Remagnetize magnets in Macbook?

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magician13134
 
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Remagnetize magnets in Macbook?

Post by magician13134 »

The new MacBooks have magnets that hold the screen closed and somehow mine seem to have stopped working. They hold it closed until it's tipped more than 15 degrees, then the screen pops open. It's less than 6 months old and I have an AppleCare, but they told me it wasn't covered by warranty and there was nothing they could (would) do. Do you think that putting some other magnets on there would remagnetize them? Or would that damage the MacBook? Thanks

Chuck
 
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Re: Remagnetize magnets in Macbook?

Post by Chuck »

I wouldn't take "its not covered" as an answer.

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amberwolf
 
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Re: Remagnetize magnets in Macbook?

Post by amberwolf »

Having been an Apple-certified tech in a past life I can say that you can probably get it covered, but it may take until enough other people complain about the same problems and they decide to do a "recall".

If you took it in to an "official apple store" place to check out, they will almost always tell you whatever it is is not covered, as it seems to be the way of most of the Apple Store shops. When you call Apple directly for support they may say something different. When I was still working for CompUSA (before they shutdown), we had an AppleStore with "techs" a little ways away from us in the same mall, and most every day we would have someone come in to us to see if we could fix their Apple product, because the Apple Store techs had told them it wasn't covered by warranty nor was it cost-effective to repair, even if the problem they came in with was covered by a recall!


I don't know how that one is designed inside, but if they have wells that the magnets are in, and the magnets are retained only by doublesided sticky tape (a common method) rather than screwed in or held on by brackets, they could have fallen down into the wells and now be farther away from the steel (or magnets) on the other half of the laptop, weakening the pull between the two.

It's unlikely that the strength of the magnets has changed directly, just that very small neodymium magnets as are usually used for this have very strong fields, and the stronger the field the closer the field lines are held to the source. This means the pull is VERY strong up close, but is correspondingly weaker at a farther distance than it would be with a generally weaker-fielded but larger magnet.

eil
 
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Re: Remagnetize magnets in Macbook?

Post by eil »

I second Chuck's advice. My friend works in an Apple store and he's told me stories of people bringing in with their broken 10-year-old machines and walking out with a new iMac just because they raised enough of a fuss.

Here's what you do. Go to an Apple store with a Genius Bar and ask some technical questions about an expensive Apple product like the iPhone. In passing, mention that you have a 6 month-old MacBook and are having some problems with the hinge. Try not to act shocked when the offer to repair it on the spot for free (or at least, crack it open and take a look). The genius bar people are under pressure to 1) make happy customers (it improves their "rating") and 2) make sales (also improving their rating). Trust me, you can get them to repair just about anything Apple-related for free, warranty or no, if you keep these two things in mind. If they're busy, you might have to be a bit firm, but always be polite.

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amberwolf
 
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Re: Remagnetize magnets in Macbook?

Post by amberwolf »

Wow. They must have changed their policies in the last couple of years, because they sure weren't like that then.

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