Users who have been experiencing video problems with Apple’s MacBook Pros can have the device fixed without spending any money. After successfully winning a legal claim in 2014, Apple is finally admitting to some long-running problems with MacBook Pros’ graphics equipment and has started providing free repairs.
The claim was filed against Apple late last year by clients who said the MacBook Pros they acquired in 2011 had extremely defective graph cards, and Apple ought to be compelled to pay for the fix.
But the claim was not the only one. A Change.org appeal requesting Apple to issue substitutions for affected gadgets has gathered about 40,000 signatures. Last month, Apple managed to get the legal claim dismissed with the judge deciding that the offended parties have neglected to assert that Apple’s logic boards did not match their common purposes or failed to have a minimum level of quality.
However, now it looks like Apple reconsidered its position regarding the alleged technical issues. The organization reported this week that it will fix the damaged items without charging any costs. There’s no estimate regarding the number of MacBooks Pros that have been subject to the technical shortcomings throughout the last four years. Apple simply noted that a small percentage of the devices may display distorted video, no video, or automatic system reboot.
The free repairs program has already begun in the US and Canada, and at the end of February users worldwide will be able to take advantage of it. The program is scheduled to end on Feb 27 next year. Clients who have encountered the issue can take their gadgets into Apple Stores (and authorized retailers), or ring and request a postage-paid box to send it in.
The models included in the program are:
MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (17-inch Early 2011)
MacBook Pro (17-inch Late 2011)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15 inch, Early 2013)
The recently launch repair program, formally named “MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issues”, targets all the MacBook Pro PCs bought between February 2011 and December 2013 that show any of the issues aforementioned .
Some users have been reporting 2011’s MacBook Pro GPU bugs soon after the device was released. Also, in August of 2013, Apple started a repair program for iMacs with comparative AMD GPUs.
Sources acquainted with Apple’s inner repair system told AppleInsider back then that the organization had no intentions to roll out a substitution program for MacBook Pros experiencing constant crashes and graphic issues.
Image Source: MacRumors