Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!nghiem
From: nghiem@ut-emx.UUCP (Alex Nghiem)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Apple's Horrible Product Quality
Summary: Correction....
Message-ID: <13913@ut-emx.UUCP>
Date: 10 Jun 89 19:10:04 GMT
References: <3627@tank.uchicago.edu> <6580@sdcsvax.UCSD.Edu> <13701@ut-emx.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Lines: 58

#In article <13701@ut-emx.UUCP>, nghiem@ut-emx.UUCP (Alex Nghiem) writes:
#> [ discussion about poor Apple quality]
#> 
#> Talk about product loyalty! Most of the people who laud Apple
#> quality have OLDER Apple products. The problem is with the NEW
#> product line, which have many "no name" Taiwanese components substituted
#> for parts that were formally labeled "Sony" (for example, the mac
#> two power supply.)
#> 
#> We have had two 3.5" floppies fail, Three HD40's fail, and a motherboard
#> fail on a total of three mac two's. Fortunately, most of our repairs were
#> under warranty.
#> 
	I've received a nasty message from someone, possible from Taiwan, who
was upset about this posting knocking Taiwanese components. It was not
my intent to knock anybody's nationality, and I'm quick to admit that
Taiwan does fill a very real need for low-cost hardware affordable by
the budget user. My personal machine is a Taiwan Clone.

But, I will note that he claims
that all the components that fail on Macs are made in Japan. He also
stated that maybe I have a power supply problem that are knocking out
the other components.

The Macs I work with have been in and out of the shop several times, and
nothing was mentioned about our power supplies being defective. If there
is a power supply problem, I hoped the Apple trained and certified
technician who worked on our machines was trained to recognize 
and rectify the problem.

	Also, two out of our three Mac II power supplies 
are made in Taiwan by ASTEC, the same company that 
makes the IBM-PC power supply. The IBM-PC original OEM power supply 
was not known for being very reliable and, unfortunately,
we just had an ASTEC power supplies fail in one of our PC's. Hence,
my doubt of durability of the 
power supplies of the same Taiwanese manufacturer in the newer Mac II's. 
Our older Mac II has a Japanese manufactured Sony power supply and
as of yet, there is no indication of failure.

	It is true that the components that failed are labeled 
"Made in Japan." On this point, I stand corrected.
Nevertheless, I believe it is significant that many of
us have observed that the quality of the newer Mac's seems less that
previous models. For example, there were several 
flames about the new, lighter Apple mouse.
I've seen the new mouse on pair of new SE/30's and from outward 
appearances, I have to agree with the fire starters, especially
when we dish out several thousand for one of these machines. When
we spend that much money, we expect to get a quality Mac, not
an Apple-built MacClone.

	Now, my question is where do the sub-assemblies that make the new
Japanese components come from?
 
nghiem
standard disclaimer (as usual (:->) ).