I am still waiting for the shipping box, "'overnighted" on the 30th of April, to arrive so that I can return my broken MacBook to Apple... again. (Counting the couple of days that the little laptop spent at the Genius Bar less than a month after my purchase, this is the *third* time that the computer has been returned to Apple's custody for repair in under a year. So glad I bought the extended warranty.)
Anyway, here's what I've learned from the latest festival of incompetence.
(1) Apple doesn't know how to give DHL the information it needs to deliver shipping boxes to office addresses in New York City, and
(2) DHL doesn't know how to find massive buildings in Lower Manhattan by conventional, US Postal Service-compliant street addresses. (I got a call on my cell phone from DHL yesterday morning, asking for clarification about where "17 State Street" was. Um, it's the HUGE F***ING SKYSCRAPER RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY TERMINAL.)
Showing posts with label applecare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label applecare. Show all posts
03 May 2007
30 April 2007
The importance of good backups
The MacBook hard disk died this morning. Cold dead. Blinking question mark when I try to boot up.
After a quick diagnostic session with Apple Tech Support, in which we were able to boot from an external disk drive but completely unable to get the internal hard disk to be recognized, I am about to send in the MacBook for factory service for the second time in less than a year.
I am annoyed--very, very annoyed--but not stressed out about data loss. You see, I have a backup that is current as of Saturday morning.
Lessons learned:
(1) Never buy Rev 1 Apple hardware.
(2) Always buy AppleCare.
A lesson I learned painfully a long time ago: Always, always, always have a current backup of the data on your hard drive. The question is not whether your hard drive will fail, but when.
After a quick diagnostic session with Apple Tech Support, in which we were able to boot from an external disk drive but completely unable to get the internal hard disk to be recognized, I am about to send in the MacBook for factory service for the second time in less than a year.
I am annoyed--very, very annoyed--but not stressed out about data loss. You see, I have a backup that is current as of Saturday morning.
Lessons learned:
(1) Never buy Rev 1 Apple hardware.
(2) Always buy AppleCare.
A lesson I learned painfully a long time ago: Always, always, always have a current backup of the data on your hard drive. The question is not whether your hard drive will fail, but when.
11 January 2007
Why I recommend Applecare...
...to anyone who purchases an Apple product of any kind.
Saturday, January 6: I call Apple Tech Support and tell them that the plastic around my MacBook's keyboard is discolored and cracking. They authorize an immediate repair.
Monday, January 8: DHL delivers a protective shipping box direct to my door. I package up the MacBook per the directions and peel off the shipping label to reveal a correctly addressed priority overnight label.
Tuesday, January 9: Carrie drops off the packaged-up MacBook at a DHL pickup point.
Wednesday, January 10: Apple technicians perform the necessary repairs *and* get the MacBook back into the DHL system, same-day. DHL records indicate that the computer is in Apple's actual possession for less than 12 hours.
Thursday, January 11: A perfectly repaired MacBook in working order arrives at our door.
Elapsed time from initial phone call (on a Saturday!) until a repaired computer is back in my hands, five calendar days.
Service: Insanely great.
Charge: $0.00.
Saturday, January 6: I call Apple Tech Support and tell them that the plastic around my MacBook's keyboard is discolored and cracking. They authorize an immediate repair.
Monday, January 8: DHL delivers a protective shipping box direct to my door. I package up the MacBook per the directions and peel off the shipping label to reveal a correctly addressed priority overnight label.
Tuesday, January 9: Carrie drops off the packaged-up MacBook at a DHL pickup point.
Wednesday, January 10: Apple technicians perform the necessary repairs *and* get the MacBook back into the DHL system, same-day. DHL records indicate that the computer is in Apple's actual possession for less than 12 hours.
Thursday, January 11: A perfectly repaired MacBook in working order arrives at our door.
Elapsed time from initial phone call (on a Saturday!) until a repaired computer is back in my hands, five calendar days.
Service: Insanely great.
Charge: $0.00.
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