Learning Apple Repair

[Canadian Tech]

So I have enrolled in the Apple Indepenant Repair Provider program and learning how to repair Apple products, I get a lot of calls every day for help so thought I would jump in. In any case i'm almost 60 and yes i'm learning but wondered if there were any resourses I could tap into to help the process. I also wondering if there were any downloadable tools for Apple like there are for Windows. For most of the repairs I know I can use the Apple resources provided to me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[britechguy]

I get a lot of calls every day for help

Interesting. I get the occasional call regarding Apple devices, and most of those are iPhone/iPad screen repairs, but that's it. Since I don't want to deal with screen repair for these types of devices (whether Apple or Android-powered) it's a non-issue for me.

In the area I live in the proportion of Apple users (for Macs, specifically) as opposed to PCs is very small indeed.

 

[Canadian Tech]

Interesting. I get the occasional call regarding Apple devices, and most of those are iPhone/iPad screen repairs, but that's it. Since I don't want to deal with screen repair for these types of devices (whether Apple or Android-powered) it's a non-issue for me.

In the area I live in the proportion of Apple users (for Macs, specifically) as opposed to PCs is very small indeed.

I really don't want to do iPhone or iPads either, there's too many cell phone repair places for that. For us the nearest Apple store would be about a 45 minute to 1 hour drive from us. The one store close to me that was good at supporting apple products had closed down in the last year so the customers are calling me for support.

 

[HCHTech]

The one store close to me that was good at supporting apple products had closed down in the last year so the customers are calling me for support.

That's certainly a good thing. I would say generally that "make them user-serviceable" is far from the top of the list of design requirements for any Apple product. Follow that by the lack of good avenues for replacement parts, and you end up with an uphill battle trying to be an independent servicer. It's definitely a niche market, though so if you can find a way to make it work, it's probably profitable.

 

[sapphirescales]

If you have any hair left, then abandon this endeavor.

 

[NviGate Systems]

So I have enrolled in the Apple Indepenant Repair Provider program and learning how to repair Apple products, I get a lot of calls every day for help so thought I would jump in. In any case i'm almost 60 and yes i'm learning but wondered if there were any resourses I could tap into to help the process. I also wondering if there were any downloadable tools for Apple like there are for Windows. For most of the repairs I know I can use the Apple resources provided to me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

I found out over the years that the most invaluable tool in repairing Macs: Another Mac. Something to create USB install media, copy files, target disk mode for machines that support it etc. Going back and forth between PC and Mac while not the 3 ring circus it once was is still touch and go at times.

It doesn't have to be a modern one. I have a MacBook Pro 13" 2012 that I converted to desktop that I use now and then for Mac specific stuff. You will want something that can run a relatively recent Mac OS.

 

[Canadian Tech]

If you have any hair left, then abandon this endeavor.

LOL...I know what you mean. Going through the certification course and I keep asking myself why am I doing this.

 

[Canadian Tech]

I found out over the years that the most invaluable tool in repairing Macs: Another Mac. Something to create USB install media, copy files, target disk mode for machines that support it etc. Going back and forth between PC and Mac while not the 3 ring circus it once was is still touch and go at times.

It doesn't have to be a modern one. I have a MacBook Pro 13" 2012 that I converted to desktop that I use now and then for Mac specific stuff. You will want something that can run a relatively recent Mac OS.

I do have an older iMac given to me for recycling. I was able to restore it after putting a new hard drive into it, I even got the OS installed on it. Although it's old it's still somewhat usable.

 

[Canadian Tech]

That's certainly a good thing. I would say generally that "make them user-serviceable" is far from the top of the list of design requirements for any Apple product. Follow that by the lack of good avenues for replacement parts, and you end up with an uphill battle trying to be an independent servicer. It's definitely a niche market, though so if you can find a way to make it work, it's probably profitable.

I'm looking at the fact that right now i'm turning away the extra business and If I could just learn to repair them I would have that extra business coming in.

 

[HCHTech]

I found out over the years that the most invaluable tool in repairing Macs: Another Mac.

Concur. A Mac Mini can be had for not much $, probably a good place to start since it will be current.

 

[14049752]

In another lifetime, I worked for an Apple ASP. I was THE Apple guy, in fact my location was only authorized to do repairs because I was basically the only one with certs. At the end of my tenure there, Apple became more strict and required that ONLY I do the repairs. I had certification for every single product they offered it for.

