Apple Computer Inc. has a well-earned reputation of being solid to the core when it comes to quality.
But as it struggles to keep up with dizzying growth, Apple is beginning to show some bumps and bruises.
Even as it boasts in advertisements about the relative stability and reliability of its newest computers, the company has quietly acknowledged that an undisclosed number of its best-selling MacBook laptops have a flaw that causes them to inexplicably shut down, potentially causing the loss of important work and damage to other programs.
Apple last week issued a software patch that is supposed to solve the random shutdown problem, but only after thousands of MacBook buyers complained about the issue and Apple’s lackluster response.
“When you pay full price for these machines, you expect them to be tested and stable and everything,” said Marietta, Ga., resident Matthew Swanson. Swanson and his wife, Stephanie, bought a $1,400 MacBook in July for the online baby clothing business Stephanie runs from their home near Atlanta. A few weeks later, the computer started randomly turning itself off, causing them to lose work files and, potentially, some business.
In August, Swanson launched a Web site, MacBookRandomShutdown.com, to vent his frustrations. Since then, more than 1,500 people have logged on to say they had similar problems.
Another Apple user site, MacInTouch.com, found in a recent survey that between 7 percent and 19 percent of MacBooks and high-end MacBook Pros could be affected by the random shutdown problems.
Apple works on flaws
Even as it does damage control on the random shutdown problem, Apple is trying to address other MacBook flaws, ranging from discoloring and cracks in some of its computer cases to strange sounds that come from inside them.
At the same time, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company–along with other major computer-makers–is in the middle of a monumental recall of laptop batteries that could catch on fire.
And then there was the recent problem with iPods. This month, Apple disclosed that it had unknowingly shipped a some iPods containing a Windows computer virus.
Teresa Weaver, an Apple spokeswoman, said the MacBook problems affect only a “small percentage” of users. She declined to discuss specifics, or recent quality problems with other Apple products.
Despite the recent dings, Apple still has a better reputation than most PC-makers.
But some industry observers say that when taken together, Apple’s recent quality problems indicate the company may be experiencing growing pains that could hurt it even more in the future.
“As you become a bigger player, you become more susceptible to quality issues,” said Richard Shim, a senior analyst with technology research firm IDC.
Apple “is growing really quickly right now and they’ve got to keep up with demand, continue to innovate and commit to quality all at the same time, he said.
Veteran technology industry analyst Rob Enderle said Apple isn’t paying enough attention to quality issues and customer relations right now.
“I think they are feeling invulnerable right now,” Enderle said. “Because they’ve been so successful as of late, it looks like they can do no wrong and that customers will take whatever they give them.
“But that’s the quickest way to stop a [growth] trend that I know of.”
Enderle said issuing a software patch to address the random shutdown defect, for instance, was probably an easy way out. Even if it works, he said, it will likely reduce the performance of the machines, which in turn could cause more customer complaints.
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Clearly, Apple’s growth recently would be tough for just about any company to manage.
In announcing earnings earlier this month, the company said it sold 1.6 million Macintosh computers in the last quarter alone, its best quarterly sales ever. As a result, its share of the PC market is creeping up, from less than 4 percent two years ago to more than 6 percent today by some measures.
Apple’s iPod, meanwhile, continues to be the best-selling digital music player ever. Seemingly non-stop releases of new models with new features have Apple employees constantly hopping.
Expecting better
But given Apple’s reputation and the relatively high cost of the new MacBooks–they start at about $1,100, more than double the cheapest laptops–many MacBook buyers who have experienced problems say they expected something better.
“I’m not too surprised something went wrong with the first product,” said Ben Vandermeer, a Illinois State University student who experienced random shutdown problems, discoloring of his keyboard and other problems with his new $1,200 MacBook.
“But when you walk out of the door with a $1,200 computer, you don’t expect to have to come back and say good-bye to it to get it fixed after only a few weeks,” he said.
On MacBookRandomShutdown.com and other Apple user Web sites, even some longtime Apple devotees say the MacBook problem has caused them to lose faith in the company.
Shim, the IDC analyst, said he’s not surprised at the strong response.
“It cuts both ways for Apple,” he said. “The audience they have is fanatical. They really love this company.
“And when you have that kind of affection, the minute something goes wrong, they’re going to react strongly.”