My four year old MacBook Pro AKA Snow White, which has exceeded its AppleCare 'time to death' warranty had a catastrophic, hard drive cable failure after only 9 months, since the last one failed. BAD on Apple! Certainly this is due to an inferior and poorly architected hard drive cable. Thankfully, I had backed up most of my files and only lost work on one file that I was in the process of backing up when I had my HARD crash. Seriously, if you need help with your 'heap' of plastic and metal that manages 1's and 0's, don't waste time going to the Apple Store. Invest going here instead. Wai and his team were patient and thorough. No bullshit. No 'tude. No overselling on promises. No one better to go to in the East SF Bay Area. BELIEVE THAT! read more

Every time since '85 ! Never a negative experience. And ! Even-Better-Now with Wai Lee and his Team ! Wai Matt Thea Juan. Always helpful - even without a purchase. After 11 years my mac finally petered-down. As I waited for this day Wai never tried to sell me. Always said, "Wait until it dies, Bill." Got a new-one this week. The post-buy process has been amazingly-productive. Wai & Matt know-stuff ! And at no added cost ! They are there for Us. Thank You All. Bill read more

Hat tip to my friends at MAC Computer in Downtown Berkeley This morning got the black screen of death. Ran all my diagnostics and determined the computer drive needed to be reformatted. Checked my Time Machine backup drives - they looked good - and just did it. Then ... wasn't able to download Mac 10.8.5 from Apple (I have a bunch of legacy software and don't have upgradeitis). Called WAI at MAC, brought the computer in by 1:30, picked it up with 10.8.5 by 5:30, started restoring files at 6 pm and finished by 9 pm. Total cost $40. Results? Priceless! You do have a hard drive backup, don't you? The cloud's OK but if you have 750 GB of stuff on your computer, you don't want to have to wait weeks for it to finish downloading from the cloud. Thank you Wai! Ira Serkes read more

I was looking for an 110V adapter cable because I bought my MacBook in Europe. The service was very unfriendly and they charged me more for a dirty second hand cable than for which you can buy a new one on Amazon. I'm all for supporting local businesses and even paying some extra for going to a physical store, but this shop is a no-go for me. read more

I came here with my MacBook Air two times: the first time, when they screwed the back on, they did a shoddy job because the screws have been coming loose ever since. Even if this is a problem in the manufacturing, the second visit was completely M.A.C.'s fault. My computer was glitching and getting a lot slower, so I brought it in to M.A.C. They told me that the nail polish remover I had spilled on it TWO YEARS AGO (which I came to them for, and they said was all fixed and had caused minimal damage to my laptop) had been seeping through my computer for TWO YEARS and had damaged the logiboard and that I should just go buy a new laptop. Since this obviously makes no sense, I took my computer to a different computer repair store, where they told me it was just an operating system issue. They just wiped and restarted my computer and it was completely fine. I spent less money at the second store than I did at M.A.C., and the guys at M.A.C. were COMPLETELY WRONG. And they almost made me think I needed to buy a whole new computer. I'm never coming back, and I do not recommend this place to anyone. read more

i love these guys...They are VERY knowledgable and honest. They went out of their way to help me with a computer problem i had that had my business shut down. They handled it right away and their fee was WAY lower than i expected. Thanks so much to Wei, Juan, and Matt!!! read more

Though I wasn't helped right away, this place is great. I brought in my cracked iPhone and a replacement screen that I bought from Amazon and the quotedme $50 and a couple hours to get it done. I dropped it off at 12:30 and came back at 3:30 and it was as good as new. Even bothered to charge the battery for me. One little tip, if you bring your own parts make sure they're right, the guy said he'd still charge me for labor if I had brought in the wrong screen. Luckily I did. read more

I was gifted a Macbook by a very generous friend with the caveat that it didn't come with a power supply. Oh, poor, poor me. I was able to get exactly what I needed at a comparable price to the Apple store without having to brave the Bay Street Mall...bonus! They had a bit of a 'could care less' attitude but it might have been because I was a girl. EEK! They're Mac guys, what do you expect? They didn't make me feel like too much of a dolt being a PC person just entering the Mac world and being pretty much clueless as to what I needed. I was in and out of there very quickly which was great. I'm going there again today to see if they have headphones for my iPhone since my left ear stopped working yesterday. Hopefully, they'll have it. They seem like they will. We shall see... HEY! I just called and they DO have the headphones I need. Sweet. I'm on my way, fellas! read more

