29 July, 2008 | Leave a Comment
So I bought a new MacBook last week. I was very excited…until the next day, when it started malfunctioning. I would put it to sleep and sometimes it wouldn’t wake up. I couldn’t even get it to turn back on unless I held down the start button for about ten seconds or more and then it lurched and sputtered to life. The computer would behave as if it had crashed and would completely restart. Whatever I had on the desktop was gone. Not only that, but some of the things I had been working on had disappeared…erased…vanished forever into the abyss.
I called tech support and this very sweet Indian guy walked me through all sorts of things, involving unplugging the computer, removing the battery, restarting it, pressing down four keys at once, erasing files, etc. At one point we deleted what I considered to be a rather important system file. The guy told me not to worry, that the Mac would “regenerate” it. I asked him how it was possible for the computer to recreate by itself a file that was damaged and deleted, but he said “that’s the magic of a Mac.” The scary thing is that I think he meant “magic” literally. Creepy.
So after the call with the tech guy (who wasn’t really a tech guy, but just a dude reading out of a manual — by the way, he sounded completely panic-stricken, as if he were a 911 operator and I was bleeding to death) so after I talked to him, the computer worked for a while, then started malfunctioning again. So the next day, I just put the effing thing back in the box and pulled out my Dell. And it stayed in the box all weekend and yesterday.
I planned to return it to the Apple Store today to demand a brand new one. I don’t want it serviced, I want a new one. I erased all the files I had on it, everything I had painstakingly downloaded, etc. And then I waited for the laptop to malfunction again so I could return it to the store in that state. Otherwise, why would they believe me when I tell them it’s not working? So you can probably guess where I’m going with this. The stupid computer won’t malfunction on command. All day I’ve been putting it to sleep and it’s been waking up just fine. I mean, what’s going on? Has it spontaneously healed itself using its magical powers?
Tomorrow it goes back to the shop.
Anglofille said @ 3:47 pm | blogging + technology |
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I agree. It’s a story of confidence. And once the confidence is gone, you cannot really work with these sort of machine.
I am hungry of the end of of your adventures in the Applestoreland !
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I will let you know what happens, Aldor! You’re right about losing confidence. I fear this machine will always have problems and I’ll never trust it, so I need a new computer.
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Anita Says:
July 30th, 2008 at 1:40 amI’ve returned things to Apple with no problem. They just take it and give you a new one. I’ll be surprised if your experience isn’t similar.
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Greig Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 6:18 amIf its new, it has to be darn perfect, would you drive a new car if it was a bit choosey about what parts worked? Bring it back.
