Below are the articles published in the October issue of ServiceNet. Please link any comments to Van GOODE and cc. Shelley DEJAGER.S
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ServiceNet
October 1993 - Vol.1, Edition VII
• APPLE ON-THE-ROAD SERVICE TRAINING
• NEW ADDITIONS TO THE APPLE SERVICE GUIDE SERIES
• PERFORMA CPU PRODUCT COMPARISON MATRIX
• HOW TO CONTACT TECHNICAL SUPPORT
• UPGRADE UPDATE
• APPLECARE DIRECT MARKETING
• HARD DRIVE PRICES SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED
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APPLE ON-THE-ROAD SERVICE TRAINING
Apple now offers Service Training courses locally! In addition to the classes in our six Service Training centers, the Macintosh and PowerBook Service Courses are also available in several other cities across the United States. Our goal is to make Service Training more accessible and to help you reduce travel expenses.
Currently, On-the-Road Service Training is offered in:
Denver, Colorado
Phoenix, Arizona
Orlando, Florida.
New classes and dates are added to the AppleLink network when they become available (Path: Apple Service/Training icon, Training bulletin board, Training Schedules & Registration folder, Service Training folder, On-the-Road Service Training Calendar.)
Prerequisite Information
Prior to registering for the Macintosh Service & Tools Course, technicians must complete and pass the prerequisite, Introduction to Macintosh Service Course. A hands-on entrance exam is also administered on the first morning of the Macintosh Service & Tools Course. Students who do not pass the entrance exam will not be permitted into the lab and their course fee is non-refundable.
Before attending the PowerBook Service Course, technicians must complete and pass the Macintosh Service & Tools Course or a previous version of the Macintosh Service Course.
Prerequisite courses can be ordered from U.S. Customer Service at 512-919-2775.
Registration
Registration for all courses offered through On-the-Road Service Training is on a first come first served basis. Because a written confirmation from Apple with a confirmation number is accepted as verification of registration, do not commit to travel or accommodation arrangements until you receive this confirmation.
Billing
To minimize the number of cancellations and no-shows, students are billed when they register.
Class Time
All On-the-Road classes begin at 8:30A.M. and end at 4:30P.M.
Cancellation Policies
Once students are registered for On-the-Road Service Training, cancellations are not accepted. Substitutions can be made if the new student also meets the necessary training prerequisites. The substitute student will be billed under the original P.O. number. Fees for no-shows or students not passing the prerequisistes are not reimbursable through AppleFund.
The On-the-Road Service Training calendar and course pricing are subject to change without notice. Apple reserves the right to cancel a class within 10 business days of the class date. If this occurs, we will make every effort to move students into other classes depending upon availability. See upcoming class dates, pricing, and registration information below.
The Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume II is now available. Use this guide to service the following printers:
•Personal LaserWriter 300
•LaserWriter Select 300/310
•LaserWriter Pro 600/630
This new guide includes information on: LaserWriter safety rules, toner & laser safety, ESD prevention , general information, connectivity, troubleshooting tips, software & hardware troubleshooting, exploded views, parts lists, and specifications.
The new Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume 1 Addendum is also available and includes information for the Personal LaserWriter LS/L and Personal LaserWriter NTR printers. Copies are available by either downloading them from the AppleLink network (Path: Apple Service/Training icon, Service & Support bulletin board, LaserWriter ASG Addendum), or contacting U.S. Customer Service. They will send the addendum out on a case-by-case basis to providers who service the Personal LaserWriter LS/L or NTR.
You may refer to the Training, Manuals, and Business Support Service Prices for part number and pricing information. Any guide in the Apple Service Guide series can be ordered through U.S. Customer Service at 512-919-2775.
For answers to technical questions about Apple hardware or software, contact Apple Technical Support.
Please be aware, however, that the Technical Support AppleLink address TECH.ASSIST and fax number are no longer available. Apple Authorized Service Providers with Service related questions should call the Technical Support Engineers at 512-919-2775. The phone lines operate Monday through Friday, 9:00A.M. to 4:00P.M., Central Standard Time.