This place came highly recommended by a mac consultant so I went to them. I found that they were 'customer service driven' and helpful. Overall, I had a great experience and if you care to read about it, feel free: They helped me during a rough time w/ my old workhorse mac: an upgraded powermac g4 quicksilver model. It had all kinds of weird issues like it was shutting off by itself, not waking from sleep, crashing, lost my data, etc. When they diagnosed it the first time, it seemed to that they pin-pointed and fix all the issues by replacing the hard drive and some other parts. Also, they were able to retrieve ALL my data (my numero uno concern). After a few days home w/ my computer, the problems showed up again so I brought it back to the shop. They held it twice as long and were able to diagnose it thoroughly b/c they caught it behaving badly firsthand. I had no problem w/ them holding onto the computer longer b/c they loaned me a laptop w/ my data copied onto it so I was able to get some work done. (FYI, I was under a work deadline!) They discovered that my quicksilver mac was displaying a not-so uncommon issue w/ this model that is traced back to either the logic board or co-processor. They advised that it wasn't worth the investment to fix when weighing the cost out. So, while I shopped around for a new computer (online) these folks let me continue to borrow their macbook laptop!!! When I got my new macbook pro, they provided a transfer of files as a courtesy. My computer difficulties are behind me now and I'm happy to report that I was refunded my money less the diagnosis. I'd highly recommend these folks for their service and knowledge especially in the stickiest situations, like mine! read more

I came in on a Saturday afternoon because my Macbook Air was starting up really slowly. I spoke to two people, and they looked at my Mac right away. The owner came and troubleshooted some things on my computer settings and told me to come in Monday if I wanted a quick turnaround since there would be more technicians around then. (The problem did not seem urgent, but I did not want to risk not having a laptop when the semester picked up.) After a few restarts, my Macbook Air still started up really slowly, and the owner troubleshooted more things and conferred to run a full diagnostic test on Monday. So, I just got home and my Macbook starts up way faster-- I don't know what the owner did, but it seems like the issue is more or less solved. The small business is humble and helpful-- would recommend to all. read more

I love MAC Berkeley and its owner, Wei. Their work is very diligent and their prices are very reasonable. Having them so conveniently located at University and Shattuck is perfect. they are the best. read more

I went to RadioShack, Staples, Looking Glass Photo, and the Apple Store looking for something to connect my camcorder to my new Macbook: a firewire 400 to 800 converter. $15 and 3 minutes at the M.A.C. store solved my problem that two trips to the Apple store (with its genius bar & all) couldn't do. Next time I'll be coming here first! :) Reasonable prices & excellent customer service & most importantly having the product you need in stock, rather than suggestions for how to upgrade every piece of technology I own... read more

What a relief! I had the bad luck of a sudden hard drive failure. My computer wouldn't even boot. Just a gray screen. And while my friends CALL ME for computer problems, who do I go to for something this severe? These honest, hard-working, knowledgeable geeks gave me excellent reassurances on how to proceed. Thea was especially understanding. In the end, there was nothing they could do to recover my data. Luckily I had a recent backup on external. So in three short days, they replaced the internal drive (not an easy task in the iMac) with an amazing new SSD per my request. And I'm back in business with what feels like a faster, more solid computer. Overall pricing was fair. Charge for diagnostics and attempts in data recovery was a bargain. The only downside here is parking. There's a parking structure around the corner down the long block. Otherwise it's curbside metered parking. It's best to plan on wheeling in your computer in a box on a hand truck (dolly) if you can't carry it. read more

The most I know about my macbook is that I take it everywhere, I use it for a jack-shit tone of homework, and the more than regular use is apparently beginning to take its toll on my poor computer. I have previous experiences with tech repair at my university computer shop and I was treated like an idiot; they spoke down to me and would abuse the fact that I was paying their ridiculous hourly wage for what turned out to be a subpar repair. I was afraid to ever trust a computer repair shop again. But alas, my computer needed diagnosing once again it was time to overcome my fear and find a respectful and reputable apple repair shop. I was directed to M.A.C. by a good friend and when I came in I was greeted with a smile and was walked through a general diagnosis process of the computer. I felt free to ask questions and in the end the only problem was an old battery that needed replacing. Like I said, I don't know a lot about computers but I do know something about customer service and this place has got it. read more

