April 29th, 2011
== Update 5/3 4:00 PM CST ==
This will be our last update. Power has been restored to our facility and we are now running normal operations.
Thanks to our customers for their thoughts, prayers, and patience during this difficult time.
A big thanks again to our team who worked tirelessly on generator power for the last few days despite not having any power at their own homes. We’ve got one of the best teams anywhere, and it’s a pleasure to work next to them.
== Update 5/3 9:00AM CST ==
While we remain without power, our phone system is now back online. We will try to run as close to normal operations as possible today on generator power. If you need to call in, please be patient. Our phone systems have been offline for nearly 6 days and we’ll likely experience a very large call volume today.
== Update 5/2 5:00 PM CST ==
While our facilty remains without utility based power, we were able to ship over 300 orders today on generator power and get caught up on order processing. We are hoping power will be restored this evening. However, if it is not, we will still try to bring limited phone support up tomorrow.
I’d like to give a special thanks to our incredible team…many of whom were here from sunup to past closing to try to get as much caught up as possible in the wake of this tornado outbreak. Today was hot, miserable, and the sound of the generators deafening, but we persevered. Thank you team.
To our customers, thank you for your continued patience and understanding. We’re getting as much done as is humanly possible on limited resources. Thanks for hanging in there with us.
To the gang at iFixit, thanks for the offer to buy our team lunch. That simple act personifies the good in this world, and we appreciate the guesture beyond words.
== Update 5/2 9:00 AM CST ==
We do now have limited power at our facility. Phone support is still down, but we are able to process and ship orders now. You can place orders now and not have to worry about any delays. If you need support, we do still have email, so please contact us via email if you have any questions or concerns about your order.
Also, thank you for all of the emails and comments with your support for our situation in the aftermath of these tornados. We do cherish all of our customers.
== Update 4/30 11:00 AM CST ==
Power is scheduled to be restored to our facility on Monday afternoon based on today’s assessment. As soon as power is restored, we will be working around the clock to fill orders and answer support requests.
== Update 4/29 10:00 AM CST ==
We attempted to run on generators today, only to find that our internet service provider is still non-functional. Our employees have been dispersed to areas with power and will be attempting to answer support tickets and emails.
We are being told that power should be restored by Monday afternoon. We will try to continue to post updates to the blog and facebook.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
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The Alabama Tornado outbreak has temporarily severely disrupted our operation abilities. Our facily which is located in Huntsville, Alabama remains without power at this time. We have been given a 5-7 day time frame for power to be restored. We will try to run a skeleton crew with generators on Friday for critical operations.
All of our staff is ok, however many of our neighbors were not so lucky. The devastation left is widespread and heartwrenching.
We strive for excellent customer service, however, during this time it will be difficult to provide the level of support that you have grown to expect from our company. Please know we ate doing our best, but simple things like getting fuel or even cell phone reception are extremely difficult.
We will try to post updates and photos to the blog and facebook when possible.
Again, thank you for your patience and prayers.
April 22nd, 2011
Today we introduced a new feature to the site called the Daily Deal. Every day from 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST we’ll have a product available on our site at a significant discount. Snap them up quick, because when the product is sold out, that deal is over.
The product deal can be seen on our homepage every day at www.powerbookmedic.com . We’ll also be posting the daily deal to Facebook and Twitter, so become our fan to get the daily deal on your wall or twitter feed!
The deals will vary from iPod, iPhone and iPad accessories to laptop memory and hard drives, so check back often!
Below is an image of what the Daily Deal looks like on the homepage with the daily deal for today (4/22/2011)
April 15th, 2011
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The accessory giveaway is now over!
Here are the winning comments picked at random. Emails to the winners are going out as we speak.
69 cara Says:
April 16th, 2011 at 9:09 pm
TuneJuice 3, Back-up Battery for iPod & iPhone
78 Lucas Says:
April 21st, 2011 at 7:22 pm
adidas miCoach Armband for iPhone 4 Black for my newly purchase iPhone 4.
23 Andrew Says:
April 15th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Always a very usefull site thanks.
Adidas miCoach armband for iphone 4 Black.
75 Reid Walker Says:
April 18th, 2011 at 8:03 am
the TuneJuice 3 looks might it might be useful . . .
20Wayne Spitzer Says:
April 15th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
I have always valued your tech support and repair options.
I would welcome the keyboard protector.
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We’ve been hard at work for the last few weeks adding over 1000 accessories to the site for the Macbook, iPad, iPhone, and iPod. We’re by no means close to being finished with the process, but wanted to give a sneak peek and also give a few of them away.
So, we’re going to give away 5 accessories valued at $30 or less. Which ones? You pick.
