I Will Never Buy a Nike Product Again

How I became a Mac

For most of my life I have been a PC guy.  Then along came Vista.  My married woman was in the market for a laptop, and on the PC side all I could detect were Vista systems.  I had been working with the Vista beta for nigh a twelvemonth and half before it came out, so I already knew what a turd it was. It was a huge resources pig (of all resources: RAM, disk, CPU cycles), and in fact up until and so, the history of Microsoft Bone's has been that each one uses geometrically more resources than the version previously.  If you lot ran Win98 on a modern machine, it would be blazingly fast (there are numerous reasons why we don't, importantly that Microsoft stopped back up of it and you can't get drivers for modern hardware; another reason is security of the kernel).  The cost of ownership would exist loftier because of the extra memory, disk, and beefier CPU you needed to run it at a level of expectation required.  Vista also had new and complex driver models, and getting back up for old peripherals would exist next to impossible.  Aero was also non battery friendly, and would guarantee fast drain of any laptop it was enabled on.  And all versions of Windows were renown for their snail irksome offset up, shut down, standby, and resume from standby times; not practiced for a laptop.  In short, Vista was a showstopper.

After meticulous inquiry, I decided that the best laptop to go would exist a Macbook.  This was not a popular decision with my wife, who would be the principal user of this auto.  She was also a PC person, and had very specific requirements for software.  After much cajoling, I managed to convince her that this was the right decision (and it still is in retrospect), and we would install Parallels to run whatever Windows software that she need to run.  So in late 2007, we got i.

For most of our buying, we were very happy with our purchase.  It started upwardly fast, went to standby fast, and seemed to run more or less smoothly.  We had to learn a new UI, but and then what, we are fast learners.  I was a strong mac abet at that time.  We had some minor glitches along the way, but that is expected of whatever computer system.

• There was a bug in the Os that prevented my Canon photographic camera software from working properly.  As a result, whatever kind of fourth dimension lapse sequence would fail and crash after nearly 50 or 100 frames.  I tried to get it working for several OS updates, but somewhen gave upwardly and never did get information technology working.  I wound up ownership a cheap $20 intervalometer every bit my solution.
• Information technology would not play whatever video format except for Quicktime (which is crap considering it is poorly optimized and often has poor scalability (depending on codec)).  Hunted effectually, found VLC actor to play other things.
• It would intermittently connect with other computers in our domicile network.  Sometimes information technology could see those other PC's, sometimes information technology couldn't.  Never did figure this out.  When it could connect, the mac could read/write to those systems, but not vice versa.  Probably some congenital in software limitation.
• Safari was crap (just so again so is IE), couldn't look to download Firefox and afterwards Chrome.
• The wifi forcefulness indicator did not correlate well to the actual strength and connection speed.  It was nearly always at total bars, even when plain slow and dropping packets.
• Over time it got slower and slower, just like Windows (the updates proceed making the Bone bigger and bigger until you run out of memory)
• The plastic instance is not durable.  The height example is chipped from just the article of clothing of putting the palms of our hands at that place.  Non what I would expect from a quality manufacturer.
• Somewhere along the way, the optical drive stopped functioning.  Non that big a deal since I don't watch DVD'south on it and I can always transfer stuff over via USB key.
• Non long after nosotros got information technology, we noticed that sometimes the battery would not charge, and the green light would not continue on the AC adapter.  If we tried to reconnect the magsafe connector, then the light-green light would somewhen come on.  Over time, our reconnect tries kept on going upward, so that now information technology takes 10 or 20 tries before the light-green light comes on and we know the bombardment is charging.

Simply all of this is picking nits compared to

The Problem

For most the past year, it became progressively harder to press the trackpad push.  For the past few months, the trackpad itself was very difficult to control and position the mouse cursor.  I finally got fed upwardly and decided to fix it, so I took the whole thing apart to run across what the trouble was.  I noticed that the trackpad was permanently fastened to the upper casing with keyboard, so removing it to supersede or repair was going to be hard to impossible.  Then I cleaned the area between the top push and the clicker as best I could, it seemed to exist clicking fine, cleared out all the grit in the mobo area to prevent future thermal problems, and put the whole thing back together.  The concluding pace was to lock the battery back in, and I noticed that it would not go back in without considerable force.  Aha, went the calorie-free bulb, the battery had deformed and was jutting in the center, pressing confronting the trackpad and impairing its function.  I plugged information technology in without the battery and verified that this was indeed the problem.  Other than the charging problem, the bombardment was too getting very hot during apply, merely was still able to retain a 2 hour charge (which is only a little less than when we got it new).

So I googled the problem and found literally hundreds of posts on various forums describing the aforementioned problem.  Here's a few:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2247869?start=0&tstart=0

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=732142

http://www.cultofmac.com/apple-service-rep-bloated-macbook-battery-%E2%80%9Cnormal%E2%lxxx%9D/77201

http://www.cnet.com.au/macbook-pro-battery-burl-time-for-a-recall-240063900.htm

http://chrismeller.com/2011/05/bulging-macbook-pro-battery

http://macbookbatteryproblem.com/

Reading a agglomeration of these posts, at that place are 2 problems that get apparent to me as an engineer.

