I just got a call from Curtis at Apple. He read my manifesto about my PowerBook’s numerous problems, and has been researching the issues I reported. He agrees that, since I can boot up a different machine with the same OS, software and files without suffering the same problems, it must be a hardware, not software, issue — specifically, either the hard drive or main logic board (which are two of the few components that haven’t already been replaced). So Apple is going to send me a box to ship my computer back to the repair center, whereupon they’ll replace those components, “whether or not they pass testing,” and send it back to me. And if that still doesn’t fix the issues, then they’ll consider replacing the whole machine.
In addition to proposing this highly amenable course of action, Curtis apologized for all the trouble I’ve had. “It just seems like it’s been one thing after another,” he said. Indeed it has — and it’s so nice to hear an Apple employee say that! I think I’m beginning to understand why Bill Clinton’s “I feel your pain” line, while corny, worked so well. :) It really makes you feel better when somebody at least acknowledges your hardship. Oh, and he also gave me his personal office number, which is great, because it means I won’t have to navigate the labyrinthine Apple phone system if I have a problem in the course of this repair. I can just call Curtis.
Suffice it to say, I am a much more satisfied Apple customer right now than I have been for the last several months.
Anyway, once I receive the box, I’ll have up to 30 days to send the computer in — so, since this computer remains functional (albeit with lots of frustrating issues), I’m probably going to wait until Hurricane Dean is done and my website is moved off the dedicated server before sending it in. Indeed, I’ll probably wait until just after Labor Day, when my job has started and I won’t have much free time for computer use anyway. I need my computer too much for the next two weeks to part with it, even for a few days. So yeah, Mother Nature, if you could arrange to have a handful of hurricane-free days in early September, I’d appreciate it. :)
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Categories: PowerBook Problems
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August 15th, 2007 at 3:45:17 pm
Looks like Apple picked a good day to decide to respond positively on a big ole Instalanchin’ Wednesday.
August 15th, 2007 at 5:15:42 pm
Brendan,
i’m happy you are happy, but isn’t there something wrong with a company that has taken “several months” to make you happy?
August 15th, 2007 at 6:09:37 pm
Good news since I took your advise and purchased my college bound daughter the mac. I just got the lojack software program and a lock for dorm security. Any experience with either of these devises.
August 15th, 2007 at 10:06:59 pm
Burkeman –
My experience is that she will lose the lock within a couple of weeks and will never figure out how to use the lojack. Additionally, in my experience, the biggest security threat will be that she and her roommates will never lock their dorm room door.
At ND, at least, laptop theft was *very* uncommon — in fact, I don’t believe that in the years I spent in the dorms I ever heard of anyone having a laptop stolen out of their room — or even off a desk or table on which they left it and walked away. Certainly I don’t know where your daughter is attending school; but the best protection against theft is to encourage her to lock her door. I couldn’t believe how many students would go home for the Christmas holiday and leave their rooms completely unlocked. Unbelievable.
If you’re really concerned, make sure your daughter sets up a way to save directly to a university server (at ND this was very simple) and take out renters insurance on the laptop. That way if she drops the computer or spills something on it (both significantly more likely to occur than a theft), she won’t lose any work and you’ll be able to replace it at fairly minimal expense.