How to Have Your Broken Macbook Screen Repaired

No doubt among the three worst three sounds in the world would be sound of breaking glass. A shattering of glass can never be good news.

I have had the awful experience of hearing the breaking of my Macbook's LCD display. My beautiful white Macbook was sitting beneath a wall-mounted book shelf. A heavy item was knocked from the shelf and landed on my Macbook shattering the screen. Once I was over the initial shock I realized I had to get down to business and go about having my Macbook repaired. I scoured the Internet and discovered a few different ways of accomplishing this. If this has recently happened to you then let me first offer my condolences and then say that it is not the end of the world. You can get through this and I can help you.

Applecare

If you went the extra mile and purchased an extended Applecare warranty then you are covered for many of the potential problems that could arise. Unforutnately the breaking of the screen is not officially one of the things covered by Applecare. However in my experience I contacted Applecare anyway to see what they might say about my situation. I can tell you that the repair of LCD screens via Applecare is not a black and white issue. It seems that there are times in which Applecare will replace your screen with no charge to you but they can be very subjective about it. I do not know what conditions they use to determine this.

If you decide to send your unit to Applecare and have it reviewed by them then here is what you can expect. When you call Applecare they will ask for your Mac's serial number and with that the representative will be able to access all of your information. Then the rep will write up a task order for your issue and will have a special shipping box sent to your home. Now before you send it you must understand that there is no guarantee that it will be replaced. If the folks Applecare decide to replace it then you are home free with no charge. If they do not, then a screen replacement can still be done by the Apple technicians but it will cost you approximately $800 USD. If you they will not replace it under warranty and you decide not to pay them to fix it then you will still be charged a $100 USD fee. So using Applecare for an issue like a broken screen that has been physically damaged becomes a kind of gamble on your part. You should weigh all of the other options available to you before going the Applecare route.

Third Pary Repair Facilities

There are numerous companies online as well as "brick-and-mortar" companies that repair Apple products. I can not speak directly to the local brick-and-mortar locations that you may have in your area however I would suggest using your local Yellow Pages or Google to find computer repair shops in your community. Be sure to ask if they work on Macs because many such shops may specialize in PC's and may therefore have no experience with the Mac hardware architecture.

One option that I can tell you much about is online repair companies. The Web is literally littered with Mac repair sites. I have found what I consider to be the top three that you find online. I will tell you what I have learned about each of them and then let you know which one I chose and why.

The first is Mission:Repair. Mission:Repair offers a Macbook 13.3 LCD screen replacement service for $229 USD plus shipping. The customer has three shipping options to choose from that vary from $14 to $119. In addition Mission:Repair offers "walk-ins" whereby local customers can personally bring in their unit instead of shipping it. to M:R uses all original OEM parts (no refurbished items here) and offer a one-year warranty.

PowerBook Medic sells their 13.3 LCD replacement displays for $198.95 USD. Despite their name PBM deals in LCD displays for all of Apple's mobile Mac lines. The flat repair rate on a Macbook is $95. PowerBook Medic also boasts a one-year warranty on their work. Their Web site states that a typical turnaround time is 2-3 days.

Finally there is Micro Replay. Micro Replay offers 13.3 Macbook LCD screen replacement service for a flat rate of $349. Like the others, Micro Replay offers a one-year warranty on their screen replacement service and a promised 24-hour turnaround time.

In the end I chose to go with Mission:Repair. M:R had the same warranty as the other guys, but with a much lower cost. After a few emails with a M:R representative I knew they were the company for me. The rep was extremely helpful and patient and answered all of my annoying questions! I could not be happier with them and the price was just right. Also they often sales and promotions on a regular basis.

Do-It-Yourself

Keep in mind that there are many things on a Mac laptop that you, the user, can replace yourself. However replacing the screen yourself can be done but is not for the faint of heart. If you are not comfortable doing in-depth computer hardware repair then consider one of the services I mentioned above. But if you are experienced or you are the adventurous type then there are tons of online resources that can help you purchase the right part and provide instructions on how to replace your screen.

For starters, where can you buy the right screen? Well, all three of the vendors I mentioned in the section above will sell you a screen outright. You can also purchase screens from eTech Parts for $189. eTech Parts also puts their items on sale on a regular basis, so if you wait until just the right moment you may catch yourself quite a deal.

Once you have your part how do you install it? Free installation videos are available at PowerBook Medic. The videos are clear and of good quality and show disassembly by one of PBM's qualified technicians.

So now that you are over the initial shock of your damaged Macbook screen, you can begin deciding on which method of replacement is best for you. Weigh each option carefully and you should be able to come out on top. The main points to look for in a replacement service is a good warranty and top-quality new OEM parts. Steer away from those that use obscure or refurbished parts for their replacements.

I wish you the best of luck and I hope you have your Macbook back in service very soon.