Seriously, if you are so blessed to live in the East Bay Area, don't waste your time with the Apple Genius Bar, just head to the M.A.C. Since Apple opened it's Apple Stores, I can't say I've ever had a truly outstanding experience there when dealing with hardware problems. I'm beyond blessed and delighted I have access to the crew at the M.A.C. Not only are they competent, adept trouble-shooters, but they provide exemplary customer service. My MacBook was exhibiting strange, anomalous behaviour, suggesting it's nearing the end of it's useful 'career'--I'm not surprised, I've run this machine HARD over the past five years. Getting my machine back within 24-48 hours is not something I was accustomed to at the Mac Genius Bar or Repair vortex--the M.A.C. cat's, however, delivered!! And because of my recent experience with the M.A.C. crew, I'm a customer for life! Seriously, Woohoo!! And WAY-BEST!! read more

My powerbook started flashing and losing power. I assumed it was the power cord and went to MAC to buy a new one. As I was purchasing it I mentioned the flashing symptom and the guy asked if I brought my laptop as it might be the battery failing. I hadn't so I passed on buying the cord and went to the Apple store where I thought they would be able to tell me what the problem was - I left with an appointment at their "Genius Bar" for 3 days later. Next day I brought my laptop to MAC with no appointment and their "Genius" plugged it in and it was the charger. I bought the off brand one and didn't like it because it became so hot while charging that it practically wasn't touchable. I called the store and told them and they said that I could trade it toward the apple product even though I had tossed the packaging. I don't go there to buy CDs - obviously they will cost more there than at a big office supply store that sells tons of those. Yeah, the atmosphere isn't the lure of the big shiny apple store where I want to sell my car so I can buy the new iPhone 3Gs and a new computer with a screen the size of a great dane but that can be a good thing. Plus they have a little mini sculpture/wall out of the first smaller-than-a-breadbox Macs... read more

Yesterday morning my old MacBook Pro konked out - I remembered the friendly folks at M.A.C. from when I purchased my backup, and headed over to see if they could rescue the situation. I was concerned that I might have to wait several days to have it assessed/fixed, but they got right on it. Turns out it was not worth a repair, so I opted to buy a new one - they were able to transfer my old files by the end of the day, and certainly saved the day for me! Friendly, informative, helpful staff. read more

Stellar service. Bought a new computer, had content from old, dead computer transferred into it and everything worked perfectly. Generous help over the phone and via email to get it set up exactly the way I want it. Best little computer store in the East Bay! read more

A nice little independent store that supports those of us with the Apple disease. They also did a pretty good job repairing an old Apple laser I have, a complicated fix (I know -- I did it once on a similar printer). Prices are a little high and selection is slim, which is unfortunately consistent with the nature of small businesses like this. It's particularly frustrating when you need something immediately and end up not being able to support a small local business because they can't afford to keep some items in stock. Seriously, not even one copy of Final Cut Studio was available at the store -- and they lost a huge sale because of it. My fault for needing it at the last minute? Sure, to some degree. But this is not an obscure piece of software. Staff are friendly, though expertise level varies. If the benefit of a small independent store is personable, knowledgeable service (because you usually can't compete on price with the big stores), then I think the folks behind the counter should know way more than I do. It's hard to keep up with the latest software/hardware and various requirements, but to me, that's the difference between this place getting five stars v. four. This review ended up being harsher than I intended. I do like the store, but it's not usually the first place I think of when I want to get something Mac-related, and I wish it were. read more

These guys saved me today! I was able to run in there and replace a lost power cord for $5!!!.... I went to the Apple store first and they didn't even sell them! I'm going to be giving these guys my business for sure. read more