1. They purchase cheap batteries that take a tendency to leak and explode.  Their solution is to seal the battery so information technology doesn't spray caustic chemicals all over the place when it does expand or explode, and so go the customer to buy a new bombardment for more turn a profit (FYI, their warranty does not cover batteries).  There is no incentive for them to fix this problem because being a greedy bastard is more than important to them than doing the right thing.  And think of how environmentally unfriendly it is to consume all those extra batteries that yous would not usually buy for any other computer.
2. There is a blueprint flaw where they do non permit plenty jerk room inside the battery compartment to let for expansion of the battery.  It then presses against the topcase and causes other impairments.  Macbooks and Macbook Pros are the just computers where the problem is widespread.  Google "jutting battery" and the vast majority of hits will all be Apple related.  Every bit far every bit I know this blueprint problem nonetheless exists in current models.  In my life as an engineer, I've dealt with hundreds of different laptops and never heard of anything like this.

Reading online, in many cases, the resolution was to bring in the macbook to an Apple store and they would replace the battery costless of accuse, even if out of warranty.  At that place were even some cases where the customer has replaced the bombardment on an annual footing.  Then that's what I would practise, find an Apple store and my problems would be solved (not!)

The Client Service

Apparently lots of people accept bug with Apple tree products because there was a line of people to get to the "(disin)genius" bar.  The shop was crowded, simply half the people in there were there for customer support.  A 20 minute wait wasn't also bad, so we waited.  People showing up shortly after me were being denied and being booked for the next solar day.  We first spoke to Robyn, who was very nice and said that she couldn't give u.s.a. a replacement battery because information technology was out of warranty, we would have to purchase one for $120.  Umm, no let's speak to her manager.  She sent Jesse (who I believe was a squad lead and not an actual director).  At first Jesse just repeated what Robyn said.  Just what about all the people who got free replacements, what about the hundreds of posts of people with the same problem?  Then came lots of repetition about how we were out of warranty and we would accept to buy a battery for the next 2 hours .  And so here are some highlights about what he said.

The right things that Jesse said:

• He was calm and generally polite, no matter how belligerent I became
• He somewhen offered united states half off the retail cost (downwards to $60), then one-half off of their cost ($51).  Out of principle, I refused.  This is obviously a design trouble, I should not have to buy batteries on a recurring ground to fix a pattern fault.  Later, I looked upwardly how much a new aftermarket bombardment would exist, and the answer is $xxx on Amazon.com and $l on Amazon.ca

The incorrect things that he said:

• He said that he was surprised to hear about these battery problems and information technology was the first he had heard of it.  Bullshit!  While we were in the shop, there were 2 other people with macbook pregnant battery issues (but not making a fuss, like sheep to the slaughter and believing everything they were told).  I told him that at that place is a reckoner right in that location and he could google information technology himself and find hundreds of complaints.  He did non.  When I mentioned the term "pregnant bombardment" to Robyn and the previous guy who booked my appointment, they knew exactly what I meant and no further clarifications were required (it is the term that Apple seems to use for this problem that I learned while reading almost information technology online).
• He kept on repeating how they did not encompass consumable items, like the battery.  No, I said, the battery is nonetheless working electrically, the trouble is a design flaw which impairs the functioning of the computer and also involves the bombardment.  Replacing the battery is a workaround to the actual design problem.
• He said it was normal for a battery to bulge over fourth dimension.  If that'southward normal and Apple freely admits that they know about this, then that's an admission there wasn't enough wiggle room in the design, right?
• He was often passively patronizing.  Come up on dude, even though near of your customers are calculator challenged, my hindbrain (my ass) knows more virtually computers than you will ever know.  And I go on telling you that I googled this trouble before I came over.  There is a civilisation of arrogance at Apple that comes directly from the tiptop.
• He said that he believed we were "exploiting the situation", basically calling usa liars.  Admittedly not.  This is clearly a pattern fault that has affect thousands of people.  We volition not give Apple a unmarried penny to resolve an damage that is clearly their fault which they are clearly trying to deny.  Its the principle, money is not the upshot here.  And and then far all the lying seems to exist coming from his side.
• He kept on repeating that information technology is Apple'south policy to not replace batteries out of warranty, but he would not get on the record with that statement.  He would not write information technology downwards, and he refused to be video'ed saying it.  Simply he had no problem vocalizing that statement every few minutes.
• I expressed my consternation that at that place is a condom issue and it might explode or catch burn down.  He proclaimed that it was normal to bulge and perfectly safe.  He would non continue the tape with that statement.

So basically we walked out of the store with cipher but frustration.  Our macbook is at present a heated paperweight, and we volition never purchase another Apple product again.  And on a side note, for the 2 hours that we were at that place, we noticed a *lot* of people coming in to complain well-nigh the batteries on their iPhones.

So that iPad that my wife was going to get for her mother's birthday?  Not going to happen.

