A few years ago, however, the company had to recall certain PowerBook 5300c systems because of a problem that could cause the battery to catch on fire.

Now, Apple may be facing some legal wrangling from a group of users led by Kevin Barry. The users claim that the hinges on PowerBook G3 systems shipped in 1998 and 1999 are failure-prone.

The Problem

"The major issue with the hinges is that they have been failing since early 2000, about two years after they were first introduced. Some failed within 18 months of purchase," Barry told NewsFactor.

Barry explained that while the PowerBook G3 hinges are designed for 30,000 cycles (meaning the laptop can be opened and closed 15,000 times), it is not the mechanical component that is failing.

"It is the housing surrounding the piece that fails," Barry explained. "Once the housing cracks away, there is nothing left to hold the part of the hinge that creates the friction in place, and the end result is that the screen can no longer stay in place."

As an added complication, the hinges for Apple's PowerBook G3 are custom-built, making it difficult to order replacements.

Dealing with It

Barry's decision to seek legal remedy comes after a purported struggle to get his own machine repaired.

"I called Apple about having my computer repaired and was quoted US$380," he said. "I went through many levels of Apple customer service, tech support and customer relations."

After several hours on the phone, Barry said, he e-mailed Timothy Cook, Apple's executive vice president of worldwide sales and operations, and received a reply from Apple's Gregg Johnson. According to Barry, Johnson said the only solution to the problem was to send his system in for repair.

"I asked Gregg how Apple determines when a problem is a defect. He could not provide an answer," Barry noted. "He said he spoke with engineering and they determined that the hinge problem was not a defect. I asked how that was determined. He did not know and said he had nobody I could speak to who could answer that for me."

The Solution

Barry set up a Yahoo! Group to discuss the problem and has received a significant response.

"I started gathering names on December 27, 2001, and to date I have about 65 names, all experiencing the same problem. To that list I add about three or four names daily," he said. "In talking to a third-party repair facility, I was told that in the past 12 months they have repaired about 100 of these computers with this hinge problem."

The goals of Barry's initiative include having the hinges repaired at Apple's cost; instituting a reimbursement program for those who already have paid for repairs; and establishing a clear policy on how a product defect is determined.

If Apple refuses to initiate appropriate measures, Barry said he is prepared to take legal action.

"I am working on putting a class-action [lawsuit] against Apple together. I have a firm interested in filing," he told NewsFactor.