Last week my MacbookPro started to make a clattering noise, like something was whirling out of control. The Apple Store in Emeryville told me it was definitely my hard drive starting to deteriorate - that this happens when a Mac iis 3 or 4 years old. The were too busy and couldn't take it in as a repair and recommended a couple of MAC stores, including M.A.C. on Shattuck near University. Replacing a hard drive is expensive and the store teckie suggested that some files may have already been lost. Wai Lee took my computer which was suddenly and mysteriously quiet. He thought it might be a fan problem because the location of the noise and not a hard drive problem, a much less expensive proposition to replace. After diagnosis, he confirmed the hard drive was OK and the fan problem didn't appear despite running it for hours. So I ended up paying $40 instead of several hundred and the Mac was returned in 3 business days as Wai Lee had estimated. So far so good - no clattering noises. So, I trust these guys. They could have replaced my fan or the hard drive or both, etc. instead and charged a lot more. Oh - the guarantee is that if the clattering noise returns, they'll credit the cost of the diagnosis to the next visit since it's the same problem. read more

Excellent Mac repair store, the people working there are brilliant! Nothing is too much for them, they fixed my computer and it has made my life better. Very helpful, they also fixed the crack on my iPhone. Very reasonable prices, no fuss, they just do it. Great place! read more

Laptop crashed while loading new OS Sierra. M.A.C. wanted $80 and leave it for a week. Went home instead and discovered "Command - R" could restore OS. Won't be using M.A.C. again. read more

I had my iPhone 6 battery replaced here recently. Play old battery wouldn't keep a charge for even half a day. It was $30, so he told me he was going to raise his price to 40 in 2019. Since Apple is increasing their price a lot, this will be half the price of going to the apple store! I was able to walk in and have it done right away Without an appointment. There was a problem with the battery turning off of 50% after it was replaced, and they did it again no questions asked under warranty, and new battery is great. I can now go whole day without having to charge. Excellent customer service, no wait, nice people, local small business, support them! read more

I called them today with a simple question. The guy I spoke to was incredibly rude, cut me off while speaking and was condescending. I also tried to go to their shop a few days ago. It was closed, during regular store hours, with a note on the door that read "sorry for the inconvenience" And people wonder why small independent businesses do poorly. Apple Store it is. read more

I wanted to like this place because of the great reviews, I really did. Unfortunately, they were very disappointing. This is an update to my last review from a more levelheaded perspective + aftermath of them not being able to fix my laptop. So, spilled water, and as usual got the $755 quote from Apple and thought, well I really didn't spill that much water. Most of my keys worked anyway, I thought I would just have to dry it out a little bit more and it would be fine. So I took it to MAC for their $80 diagnostic/take apart. "Don't worry, we test everything after we fix it to make sure it works." Sounds good to me. They called me back a few days later and said that they were not able to fix it, and I could either take it back or let them repair it for $560. I thought, well this isn't ideal, but I might as well have them try to repair it rather than take it to Apple. Flash forward a few more days, and they call me back saying that my laptop is ready to pick up. Great! Albeit the guy on the phone sounded really annoyed when I asked him if I could pick it up right now (they were due to close in 30 minutes but I was nearby). I get my laptop back and they let me test it out. What do you know, the very first thing I try is my volume key (it was one of the few keys not working when I first spilled water on it, it would delete instead of turn up the volume) and it doesn't work. At all. The whole top row of keys doesn't work. I thought they said they would test everything after they fixed it? It was just so obvious that they didn't try it out before giving it back to me, which I thought was seriously unprofessional. It's not like it was an obscure key either, it was a whole row of keys malfunctioning. I gave the computer back and they said it was probably a bad keyboard or my motherboard was broken in which case I would just have to "live with it because a motherboard is expensive to replace." I'm really disappointed but they offer to replace the keyboard again, meanwhile I get to keep the laptop in its current state until they get a new one. While testing out the rest of the keys, I noticed that the trackpad was also really loose and wobbly, and I ask them to tighten it. The repair guy gave me attitude when I asked, saying "well I don't know if I can do anything about it". I was definitely offended by this, my trackpad wasn't like that at all when I brought it in. He attempted to fix it but it didn't get better so I just took the laptop back, thinking I would be getting a new keyboard the next week anyway. Anyway, the owner offers me a $40 discount and I pay for the repair (I really shouldn't have, I should have waited until I got it completely fixed). But being the naive person I am I pay and leave. It takes another week for the new keyboard to come in and I bring in my laptop to get it fixed, same problem. They tell me it's the motherboard. Did I also mention the keyboard they gave me had the left arrow key break off after like three days of me using it. Is this a legit Apple keyboard? Makes me think not. I'm pretty mad at this point. I have a wobbly trackpad, keys that don't work, and I've lost lots of valuable time and money dealing with all of this. I will mention one redeeming factor: the owner offered to let me use the keyboard for a week before deciding if I wanted to let him buy back the new keyboard, and I would get my old non working keyboard back + a refund. I for sure want my refund but I appreciated the one week wait because my midterm was the same week, and I had gone literally a month without a laptop by this point... I also paid a visit to the Apple store on 4th street that weekend to explain my situation to the Genius bar. I want to make a shoutout to Wayne, who was very understanding of my predicament and explained that for $755 I would get my motherboard replaced and my laptop would be as good as new. Wayne also took a look at MAC's work on my laptop and said, I quote, "Pardon my language, but they did a *shitty* job." He pointed out that the trackpad was wobbly due to bad installation. LOL. I thought that was pretty funny. Wayne said that Apple would repair my computer, no problem, as long as I had all my original parts. I went back to MAC, got my original keyboard back and my refund, and I'm never going back there again. TL;DR Apple is probably your best bet for water damage. They might seem pricey at first but it is guaranteed that they will repair your laptop, and the $755 is a flat rate, motherboard repair included, if you do happen to damage it. Save yourself the hassle of dealing with incompetent repair shops like MAC while you have to worry about passing your next CS midterm and finishing your projects without a laptop for a whole month. If you do decide to look elsewhere for Macbook repairs, make sure the store is Apple certified, which, according to Wayne, MAC is not. read more

