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For some reason inexplicable to me (not that it's ever been easy to fathom the Byzantine workings of Apple policy), Cupertino decided to only offer the Repair Extension Program to a limited range of G3 iBooks built beginning 2002 to some cutoff point in 2003.
The iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program covers iBooks that have a particular component failure on the logic board, resulting in the computer starting up but the built-in and attached external displays exhibiting one or more of the following symptoms:
• Scrambled or distorted video
• Appearance of unexpected lines on the screen
• Intermittent video image
• Video freeze
• Computer starts up to blank screen
The program is available for iBooks with serial numbers in the following range(s):
UV220XXXXXX to UV318XXXXXX
iBooks with the serial numbers listed above may be referred to as:
• iBook (16 VRAM)
• iBook (14.1 LCD 16 VRAM)
• iBook (Opaque 16 VRAM)
• iBook (32 VRAM)
• iBook (14.1 LCD 32 VRAM)
For more information, visit:
http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/faq/
That would have been fair enough if it was only machines built to during that interval that are afflicted with whatever the problem or problems is, but that's not the case. I've heard from readers with iBooks both earlier and later than the privileged serial number range specified in the repair program who have suffered the all-too-familiar issues, and who are sorely disgruntled at being excluded from the remedy.
Thanks to Apple's apparently arbitrary discrimination, creating two classes of iBook owners, the class action suit initiative launched prior to the announcement of the Extended Repair Program has been revived, and justifiably so.
The BlackCider site, which has been coordinating class action suit efforts, reports:
"We're almost there....Apple has announced a three-year repair program for some iBooks. A significant victory for some iBook victims, sure, but Apple still has a long way to go. One day they say "no known issues, the next morning they offer a multi-million dollar recall  (oh, sorry..."repair program"). Who is zooming who here?"
BlackCider has announced a new class-action initiative for those not covered by current Apple iBook recall, noting that:
"Over 2000 people signed up and were interested in pursuing a class action suit on this iBook issue. These people are the people who deserve credit for forcing Apple to admit that they sold us defective products.
"Our collective voice has already made a difference to many iBook owners...let's push Apple the rest of the way. Apple's current iBook repair 'solution' is unsatisfactory. We need to continue to put pressure on Apple to satisfy ALL faulty iBook victims with faulty motherboards.
"If Apple's recent recall does not cover your iBook and you wish to join a class-action suit to have Apple address your logic-board issues, sign up for the new class-action initiative. Our attorney's are still willing to keep this on their radar. This new class-action form is for those who own Apple iBooks and are not covered by Apple's new Logic Board Repair Extension Program ONLY."
You can check it out at:
http://www.searchrochester.com/blackcider/
Let's hope that Apple will do the right thing and extend the Repair Extension Program to all affected iBooks, rendering the distasteful exercise of litigation unnecessary.
Charles W. Moore
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Charles,
Don’t you think this could be a case of glomming on? I can think of no reason why Apple, since they are already coughing up mucho dinero to repair these other iBooks, would bother to exclude some few others unless they legitimaely thought that only iBooks in that range are affected.
The cost of adding the other machines in negligible when you are talking about numbers this big. I honestly think this may be a case of anyone with an white iBook trying to get some free service out of Apple.
Thanks,
Matt