Having said that, I would loathe to work on Apple products to any significant degree without the ASP agreement and tools in place. I haven't looked at how extensive the independent repair program is, but when I was just getting out of repairing Apple, everything had to be serialized and connected to GSX (their ASP repair portal) to function. The different cables and tools they required for specific models, for data recovery were insane.

If I were still in the consumer level repair business, right now, I'd offer Apple repair services on an extremely limited basis. In fact, when I was in the business under my own name, I still turned away a ton of Apple requests because I just didn't want to deal with them.

 

[Canadian Tech]

Concur. A Mac Mini can be had for not much $, probably a good place to start since it will be current.

I was thinking a Mac mini as well.

 

[Canadian Tech]

In another lifetime, I worked for an Apple ASP. I was THE Apple guy, in fact my location was only authorized to do repairs because I was basically the only one with certs. At the end of my tenure there, Apple became more strict and required that ONLY I do the repairs. I had certification for every single product they offered it for.

Having said that, I would loathe to work on Apple products to any significant degree without the ASP agreement and tools in place. I haven't looked at how extensive the independent repair program is, but when I was just getting out of repairing Apple, everything had to be serialized and connected to GSX (their ASP repair portal) to function. The different cables and tools they required for specific models, for data recovery were insane.

If I were still in the consumer level repair business, right now, I'd offer Apple repair services on an extremely limited basis. In fact, when I was in the business under my own name, I still turned away a ton of Apple requests because I just didn't want to deal with them.

I have access to the GSX and the AST 2 Diagnostic Console as well as Atlas for learning.

 

[14049752]

I have access to the GSX and the AST 2 Diagnostic Console as well as Atlas for learning.

Oh wow. That really surprises me that Apple opened it up that much.

 

[britechguy]

In fact, when I was in the business under my own name, I still turned away a ton of Apple requests because I just didn't want to deal with them.

That's what I do, too. The only Apple-related work I take on now is stuff like initial setup, adding a printer, etc. I wouldn't open one on a bet.

Also, and clearly this varies by where you're located, it would never be economically useful to get Apple certification even if I desperately wanted it. I get very few calls indeed for anything Mac related and the bulk of my calls on Apple are for broken iPhone screens. There are other service providers in the area who do phone repair that I refer those callers to. I'd starve if I relied on requests for service on Apple products, period.

 

[Canadian Tech]

Oh wow. That really surprises me that Apple opened it up that much.

I also have access to ordering tools and genuine parts which is understandable.

 

[Wezzel98765]

I also have access to ordering tools and genuine parts which is understandable.

Why are you only looking at supplying through IRP ?

THe aftermarket parts available nowadays are definitely much better than they were 5 years ago
The extra leg work to do a repair through IRP is crazy, lots more paperwork and having to follow their protocols and returning the old part. Only getting parts discounts when you order them on demand, rather than holding the stock.

We are IRP just so that we can willy wave... for no other reason

 

[frase]

I found out over the years that the most invaluable tool in repairing Macs: Another Mac. Something to create USB install media, copy files, target disk mode for machines that support it etc. Going back and forth between PC and Mac while not the 3 ring circus it once was is still touch and go at times.

It doesn't have to be a modern one. I have a MacBook Pro 13" 2012 that I converted to desktop that I use now and then for Mac specific stuff. You will want something that can run a relatively recent Mac OS.

That is what I ended up doing simply purchasing an older macbook as to create media from that. I have been given Macs from clients that no longer work and they do not want and learnt from those.

 

[NviGate Systems]

Why are you only looking at supplying through IRP ?

THe aftermarket parts available nowadays are definitely much better than they were 5 years ago
The extra leg work to do a repair through IRP is crazy, lots more paperwork and having to follow their protocols and returning the old part. Only getting parts discounts when you order them on demand, rather than holding the stock.

We are IRP just so that we can willy wave... for no other reason

I think you technically can't because the terms of the service are quite limiting, there have been videos and reports on that by Louis Rossman as to why he never signed up.

 

[DRPCNZ]

For the last 30 years I have been breakfix and ALL my customers know that I consider Apple to be the Antichrist. I refuse to touch Apple devices and I dont thin it has hurt my income at all