Update! Apple Geniuses being dishonest about needed repairs!

The problem is the geniuses are no longer geniuses like in the old days!

They are employees with little computer repair skills. Even if they show any aptitude they can't do the right thing as they need to stick to the ridged guidelines. In this case the LDS was Red so that push it to need a new logic board, display & uppercase (read everything but the bottom cover)! Even if they did see the connecter failure they couldn't fix it and they can't fix anything without a payment for the fix! Only software issues get a pass. The drive is $$$ not customer care.

This is the core failure within Apple and sadly this is how they are going to loose it!

The new MacBook Pro's will send people over the edge once they start seeing the costs in fixing their systems.

@danj I left when they went to soldered RAM and nonstandard SSD's on the 2012 rMBP. I expect modular RAM (not based on a nonstandard design; industry standard modules) that can be upgraded and standard drive interfaces that can be upgraded with a normal retail drive if you don't want to pay the OEM (in this case, Apple) price on a professional machine. Soldered RAM and proprietary/soldered SSD's are unacceptable. If you spend $1,000-2,000+ on a laptop you're keeping it for the long haul and that should be reflected in the ability to upgrade it over time.

Seeing what Apple has become makes walking away from the ecosystem a good decision in hindsight. It would have bothered me on the MB, but I'd be okay with that as a compromise if it meant the professional systems kept using standard components. The ZBook is looking like a good MBP replacement more and more by the day.

Apple is making it's own little ecosystem. It is no longer purchasing or developing chipsets with semiconductor companies. It is purchasing companies to develop it's own brand of semiconductors/memory etc. The Apple effect on the NYSE/world trade is unbelievable... I believe the company is worth 1 trillion $, and yet one bad comment/ or speculation, can cripple a smaller company associated with them or of a type similar to that company. i have seen this effect on my share portfolio, and whilst a few years ago I held apple shares and companies that Apple used as suppliers for their devices, I have sold Apple and invested in other companies connected to IOT or technology. No one company should have the kind of influence that they are exerting and still not allow people to have recourse to complaint or repair of the devices purchased from them. (says me typing on my MacBook 2009 that I have upgraded and fixed myself, because it still works like a dream)

@pollytintop that's tolerable on a machine like a MacBook if you don't ruin the professional machine, but Apple has ruined both with this Touchbar thing. If the laptop has NVMe storage and professional graphics, it better be as upgradeable as if it's a professional machine.

I was never okay with the soldered RAM since day 1, but could tolerate it because the SSD is replaceable (albeit nonstandard, which didn't lend it any favors).

Now that the RAM and SSD are soldered, I'm well and truly tired of Apple and their games.