Entering is simple:
1.) Find an accessory you want for under $30 from our accessories category at the link below:
Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Accessories
2.) Post a comment to this blog with the name of the accessory you want. Only post once. Multiple entries will not be accepted.
Winners will be picked at random on Friday April 22nd at 12:00 CST. Winners will be notified via email and via our blog.
Here are just a few of the products that we would pick….
TuneJuice 3, Back-up Battery for iPod & iPhone – $25.49
Keyboard Protector for Apple Alum. Unibody Notebook, Black – $25.49
adidas miCoach Armband for iPhone 4 Black – $23.99
April 15th, 2011
At Powerbook Medic, we will frequently get calls that cover a wide variety of concerns, however, the most prevalent of these calls are made to help determine what sort of machine a customer may have, or how to choose the appropriate parts that are compatible with their machine. Below are several questions that we hear frequently, and wanted to answer for all of those who were wondering how to determine what machine they may have.
The absolute easiest way to determine what machine you have is to use our ID Your Mac feature at the link below:
Below is some other helpful info in determining what machine you have:
With Powerbooks, iBooks, and MacBook Pros, there are a variety of different sizes, in reference to the screen size. Frequently, we talk to customers who believe that their 15″ machine is indeed a 17″ machine. The proper way to measure your screen size, is to measure diagonally, from the upper edge of the viewable display to the opposite lower edge. The different screen sizes are listed below:
Another question we frequently see is, “How do I know if my iMac G5 has an Ambient Light sensor?” Well, the easiest way to check is to physically look for the sensor. If your iMac is equipped with one, it will be located under the frame of the display, near the RAM bay. For more detailed information, see this article.
Another popular question is, “Where do I find my serial number?” If your machine is running, the easiest way to determine this would be to click on the Apple menu (the small Apple Logo on the upper left-hand corner of the screen, and choose the option that reads, About This Mac. Once that window appears, click the button that reads More Information. In the window that opens, you will be able to see the amount of RAM installed, the serial number and numerous other tidbits of useful information. If your machine does not boot, you may find the serial number is located under the battery on older model MacBook Pros, and it will be engraved on the bottom pan on newer models. On iBooks, it will be located under the keyboard, and on iMacs, it should be on a stick on the base of the machine.
If you do not need to find the serial number, but would like to find your model number, you can simply look on the base of your machine, where it should read in small writing, “Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in… Model A_____…” You can use either the model number or the serial number on this page to load a cookie in your browser to choose the correct parts for your machine. Once you register your device, when you come to a page with multiple options for different model numbers, it will highlight the options that are compatible with your machine, to simplify the ordering process. As always, you can feel free to contact us with any questions at 866-726-3342.
April 1st, 2011
We have, over the last few years, had numerous requests for a more detailed instructions on how to separate the glass and digitizer from the iPhone 3G and 3G(S), from the midboard. This is a relatively simple process, however, we have seen numerous instances where customers have damaged their LCDs, the ear speaker, or torn cables in the process of trying to complete this repair. We would encourage you, the reader, to check out the instructional video with this blog, before attempting the repair, and then deciding if this is something you would like to attempt. If it appears to be too daunting, we offer a send-in repair service, which you can take advantage of by scheduling a repair here. If you would like to proceed, the first thing will be to proceed with gathering your tools and replacement parts. For this repair, we would recommend the following:
Replacement Glass
Tools
Once you have gathered the appropriate tools and parts, we can proceed with disassembling the phone. You can follow the first step on this video , and then proceed to follow the steps below. You will remove the six screws that surround the LCD frame, holding the LCD in the frame. These are held in place with small Philips head screws. Once you have removed them, you can then use a flat pry tool such as the iPad Takeapart tool, to separate the LCD from the Glass and Midboard. You want to take extra precaution on this step, so as not to damage the LCD in the removal. Set the LCD gently to the side, and then firmly grasp the frame of the midboard as detailed in the video, and put firm pressure on the glass to create a little separation between the midboard and glass.You can then work the iPad Takeapart tool between the plastic and the Glass to gently separate the two. Once you have some separation, you should be able to gently peal the glass away from the midboard. You will want to take caution in working around the home button and the cable coming from the earpiece and the ambient light sensor, so as not to damage those parts. Once you have separated the Glass and midboard, you will want to clear the midboard of any residual adhesive and shattered glass, so that you have a clean base to work on. You can then either use the Double sided adhesive or a couple of small dots of superglue to hold the new Glass and Digitizer in place. You will also want to take precautions to thread the cable on the new glass in the center of the midboard, where the LCD will sit. This will insure that the cables will seat properly, once the display assembly is reinstalled. From here, you would reseat the LCD in the midboard frame, replace the six screws you removed, and reassemble the iPhone. Now you have completed the replacement of the Glass and Digitizer on your iPhone.