Monday, April 12, 2010

I heart my MacBook, except ...

In August 2007, after having DOS and Windows computers for over 20 years, I bought a Mac. And I loved it.

Except when it broke. First time it went into the shop was a couple of months after I got it, when the White Screen Of Death appeared.

And, since August 2007, the MacBook has been in the shop 4 times.

This time, the trackpad was acting up. I thought it was the mouse. That new Magic Mouse. Which absolutely rocks, by the way. But it wasn't the mouse. Or the trackpad. Not exactly.

It was the battery. The battery was swollen, and that was pressing on the bottom of the trackpad, causing the problem.

The local Apple dealership, which is an Authorized Service Provider, fixed replaced the trackpad, but Apple said the battery isn't covered. I have no problem with the local Apple dealer. They've been great to work with over the last nearly three years. So, when I've had to take the Mac to the shop, they've been great. But I've had to take it to the shop 4 times.

The Applecare warranty has been very useful ... except for not covering the swollen battery ... and I'm glad I got it. But I've had to use it 4 times.

I like the screen on the Mac. But it's been in the shop 4 times.

I like the speed and ease of use of the Mac operating system. But it's been in the shop 4 times.

Things work so smoothly and easily on the Mac. When it's not in the shop, which is now 4 times.

I don't miss having to deal with constant security updates on Windows. I don't miss the complicated installation and removal process for Windows applications. I don't miss having to reboot because the operating system locked up.

But I do miss having a dependable computer.

5 comments:

  1. Dang, Basil, are you having trouble with that MacApple? How many times has it been in the shop?

    I usually replace laptops every couple of years, I have had the one I am using right now since October 2007. Zero crashes in 2.5 years, it has never locked up.

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  2. Damn... Paul beat me to it. Whatever you do, buy an external hard drive and back you shtuff up! Nothing as painful as realizing that everything that you had on your notebook/PC/MacApple is GONE.

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  3. Paul: I'm thinking about returning to the Windows fold when it's time to update.

    ClassicLiberal: I have everything backed up. I have an external drive running for quick local recovery, plus Carbonite for off-line.

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  4. Basil, how many times have you had to take that thing to the shop?

    And, only a moron would not have Carbonite. Unless Paul, or CL don't use it, then maybe I'm wrong.

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  5. In the last four years since we bought my Wonder Woman her Toshiba Laptop, it had to go in for repairs once. Toshiba replaced what was causing the issue (the whole darned motherboard), went ahead and gave her a new screen as well and had it back lickety-split. BSODs, and other problems? Never on that box. Since upgrading it to Win7 (which Toshiba said to NOT do, as it couldn't guarantee driver compatibility), it's been a sweet dream for her, even better than previously.

    On my main computer I have now relegated Linux and PCBSD to virtual machines, since Win7 was so reliable during the year I had the beta and then release candidate dual booting with Ubuntu on it (and Windows Media Center is finally all grown up and actually useful). Reboots for updates are rarer than with previous Windows OSes I've used. Very nice. The $30 upgrade price from M$ is gone, now, but I'm kinda glad it lured me from being the all-'nix shop I'd become.

    Next time you want a reliable computer with the rock solid dependability of BSD Unix and a slick interface, you might just get a good ASUS laptop and slap PCBSD on it (just about as slick as Win7), if you still want the security and stability of the Mac OS (BSD Unix with an Apple straitjacket slapped on top) but are willing to do without the Apple straitjacket.

    I like the "Magic Mouse" too, BTW. Used one again recently on a service call on a slick-looking 27" iMac. Works about as well as my nice M$ Wireless Mouse 5000. Not quite as functional, since it has to work with the Mac OS stuff and doesn't have five buttons ("swiping" and scrolling and suchlike? All in the software and multi-buttons for my M$ mouse). Nice that Apple finally emulates functions I've grown used to in Windows and 'nix environments for years.

    :-)

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