For all those who know me and my brother know us to be crazy about the Mac, Apple and all things Steve Jobs (this may well change after reading iCon sent to me by my brother). We had collectively corned, cajoled and pushed would be converts into buying macs at every opportunity that we got. We were so fervent that people often wondered if we were on the take from Apple. But I think we successfully shrugged off that accusation and settled with "just plain loons".
I had never spent more than $600 ever for a laptop. All of mine were stupid Toshibas and Compaqs and all based on that silly excuse for an operating system, Windows. So when I made the momentous decision to spend my hard-earned money on a dual core intel based MacBook Pro, I was extremely excited about it as you can well understand. But I had finally reached the saturation point after having wanted one so badly for so long. And the fact that I was going for the best of the best computers out there was even more thrilling.
But I don't think Steve and the rest of the gang at Apple knew about my love for the company. Because buying the computer was when I touched skin to skin with Apple. Before that it was just infatuation. They seemed to have built that computer to look good from afar but it was a whole another story when I started using it.
My first computer got so hot that I could make an omlette right on top. And no matter how I tried to convince myself, I couldn't convince myself that the all knowing Apple would design a computer with a hot plate built right in to keep your food warm. My first impression was "Hmm, novel idea but completely impractical..." So I called Apple Tech Support to inquire about the heat and whether it was normal. The first person to answer my call was completely evading the issue by saying "No it's within spec and it's really because the newer processors we are 'providing' you with are so fast and because of that they tend to get really hot. And therefore the bottom of the computer gets really hot." I have three problems with that statement - one, they're not doing me a favor by giving me a super fast computer. I paid for it. Two, it's not the freaking bottom of the computer I am talking about, its the damn keyboard! And three, I don't care to know why it's giving off so much heat. Knowing the reason will not let me fingers cool off magically.
So when I emphasized that it was not the bottom and that the temperature was really high, they put me to the second line of support - the super geniuses. This guy came on the phone and started off with a bunch of questions, some of which were really frightening and disturbing. Things like "Did you suffer any burns? Did anything around the area burn? Did you notice sparks coming out of the computer?" Jesus Christ! No, but are you telling me that there IS such a possibility? And then I saw the video of the iBook that caught fire! And it all made sense!
Apparently Apple has stopped making laptops! Did you know that? So I asked the tech person on the phone what those things they were advertising was and he informed me that it was a 'portable' computer. Hmmm. Does it sound like someone is trying to hide behind some legalese? I THINK so! And it's true, you can go to Apples website and see that there is no mention of a laptop anywhere on the site. And it's a mistake to even think of doing so as I have seen rumors about constant exposure to heat in the groin region causing men to become sterile!
So I take this computer back to the store where I bought it and quickly enough got an exchange. But she had also mysteriously never heard of anyone having any heat trouble with the Macbook Pro which was surprising to me because their own website has so many reports of it and across the web there are forums after forums with users complaining of heat coming from the computers. The users also had planned a massive coordinated attack on Apple's support department by making all the calls related to heating issues on June 20th. So how was it that this store manager had never heard about it? Hmmmm!
It was not long before I was back in the store asking for an exchange once again. This time it was the heat, the noise coming from the keyboard area, and the wireless connectivity dropping every now and then. Tech support wondered whether it was a loud noise or a soft noise and whether it was becoming louder when you turn up the brightness of the screen. And does it stop when you turn on 'PhotoBooth'? It's funny, it DOES stop when you turn on PhotoBooth or are using the built-in camera? Hmmm. Apparently they had logic board issues on all early edition Macbook Pro's until week 12 of production.
So I got my exchange and this time I got a computer produced in week 14. Same problem, so went back, got the exchange but was warned by the manager that I shouldn't come back for an exchange with the same problems. What did she want me to do cook up some new ones? Apparently she couldn't guarantee that the computer I had in my hand was not going to have the same issues but wanted to guarantee herself that I wasn't going to go back there with the same issue.
For those of you who have actually read all these lines above, you know what's going to happen next - yes, the computer had the same problems. So I called in this time frustrated that I was not getting a quality computer for the amount I paid and I refused to travel an hour each way to Delaware where I bought the computer. Why not some local Apple store you ask - well you see Apple's good with the creative stuff but when it comes to Accounting, they have no idea. They won't simply process a computer as a return/exchange, they will mark the original computer as a return, but will actually SELL the replacement computer. And you know when you sell something you are taxed for it right? But maybe it's that Apple's not being dumb about numbers but are actually being extra creative here and skimming something in such transactions. But who knows. Hmmm. My only problem with the whole thing is that it is being done at my cost.
Anyway, I mailed this one and they were good enough to send me back another computer by mail. This time they upgraded my memory too. But the whole thing took three days longer than was promised by the manager. However, I think the exchange wouldn't have happened if I was actually in the store. If that manager saw me there again, she probably would have chased me out the door.
Take a break here if you want to because we are at computer #4 and it's only the middle of the story!
Back from the break - so when this computer also caused problems, I decided that it was time to stop with the Macbook Pro's and switch to plastic non-conductive Macbooks. As I didn't really need the power being offered, I decided this would be a good decision. Also I hadn't seen any reports of these computers having problems. So I decided this was a good decision. But hey, what do I know right?
I have now been through three macbooks and am on the fourth. Two of them had high heat and a clicking sound coming because a fan motor was getting stuck or something, one started scratching the CD's I put in and the third had an even worse symptom - it started drawing colored vertical lines on the screen when I started the computer. Hey don't get me wrong, I appreciate art, and this one was apparently original too as no one had programed it to do that, but I need my computer to also fetch my email you know. So with a sigh I had to go back to the store to return it and get it exchanged.
I am now sitting here with my latest Macbook - portable computer #8. I am extremely frightened about what may cause this to break and have turned the AC on high just so as to keep it cool. But this computer also is causing enough heat on the left part of the keyboard to feel discomfort. But I have resigned to the fact that this will be the mac I keep. However I will never refer anyone ever to a mac again.
I know this blog is going to get lost and people will begin to think that I am but one single case as the rest are happy. But I'd like to mention that I have had the experience of 8 laptops, er, portables and have been a mac fan for the longest time and that I run a software company, and that I am providing an educated, unbiased, opinion. I have exprienced the tech support people, some were nice some ridiculed me and blamed me for making their computers hot. Some managers told me not to go back to the store, some looked at the number of times I had exchanged computers and looked at me with accusing eyes and treated me like I was there to thieve from them. I have seen the improper accounting practices in these stores. I have seen the buying experience in five stores total and I have THEN formed an opinion. I don't think it gets any more thorough than this. Don't buy a Mac portable. The desktops are fine and the OS is something so cool it blows Windows away.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
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3 comments:
You should send this to Apple. And post it on other forums and blogs. Innovation and design cut the deal alone...
I meant, innovation and design DOESN'T cut the deal alone.
Hey it's kinda terrible that this happened, but hopefully Apple will get their act together (third party parts or not) and bring out computers that can actually be used. Ashu bought a iBook, which, ofcourse, is a G4 based computer, and probably the rest of the parts are also different from the ones used in the Intel based MacBooks, and she has had NO issues. I mean, you being an Apple fan and all, taking to the blogs to air your views, is quite disheartening, and hopefully, someone will do something about it.
But I already knew that Apple didn't make laptops - the iBook I bought a few years ago isn't exactly cool to the touch either. So, I don't know Steve, what's the deal here? How come your exacting, perfectionist nature didn't pick up on THIS?
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