If you wanna feel like an idiot for asking a question then this is the place for you! Even though the person I spoke with was knowledgeable and helpful, whenever I'd ask a question to gain further understanding of the issue he would give me a really condescending omg-I-can't-believe-you-don't-know-this response. It made me feel bad to ask questions and really understand was wrong with my laptop. Just because you're wearing a Che Guevara shirt doesn't mean you can be smug sir. But they did install my ram really quickly and my computer is definitely running a lot faster. So I am very thankful for that, no matter how stupid they made me feel in the process. I guess if you don't mind be treating like crap then by all means come here. If you do kind of value customer service, then keep on walkin'. My friend recommended this place but she must hate me and this must've been her passive aggressive way of showing it. read more

I just left this store and I'm amazed that there are still small shops like this one with expert, personalized service. I'm so grateful to have found them. I brought in four old Apple computers, a huge box of outdated miscellaneous computer parts and an assortment of questions. One of the professionals in the store, Thea, greeted me with patience and kindness. She walked me through the process of how they can get the data off my old computers and how I can do some of my own data storage as well. Business owners in any sort of service industry could take a lesson from Thea--having an employee who is very skilled, can listen astutely to a customer and deliver with expert service is the mark of excellent customer service. Thank you Thea. read more

Went here after reading the glowing reviews here on Yelp, and I was not disappointed! They really are the BEST! I was not the ideal customer - I arrived breathless, laptop in hand, at five minutes to closing.. I really thought I'd just drop the thing off, since I've worked retail before, and I know how bad it sucks to have customers run in when you are trying to close up. But one of the staff - don't know her name - but she was a very helpful, smart woman - approached me right away, and asked me the problem. I told her my screen had turned to black (!!) while I'd been using my (very old!) Mac. I told her I was happy to drop it off - just wanted to get in before closing. But she said "let's take a look..." She plugged it in, and quickly assessed that it was the battery. Whew! Then, again I said I could leave it overnight and pick it up later since I knew they were about to close (at this point it was seriously like 5:59), but she said it was no problem, and proceeded to install a new battery for me right then and there - and - I might add - AFTER giving me the option of two different batteries - an Apple one for more $$, or a 3rd party one, for much less. I asked her which she recommended, sort of suspecting she'd say the more expensive Apple one, but she actually suggested the cheaper one!! So clearly the Mac Store staff are not just out to oversell and make profit for profit's sake. I felt like she was really trustworthy, too. She also took the time to explain to me ways to make my new battery run longer so I don't fry the battery again... I was SO happy. I really thought I'd have to leave my computer there for days, but, instead, I got it totally fixed in just minutes, by a very helpful, kind, knowledgeable employee. Everyone should go to the MAC Store on Shattuck and NOT the stupid Apple Genius Bar (which, by the way, had NO appointments at all that day at the 4th St. store). Support this local Berkeley business! Businesses like this that make me happy I live in Berkeley. Thank you again, awesome MAC store staff!!! read more