That iMac that nosotros were going to get for software development?  Non going to happen.

Windows 7 has rectified well-nigh of the shortcomings of Vista, so…. I am a PC.

The Work Order

In gild to properly document my feel, I requested in writing everything that was said.  They took over an hour to craft this, so I'thousand sure they were on the telephone with caput office to make sure what they were allowed to say.  This document is more revealing in what they don't say equally much every bit what they practice.

• They state that I expressed prophylactic concerns.  I certainly did!  They verbally stated that a jutting bombardment is normal and completely safe, only conveniently omit their response.
• They state that my bombardment was out of warranty so they would non exist replacing it.  This is what they did.  They verbally said that it was Apple's policy to not supercede batteries out of warranty.  This is their policy.  When I asked them to put their policy in writing, they refused.  All I wanted was to be treated fairly similar anybody else, which is why I asked for the policy statement in the offset place.  I took this to implicitly mean that I was not being treated fairly and uniformly.  In fact, they also country that this is treated on a case by case ground, then obviously my case wasn't as practiced as other people with the identical problem every bit I constitute online.
• When asked to revise some of their statements beneath, they refused and basically said we were washed.

Other Reasons to Not Buy Apple Products

Apple tree products seem to be all about the things y'all aren't allowed to do.  If you want to do something that a mac can't practise, Steve Jobs will come over to your house and call y'all an idiot.  Unfortunately, deprecating those who accept not drunk the Kool Assist seems to be the mantra of the true believers.  Cultish indeed.

• Bluray is non supported on any Apple product.  You lot can't play a BD, you can't burn a BD data disc.  Period.  Publicly they say that they are waiting for Bluray to become an established standard.  What kind of idiot do you think we are?  Privately, its to avoid cannibalization of their iTunes product.  Nonetheless, iTunes movies are optimized for small playback devices and look similar crap on a big screen Idiot box, and leave the user with no options for loftier quality video.  The biggest resolution of AppleTV is just 720p.  http://www.zdnet.com/weblog/apple tree/apples-blu-ray-fiasco-the-itunes-disharmonize/5928
• Flash is not supported on iPhones.  Aforementioned protectionism as in a higher place: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/11/adobe-wink-on/
• iPad does not support flash and does not have whatever USB ports.
• iPods do not have replaceable batteries and they only final 18 months (outside of warranty)
• iPhone has many anecdotal bug.  Other than the well publicized antenna problems, many of my iPhone owning friends have told me not to go one, for reasons such every bit:  microphone keeps breaking, dropped calls, authentication problems.  And now we take a new anecdotal problem: bad batteries.  A few weeks ago, I purchased an Android phone and couldn't exist more pleased with the buy (HTC Wildfire S, which is far from state of the fine art).  My wife got a Samsung Galaxy S2, which is state of the art, and it blows the iPhone out of the h2o in and so many ways.
• Simply Quicktime is supported natively for video.  Equally previously stated, QT is poorly optimized.  Most codecs bachelor for QT do not scale well, then if your internet connectedness is non fast enough, or your CPU tin can't proceed upwardly with a high quality decode, then it doesn't know how to scale back the quality so it plays reasonably.  It's ofttimes all or cipher.  Sentinel whatsoever high quality streaming or downloaded video on a Windows PC and the experience is much better.
• My dislike of FCP7 is well documented.  Bottomless resampling, forced transcoding to Quicktime, bugs bugs bugs, the list goes on.  I should update that weblog mail because I thought of more reasons to avoid it now.
• FCPX is one of the most poorly reviewed pieces of software out of Apple ever.  Some other case of Apple tree telling the client what he or she wants instead of listening.
• Their client service has had some high profile bad press lately.  Such every bit denying that viruses existed on macs whenever a customer would call Apple tree customer support complaining of a virus on their computer.  http://answerguy.com/2011/05/20/customer-service-apple-evil-computer-virus/
• Apple is a nifty, manifestly and simple.  All internet media volition cost more to the consumer as they apply their media tax.  http://manufactures.latimes.com/2011/feb/xvi/business concern/la-fi-apple-publishing-20110217

And for your viewing enjoyment:

My recommendation

1. If they won't replace the bombardment for free, exist prepared to spend all day there to argue and use up all their fourth dimension.  Make them pay for it ane mode or another.  If enough people do this, information technology volition become more cost constructive to give you the battery.
2. Don't buy Apple tree products unless they get their human action together, of which there are no signs of this happening.  They need to ready the pattern effect, practise a production retrieve, finish lying, don't treat their customers like idiots, and put guarantees on the battery.
3. If you lot are tempted to buy an Apple product, practise yourself a favour and hang out at the "genius" bar for a while and eavesdrop on the issues that people are having with those products.

Stay tuned for more updates as I recall more of the chat.  Trolls and truthful believers, don't bother commenting because I won't approve information technology.

georgegunfoop.blogspot.com

Source: https://slumbuddy.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/i-will-never-buy-another-apple-product-again-or-how-i-was-a-pc-then-a-mac-then-back-to-a-pc/

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