Comment by gilgoomesh | Hacker News Reader

Comment by gilgoomesh | Hacker News Reader

> a product recall which is your fault in the first place

First: it's not a mandatory recall. You didn't need to replace the iMac hard drive.

Second: Western Digital hard drive failures are not directly Apple's fault. Apple package the product but it's only indirectly their fault -- Western Digital screwed up here.

Third: The affected products are all past their warranty date. Apple are being better-than-average by offering this recall at all.

Does this makes Apple look like a "dysfunctional, hideous and dystopian company"? Not in my opinion. In fact, you sound like you've gone completely off into ridiculous hyperbole-land.

> I am surely able to do it, considering the poor skill level of your staff. You should offer this as an option.

You don't have any backups of your hard drive (which is why the easy options all disappointed you) but you think you're skilled enough to replace an iMac hard drive? Do you have a full set of Torx screwdrivers and suction cups? Maybe you should sell your Torx screwdrivers and buy a backup drive.

A part from the fact it's Seagate, they provide the product as-is and they make the choice of what's inside it. Therefore they are responsible for it.

Secondly, I do have backups. I didn't have a last-minute backup. The kind of backup you do right before shutting down and changing a hard drive. What makes you think I can't do it myself? I've build my own PCs since I was a kid... :-)

I don't know which model of iMac you have, but on the recent ones, replacing the HD requires removing the glass pane on the front, which is a very tricky operation. The pane is very thin and very large, which means if the force is applied unevenly, it can crack. Apple techs have a stiff aluminum frame with suction cups that they attach to the glass, then they use that to pull the glass off.

It looks like as far back as the 2009 model, it does involve removing the screen. The recall notice I received was for models sold 2009-2011.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+EMC+2309+and+...

For the 2009 models you can remove the front glass with suctions cups. You can get the suction cups from Bed, Beth & Beyond. Removing the screen itself is trickier and requires undoing a lot of screws.

Regardless of all the other issues here, that is a triumph of form over function. Consumer hard drives are not noted for their reliability (or they'd come with 5 year warranty like the enterprise version).

I agree with you on form over function. But I'm not aware of any independent study that validates the higher MTBF numbers that manufacturers claim for "enterprise" HDs. The better warranty seems to be mostly a convenience factor that some enterprises are willing to pay for.

The function of an iMac isn't to remove and replace hard disk drives.

My dad replaced his iMac hard drive, with the whole glass removal thing, and didn't have any problem. Doing it safely just requires a tool like this: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100119050/h_d2/Produ...

A lot of people find the process scary, but the risk of breaking the pane is pretty low.

Note I am not the person you just replied to, but the fact that you would wait two weeks for a phone call made me think that you wouldn't replace a hard drive yourself.

I have a feeling you don't appropriately value your time. I got the recall notice. You know what I did? I made sure the backups were working and sent the recall notice to the trash.

A comparable 1TB hard drive is $100. If you value your own time appropriately, it is not worth your time to proactively replace it. I appreciated the heads up as it was a chance to double check my backups.

I never consider a hard drive "safe." The fact that I got a recall notice for a two year old hard drive was shocking to me.

All that said, my last "genius" experience was abysmal, as well, but I can give high praise to the business sales team at my local store.

Your second point is completely irrelevant. Apple sold it, Apple is responsible. The buck stops at them. They cannot divert responsibility, at least not in front of the customer.

If they want to get back to whoever sold them the hard drives, fine, they can do it. Just don’t use it as an excuse.

(Though I’m really not sure why he had so many problems calling Apple. That has always been very easy for me and there have never been two week wait times. What’s going on there? Also, yes, Apple Stores prefer you to have an appointment, but they will try very hard to squeeze you in if you don’t have one. What’s inexcusable to my mind is waiving the appointment if you are five minutes late.)

>Second: Western Digital hard drive failures are not directly Apple's fault. Apple package the product but it's only indirectly their fault -- Western Digital screwed up here

You make it sound as if he bought a WD drive on Newegg. Doesn't Apple charge a hefty premium on hard disks, especially if you chose an upgrade? One would be right to expect a higher level of support than a similar cheap purchase on Newegg for the same price.

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