14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has updated its Support section with a re-iterated stance on video corruption and failure issues experienced by MacBook Pro owners. In typical Apple manner, the company has quietly added an extra year to its coverage, allowing affected customers to apply for free replacements three years from the date of the purchase.
“In July 2008, NVIDIA publicly acknowledged a higher than normal failure rate for some of their graphics processors due to a packaging defect,” Apple states. “At that same time, NVIDIA assured Apple that Mac computers with these graphics processors were not affected. However, after an Apple-led investigation, Apple has determined that some MacBook Pro computers with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor may be affected. If the NVIDIA graphics processor in your MacBook Pro has failed, or fails within three years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty,” the company reveals.
Apple then goes to highlight the symptoms customers should be on the lookout for, including “Distorted or scrambled video on the computer screen,” and “No video on the computer screen (or external display) even though the computer is on.” Naturally, a list of affected products is also provided in the document. The range of Macs prone to experiencing these issues have been manufactured between approximately May 2007 and September 2008, Apple claims. The Macs in question are listed below.
MacBook Pro 15-inch and 17-inch models with NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors:
MacBook Pro (17-Inch, 2.4GHz) MacBook Pro (15-Inch, 2.4/2.2GHz) MacBook Pro (Early 2008)
Those having trouble with the visuals on their MacBook Pro are advised to take the laptop to an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for evaluation, or call their local Apple Contact Center. The company pledges to continue to evaluate the repair data, as well as to provide further repair extensions if the situation calls for it.