niflheim

So my Macbook Pro has been developing “issues”.  In the midst of some very important work, everything started to run slower until the system was effectively locked up.  Even with a reboot, one could not actually launch applications.

ssh worked, so I was able to copy everything I needed from the machine, but the laptop itself was, in short, hosed.  As it is absolutely vital to work, that posed certain difficulties.

So I drive the hour or so to the nearest Apple Store.  I need service.  They’re it.  What could possibly go wrong?

Glad you asked!  They refuse to talk to me, look at the laptop, or take the laptop from me for later service without an appointment.  I, of course, do not have an appointment.  They, of course, are fresh out of appointments and I will have to come back another day.

Wow.  Just…  Wow.

3 hours of my day gone because I didn’t have one of the precious 15 minute appointments with the Apple Genius who will certainly be unable to determine the problem and will take the laptop from me in order to ship it to someone who can.

If I needed any other reasons to stop using Apple products, and I most assuredly did not need additional reasons to stop using Apple products, this sealed the deal.

Folks at work suggested I call AppleCare directly.  They’ll send me a box/mailer and I won’t have to lose 3 hours of my day hearing about appointments I don’t have.  So, what the heck.  Sounds great to me.

Of course, the laptop is fully functional while I’m on the phone, the hardware tests report no failures while I’m on the phone, the tech won’t simply send me the mailer so they can examine the thing in person because he has to spend an hour with me on the phone…

…and in the middle of it all, he hangs up on me.

No doubt an accident, but I haven’t received a phone call or an email from anyone hoping to resume that conversation, nor will I receive one, and I surely am not going to call them and start the Tech Support for Macbook Pro script all over again.

Thanks Steve.  Real winner, here.  Glad I sold AAPL.