  Computing Services
robin@csuchico.edu