For the second time - on a laptop that's only 20 months old - the DVD burner is refusing to burn a DVD. I had the original one replaced when the laptop was a year old. I've got a 3-year warranty but, you know, I just can't be bothered to go through the rigmarole of booking an appointment with an Apple "genius", taking the machine into the store and hanging around while they scratch their heads before replacing it. I checked the error message on the web - seems like it's a problem that has no neat and easy solution. It plays OK, but won't burn. So I've ordered an external burner, which arrives within 24 hours.

I like Apple products - been using them for over 20 years - but the two parts that never shape up on their computers are the DVD/CD drive and the battery. My own theory is that the slimness of the modern designs is not conducive to robustness.