Yesterday I went to have my iPad mini battery replaced. I'd researched the price online and found nothing over $100... The guy looked bored and said he COULD do it for $200! This used to be a great store. I walked out and found, in the same neighborhood another shop that'll do it for $125. I watched battery replacement on uTube and it took no more than 15 minutes. Are they really that greedy? Sad to see. read more

Ok i just called to ask if they can replace the keyboard for my mac book pro. I was trying to explain what happened and what's wrong with my laptop. They guy just told me the price of fixing it and while i was talking he just told me there are other people waiting to be served and just hung up on me. This is a very poor customer service. i would never recommend this place to anyone and i hope this place goes out of business. I don't know why this place has such a great review. read more

Please take my honest advice to stay away from this shop. I brought my MacBook in trying to fix a potential hard drive issue. The technician and old lady there had no intention to take care my business. They kept on saying how busy they were and why it would take 4 to 5 business days for service, even after I offered expedition fee. The technician was even trying to give me a lesson as to why this would be days of work. I truly believe they shouldn't be in the SERVICE business! I walked away and had my computer fixed at another repair shop nearby within an hour. read more

When the genius bar on 4th would not see any walk ins I called the M.A.C. store. 5 hours and $120 later my mac book pro is working again. Thank you so much!!!!! read more

The best of Berkeley? If you mean rude, incompetent, overpriced and slow - then yes, absolutely. At least it's pretty much like everything else in the complete craphole that is downtown. Ever tried to buy a mouse and been told you have a computer that's too slow to use it? Ever wondered where that smell is coming from? Ever wonder why you aren't punching the clerk? Ever wonder if someone is swiping your credit card info when they write down your driver's license number after you give them a credit card? Ever had someone break something on your computer when you take it in to be 'upgraded'? And then have them tell you it's your fault because you need a new one anyway? And refuse to pay for the damage? Go here then. It's for you. read more

Whenever my computer gives me tzuris, I can count on the nice and honest folks at M.A.C. to assess and/or fix my problem for a fair price. They generally make accurate estimates on how long something will take to fix. I bought my newest MacBook Pro here, and was able to get a slightly-used but stlll-under-warranty machine for a good price. If you purchase a computer from M.A.C., they'll provide personal attention and service for the life of your machine. read more

I agree with the other reviewers who say these folks are the best. They are. Especially for me, with an ancient iBook that I'm committed to using til its dying breath (byte?) - there are no looks of "are you kidding me?" or trying to sell me an update. Customer service is fantastic. They even stayed open for me while my computer was still downloading, so I could have it before the long Labor Day weekend. I will always go to these folks first. read more

I love this place and feel totally confident about the employees' skills, especially those of the owner, Wei. He's so patient and helpful, with any Apple problem! I will never go to the crowded slick Apple stores, but rather to this small place where I can always get help!! read more

These guys are great! Apple said they would take my laptop for two days just to change the battery! These guys got it done in an hour and at a comparable price. I had a problem with the first battery they put in, but Wai went above and beyond to fix it quickly, and so far it has been running well. Don't bother with the Apple Store, come here instead! read more

Brought my Mac laptop in here when I couldn't get an appointment for 3 days at any of the local Apple stores. The fellow at the desk--the owner, I believe--quickly diagnosed the problem and gave me a reasonable quote but once he started working on it, he noticed that my Apple care warranty was still valid--I had thought it had expired--and he called me and told me this to save me from paying for the repair. Didn't even charge me a diagnostic fee, even though he spent some time working on it. Was super impressed with their friendly and fair service...rare to find such integrity these days, I'm afraid. Five stars! Once my warranty runs out, this will be my go to place. read more

This place is amazing. I have been buying my machines and getting them serviced there for the last 12 years. I write for a living, so I want not only a laptop that works, but also a service that can take a look when a problem happens, diagnose it, and get my machine fixed as quickly and inexpensively as possible. I love this store! All the people there - Richard (technician), Y (owner), Thea (service/salesperson) are stellar. read more