Use the following resources before calling
•Service documentation
•Service Source CD
•Apple Service Guides
•Apple Service Guide for Module Identification
•Technical Information CD
•Owners manuals
•Reference manuals
•The Tech Info Library on the
AppleLink network (Path: Support
icon, Tech Info Library)
Call with questions about
•Repair issues
- Quality
- Safety
- Service documentation feedback
•Troubleshooting
•Connectivity
•Warranty exceptions and replacement of Finished Goods products
The Technical Support telephone number is intended for Apple Authorized Service Providers with technical questions about Apple computers. Because this number is confidential, please do not provide it to customers.
When you call Technical Support, your account number will be requested to identify you as an authorized user of the support line. They can be reached at:
Technical Support
Apple Computer, Inc.
Technical Assistance Center
1200 East Anderson Lane, M/S 212-TAC
Austin, Texas 78754
Phone: 512-919-2775
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UPGRADE UPDATE
In the July issue of ServiceNet, we announced an upgrade upon failure program which allows you to offer your customers the opportunity to upgrade their systems when they are in need of repair. Logic board upgrades available through Service are covered by Apple’s One-Year Limited Warranty.
Your customer benefits by saving labor charges and the down time of upgrading at a later date. When purchasing logic board upgrades through Service, you’ll automatically be charged the exchange price and have up to 30 days to return the downgraded board. (Service providers will be billed the stock price if the downgraded board is not received by Apple in 30 days.)
The new Macintosh Quadra 660 AV and Macintosh Quadra 840 AV Logic Board products we announced in August are in short supply. As soon as product becomes available, we will notify you.
For ordering information, refer to AppleOrder or the Service Price Pages. For up-to-date upgrade information, refer the Upgrades Offered Through Service Distribution folder on the AppleLink network (Path: Service & Support bulletin board in the Apple Service/Training icon).
Because internal PowerBook Hard Drive prices have been reduced, prices on PowerBook Hard Drive Upgrade Kits have also been reduced. Refer to the Hard Drive Prices Significantly Reduced article in this issue of ServiceNet for details.
The following upgrades are currently available through Service:
•Macintosh Classic II Logic Board Upgrade
•Macintosh IIfx Logic Board Upgrade
•Macintosh IIfx 4 MB DRAM Memory
•Macintosh LC II Logic Board Upgrade (reduced price while supplies last)
•Macintosh Centris 650 Logic Board Upgrade
•Apple Workgroup Server 95 PDS Card with DAT
•Apple Workgroup Server 95 PDS Card w/o DAT
•Apple Workgroup Server 95 128K/Tag Second-level
•Apple Workgroup Server 95 256K Second-level
•Apple Workgroup Server 95 16 MB Parity Memory
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APPLECARE DIRECT MARKETING
Beginning in October, Apple will offer AppleCare directly to our customers through direct mail and telemarketing. We are targeting customers who are in the eleventh month of their Apple One-Year Limited Warranty. They will receive an offer through the mail the third week in October for one-year AppleCare agreements only, at the suggested retail price. Special offers are not being made, and we are not approaching current AppleCare customers for policy renewals.
Apple strongly encourages the sales of AppleCare by our resellers. This program is simply to catch those customers who are not informed or elected not to purchase an AppleCare agreement at the time they purchased their Apple product(s). A new AppleCare marketing program, designed to assist resellers in the sales of AppleCare to their customers, will be rolled out early next year.
An updated AppleCare Sales Guide is available from StartingLine. To receive a copy, call 1-800-825-2145 (part number P0187LL/A).
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HARD DRIVE PRICES SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED
After a review of competitive data and current market trends, Apple has adjusted the service pricing on all hard drives, resulting in an overall hard drive price reduction effective October 15, 1993.
PowerBook Upgrade Kits Reduced
Because of the hard drive price reductions, the prices for the PowerBook Upgrade Kits ordered through service have also been reduced. Service providers can significantly improve the performance of their customers’ PowerBook drives by offering upgrades upon failure, at a reduced cost!
This new pricing is currently available with all methods of ordering. For part number information, refer to the October Service Price Pages. Remember, orders received through the AppleOrder system receive a 10% discount.
Apple continues to review service pricing and market trends so that we can offer our service providers competitive prices and enable them to better meet their customers’ service needs.