The only reason you received excellent care was because the guys name was Matt. :) I'm glad to hear they gave you a new machine, it would be very bad if they said "Oh yeah it's ok we replaced x y and z." only to send you home with a still exploding laptop. Not safe!

I too have seen a decline in Apple, not so much in their hardware (as that is simply possible with any company) but in their customer service. Then again, I called Belkin four times for support on their wifi phone and was told, four times, that I had the wrong department. I guess I'm one of the few who actually provide customer service to people that need it. (Shameless plug!)

At any rate, lets hope your issue was a fluke and that maybe you can get a longer lifespan and less issues with your new laptop! (Just don't plug an ethernet cable into your Mac while syncing Mail, it'll crash. Important safety tip!)

Matt