Why can't Apple find a motherboard?

Question

I'm curious (and furious). I have a 9-month old 20" iMac. Up until recently it's been a great machine. Great display, very fast. I use it for work mostly and it took me a while (like until recently) to get it set up the way I want. About two weeks (it'll be 2 weeks this Monday, the 24th) ago, the machine died. I thought it was the power supply, since it wouldn't start, no light, nothing. Called Apple Care and took it to my local Apple dealer (not an Apple store, but an authorized Apple dealer that's been around for about 15 years). The machine is under warranty of course. It took them three days to diagnose the problem. Turns out it was the motherboard not the power supply. After a week, no iMac. Way too long for a critical piece of hardware (I use it for business) to be in the shop.
I stopped by on Monday to see what was up and the technician told me that he had placed the order on Friday through Apple's distribution system and got a message indicating the motherboard was backordered until OCTOBER 22 at the earliest? On a new machine? A popular new machine?
At that point, I went over to the official Apple store in SoHo (I'm in Manhattan) to find out what was up. Was told I've got to wait 2 weeks before it officially becomes a "problem" and can be escalated or investigated.
Has this happened to anyone else? I cannot imagine this lack of service from any other major computer dealer. If Apple can't find a motherboard, they should (should have already) put my hard drive into another iMac of the same model and specs or provided a machine for my use while they fiddle with finding a motherboard. Come Monday, I'm going to see what Apple Care has to say, but frankly, after 10 years of Mac use, I'm more than a little upset. And, yes, I realize that computers are machines and sometimes they break. That's not why I'm angry. My gripe is the lack of service and promptness. I remember the days when Apple offered -- and provided -- on-site repairs. I know, because a tech came to my apartment to replace a broken drive in my old 8500. The machine was up and running in less than an hour. Now, that's service. Or was.

Answer 1

Service varies for various reason. I have an first edition 20" iMac, the one with all the capacitor problems. I had it about 18 months and it would only boot on the external drive. Took it to an Apple store and they replaced the logic board, hard drive, cd drive, lcd display, etc. The bill paid under warranty was over $2000! It was repaired in two days! About a year later the power supply went out when I was at my other home so I had to drive 70 miles to an Apple store and they replaced in 3 hours, covered under Apple care, and then I drove back.
I just want others to know how great Apple service can be! I have yet to be disappointed in Apple products and service since owning them from 1988.
If one lives any where near an Apple store TAKE IT THERE!