Apple expands iBook repair program

Apple Computer has expanded a repair program designed to fix a logic board problem with some of its iBook notebooks.

The Mac maker late Wednesday said it is offering free repairs to iBooks that have various display problems after the machines boot up, such as scrambled or distorted video, the appearance of unexpected lines on the screen, and video that freezes or displays intermittently.

Apple announced the iBook repair program in January, but some Mac users complained that their iBooks had similar problems that were not covered by the program.

The program originally covered iBooks made between May 2002 and April 2003, but it has now been expanded to cover models made through October 2003. Apple said the machines should have serial numbers between UV220XXXXXX and UV342XXXXXX.

"This past January, we announced a repair extension program for a small number of iBooks sold in 2002 and 2003," Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of hardware product marketing, said in a statement. "We are extending this program to cover a slightly larger number of iBooks to ensure that our customers are well taken care of."

Other than covering more machines, it appears that the terms of the program are the same as when it was announced in January. Apple is offering the free repair for machines that exhibit the problem within three years of their first retail sale. On its Web site, Apple also said it will reimburse affected customers who had already paid for repairs related to the logic board issue.

Those who think they are affected are encouraged to call Apple or an authorized service provider. Apple said it will bear all costs for the repairs, including shipping, and said the fix could include either repairing or replacing the iBook's main logic board.