Apple computer lead flawed design

[Clawdius]

I have a small apple laptop. The cable lead is around £60. It has now frayed just below where it is attached to the computer, exposing all the wiring. I only have it a few months. When I went to the apple store, they said it was accidental damage and not a problem with the lead. I have not used the lead for any other purpose other than it's intended purpose. I have not handled it roughly. One of the guys said there were special apple instructions about how to handle putting it into and detaching it from the computer.

AIBU to think that if it frays with normal use it is a design flaw. If it needs micro surgery finesse should this not be a huge warning.

I'm going to wrap the whole bloody thing up in insulating tape now.

I'm a bit confused by this too - but we've clearly been very lucky. We have a 6yo Ipod Nano, a 3 yo Ipod Touch, a 6yo MacBook and 1 yo iMac, and had no problems with any cables except for the blardy earphones, which I now can't be arsed to replace any more at the prices they charge. But the actual cables charging the devices to the mains have been great. In fact, the MacBook was my main work computer for 5 years and is now on its last legs through sheer overuse, but the charger looks more or less like new.
I'm in Germany, though, where there is a different kind of plug. Does that make a difference?

We have at least 15 apple chargers in this house (5 ipads, 4 iphones, 2 MacBooks, and a few spares). Not one of them has ever 'frayed'. Seriously. And some of our chargers get quite rough treatment (the one DD1 takes to school to use with her ipad, and the ones I carry around with me all the time when I'm travelling for work - the iPhone/ipad charger (wit the ultra long extension lead) is forever getting knotted up with the macbook air lead. We must just be super gentle despite all appearances to the contrary!

(We did MELT a charger wire but that was our fault. Well, the cat's. It got knocked of a windowsill onto a piping hot radiator and nobody noticed for a few days )

"|In fact, the MacBook was my main work computer for 5 years "

Does it have a Magsafe connector, or the older "pin in hole" (ooo-err) type? It's the magsafes that appear to be the problem. I've got entirely too much Apple kit (iWotsists back to a ten year old fag-packet sized iPod, network hardware, as well as laptops, old and new type Minis, iMacs, odds and ends) and it's the Magsafe connector on my Air that appears to be the only fragile one.

I've not heard of this happening, we have 2 iPads and 3 iPods. My only gripe is that on of the 30 pin connectors doesn't lock in place properly so things don't charge when I've connected it.

We've got two magsafe connectors, on my MacBook air and DD1's macbook. Both fine.

friday - we have Apple gear going back to an Apple Lisa. But my favourite is our Classic II. It's so cute.

We have a houseful of MacBooks, iPads, iPods and iPhones and only one cable has failed. All the cables are the originals that came with the hardware, but they clearly come forum different batches. Some are more flimsy looking than others. There is definitely a problem with some batches.

"We've got two magsafe connectors, on my MacBook air and DD1's macbook. Both fine. "

We've got four (and my parents and in-laws a further three), six of which are fine. One of them split quite quickly. It's on AppleCare, but I just fixed it with heatshrink. So I suspect it's a batch issue, and "we've got N, and they're all OK" might not be terribly helpful.

But equally, saying it's magsafe connectors only which are a problem when it's clearly a batch issue rather and a product issue, and equally clearly NOT just magsafe connectors going by the other posts on this thread, isn't terribly helpful either. Is it.

Gosh, yes, I had 2 MAC chargers and now bought a knock off Amazon.
They fray like there is no tomorrow.

Amazon actually make their own iPod/ iPhone chargers and they're not bad.

"Does it have a Magsafe connector, or the older "pin in hole" (ooo-err) type? It's the magsafes that appear to be the problem."

• yes, it is a Magsafe connection, and I'm not particularly careful with it either (have accidentally ripped it out a number of times). However, we've had other problems with the MacBook: the battery is totally knackered and even though I've upgraded the RAM to 3GB it shuts off when streaming TV, for instance (hence not worth replacing the battery). I think it's just fed up of the number of hours of loyal duty it's put in and is on a go-slow.

It would make sense that, as nancerama says, the problem is restricted to certain batches, and we really have just been lucky in not having dodgy batches.

When I cracked (not shattered, just a single crack) my iPhone screen they gave me a brand new phone without a fuss, but they treated me like a clumsy child over a bloody cable. Bonkers.

My iPod charger stopped working. I bought a new one at Car Phone Warehouse and the guy said that the Apple ones are crap.

Just to point out, we are talking about the laptop chargers here. AFAIK there is no issue with fraying on iphone, ipad or ipod chargers.

this is my charger, or at least what was left of it. It started to strip 12 months ago. I taped it up but the tape reacts with the wire causing it to disintegrate. This was the new style magsafe 'longer' charger which replaced the original, frayed square charger.

Yeah, that's what happened to mine, CharlieHOL. I coated the damaged areas in a thin layer of sugru because it's pretty much non-reactive, and then provided some strength with some heatshrink. The latter wasn't hugely successful because I couldn't find any which was big enough to go over the connector but than shrank enough to be tight on the flex, but it's stopped the Sugru from peeling and the repair has lasted for a year or more.

There is an issue on some batches of the USB cables used for charging iPhone etc

Everyone I know who has broken an iPhone has only ever ha it replaced with a reconditioned one which in some cases has caused a problem. I know quite a few early adopters of the iPhone who have moved onto the Samsung.

I love my apple products but there does seem to be a lot of style over substance with them.

"There is an issue on some batches of the USB cables used for charging iPhone etc"

But, ultimately, no-one really cares that much. A cable with a USB A connector at one end and a 30-pin dock connector is a couple of quid, you've got loads of them, and if one breaks or fails it's annoying, but hardly the end of the world. I presume the new connector for the iPhone 5 is more exotic, but that hardly a new development:the connector conspiracy was first noted in the 1970s. That chargers have a USB A socket on them, so the cables are to an extent disposable.

The problem for the laptop chargers is that the cable is integral to the charger, so it's a fifty-quid plus job to replace and it will strand you if it happens while you're travelling (most people, I suspect, carry several means to charge an iPhone and in any event chargers and cables are available in every railway station phone shop on the planet). Apple laptop chargers are rarer beasts, MagSafe2 doubly so, so their failure is both more aggravating and more expensive.

May I introduce Sugru I cover all chargers with it at both ends because the buggers always break (plus it means the DC's can't nick my charger because it is colour coded).