Apple Details 17" MacBook Pro Battery Replacements, Same Day Service at Apple Retail

I wonder if AppleCare covers the $179 fee.

That's not too terrible. Better service than I would have expected.

I would imagine that Applecare does cover it. If the battery fails within 3 years (that's as long as Applecare goes) then that's at least two whole years less than Apple said the battery should last.

Although I either live or work very close to an Apple Store, I think I'll make my next MBP purchase a 15". The 17" is too big for me.

in 5 years time, surely you'd rather upgrade to the latest pro macbook (or whatever it is called then) rather than keep your old workhorse going

and also, in 5 years time, who's going to remember what Apple said would be available now - they'll be able to change their minds about the in-store changes

do you think they are training people on how to swap the batteries already? or wait for a couple of years before bothering? how confident are they of the lifespan? :-)

I wonder if AppleCare covers the $179 fee.

Assuming that it fails after its rated life cycles, then its a consumable (intended to be used up and then replaced), therefore would not be covered.

The battery replacement programme sounds pretty reasonable to me

This also means you COULD even replace it yourself--and third parties may offer their own replacements if/when enough demand develope.

It's just not an official, Apple-recommended route to take. Much like with the Air and various iPods.

What has been lost is just quick-swapping on the fly. Considering this gives you the same battery life as two normal batteries, without the bulk and hassle, I wouldn't worry too much. (Look how thick other 17" laptops are--and THEN add the external battery you wish to lug. And then look how big the charger brick is!)

That's not too terrible. Better service than I would have expected.

I would imagine that Applecare does cover it. If the battery fails within 3 years (that's as long as Applecare goes) then that's at least two whole years less than Apple said the battery should last.

That is wrong. This is like buying a set of tyres that usually last three years (if you do 10,000 miles a year) and complaining that they are worn out after a year (when you do 50,000 miles).

The battery life will depend on how much you use it. If it wears out after 2 years and 500 charges, then you have a point. If it wears out after 2 years and 1500 charges, then you don't.

Considering Apple's fast turnaround with their mail in service, I don't see how anyone could complain about this.

Seems pretty decent.

Seems pretty decent.

Seems almost three times as expensive as the battery for the older 17" notebooks. "Decent" is something else in my book - especially when there is no option for the customer to change the battery him- or herself.

Usually, a battery will need to be replaced after one year of regular usage. Let's see how long those new batteries will last and if the 179$ charge will still be regarded as "decent" in a year from now.

And let's also wait for what the "low-end" MacBook customers will say once Apple will introduce non-replaceable batteries to that series.

I also doubt that frequent long-distance travelers will be happy with non-replaceable batteries. And by long-distance I mean something like Seattle to Düsseldorf or Frankfurt to Grand Junction (which usually took me between 18 and 24 hours to get there, long hours of waiting at the airports included).

This new "feature" sucks about as much as the dropping of FireWire in the "consumer" notebook line sucked. Apple is losing perspective.