That's it: time to replace the old laptop

[Jake]

My netgear router is less than a year old and supports "n" technology. I'm still configuring the airport a few times a day, despite having reset just about everything on this macbook (standard) with the help of the Apple care folks.

I probably would've taken this thing back where I bought it if it wasn't 75 miles away. I haven't felt like it because I know they won't give me my money back or replace it - they'll want to try to fix it, meaning days/weeks with no computer and another 150 mile trek to pick it up. Fuck it, I'll buy a PC laptop and sell this to the highest bidder rather than play that game. Either your shit works, or it doesn't.

Just about 15 minutes ago I was bouncing around this site and it completely froze loading a page. Nothing would get if out of it so I finally had to resort to the hard shutdown.

Still not very impressed with this thing...although the Garageband is cute. :ohwell:

 

[Jake]

After battling with my overpriced piece of shit this evening I thought I'd give an update on how I feel about my Macbook. I've gotten accustomed to having to run my utilities 2-3 times a day, rebooting the router and I'm on my 3rd different browser. I stopped calling Applecare awhile back because they ran out of ideas, but the only "solution" they have at the store is that I leave it with them and they'll get back to me.

Fuck it, I'll just pick up a $400 Dell never waste my money on another Apple before I fuck around going to Cleveland and back on the chance that maybe they'll fix this thing.

Apple...not worth the extra money in my eyes. You still have problems, they're just different problems, and you pay a lot more for the privilege.

 

[SparkyOSU]

After battling with my overpriced piece of shit this evening I thought I'd give an update on how I feel about my Macbook. I've gotten accustomed to having to run my utilities 2-3 times a day, rebooting the router and I'm on my 3rd different browser. I stopped calling Applecare awhile back because they ran out of ideas, but the only "solution" they have at the store is that I leave it with them and they'll get back to me.

Fuck it, I'll just pick up a $400 Dell never waste my money on another Apple before I fuck around going to Cleveland and back on the chance that maybe they'll fix this thing.

Apple...not worth the extra money in my eyes. You still have problems, they're just different problems, and you pay a lot more for the privilege.

Amen brother. Just because apple is twice the price doesnt mean you get half the problems... there is still conflicts, meltdowns, tail chasing and whatnot. It SHOULD be easier to fix with all the "standardizing" that apple does to its software and periphials... but now with the intel inside movement, I see conflicts getting worse...

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

Found this thread looking for advice on a new laptop. The timeline of Jake's posts is awesome.

My Compaq is over 5 years old and the last few months have been one issue after another. I had to fire up the old PC - it originally came with the dreaded Millenium Edition - just to make this post. The damn laptop's video has gone completely haywire - flashing wildly before going away altogether. I did all the trouble shooting steps, changed resolution, reduced refresh speed, you name it - nothing helps. I have no interest in pouring any more money down that drain.

I've been thinking about a Macbook for about a year but I'm not sure if I should make the leap, or just get a newer Windows based laptop.

Any suggestions? Recommendations?

Thanks for the feedback.

I took the opportunity at my weekly IT staff meeting to ask my crew what they thought of my options. (I supervise them but their technical expertise exceeds my own). They thought I should go Mac, for a number of reasons, particularly given the state of Vista at this time. Having lived through the Millenium Edition mess personally I'm receptive to that kind of feedback.

I'm going to shop around but I'm definitely more open to Mac than I've ever been in the past.

Made a run up to the Apple Store in the Cleveland area today and purchased my new Macbook. Just took it out of the box about 30 minutes ago.

Gotta admit, so far I'm a bit frustrated with my purchase. Once simple tasks have become needlessly complicated. I'm told I need plug-ins for various things, am given a link, but when I go there it becomes an easter egg hunt trying to find it.

I'd call Apple support but they're "closed" at this hour. Their hours aren't much different than my work hours so they haven't been of any help to me yet.

The potential is there, but I'm wondering how long it will take to get this thing to a point where I can fully utilize it.

Replaced my Netgear with an Airport yesterday and the internet performance is noticeably better. For a hundred bucks, it should be. Also found some of the plug-ins.

Any Apple users running Saft, btw?

Still getting used to things but less frustrated because it's actually responding now. Nothing drives me nuts on my computer like watching a webpage take forever to load, given the investment I've made into high speed, hardware, etc.. :hatepc:

If the OS was my only frustration I'd be happy - I'll figure out the OS.

What really bugs me is that simply surfing the internet has become a chore. Every day is an adventure. One minute I'm connected, the next minute we're configuring the Airport as if we just took the damn thing out of the box.

I only use it in the evening when I'm home, and it's 2-3 times a night. The browser stops working, and it's time to go through the Airport Utility to configure my router. I think I reconfigured my Netgear router on my PC twice in 5 years.

I'm sure I could make some really cool videos on this thing, but my first priority with any computer is the internet. My 10 days with Apple have flat out sucked in that regard, and I've spent almost 2 grand for the pleasure.

The bright side? I see why Apple doesn't have problems with viruses. You have to actually be connected to the internet to get a virus. :ohwell:

I agree, the make of the router shouldn't matter but I tried to make it as easy as possible for the computer.

Anyway, just finished my daily chat with the Apple Care folks. Nice guys, I think we'll be spending the holidays together seeing as how often we've spoken the last two weeks. We reset pretty much everything in the Macbook, since by process of elimination the problem resides within. Things are working okay now, but it's too soon to tell if we're good for the long term.

I have to admit I don't have much patience with new, expensive devices that don't work consistently. If the problem persists I'll be looking to unload this for whatever I can get and move on...life is too short to spend my weeknights as an unpaid computer technician.

Time will tell...

My netgear router is less than a year old and supports "n" technology. I'm still configuring the airport a few times a day, despite having reset just about everything on this macbook (standard) with the help of the Apple care folks.

I probably would've taken this thing back where I bought it if it wasn't 75 miles away. I haven't felt like it because I know they won't give me my money back or replace it - they'll want to try to fix it, meaning days/weeks with no computer and another 150 mile trek to pick it up. Fuck it, I'll buy a PC laptop and sell this to the highest bidder rather than play that game. Either your shit works, or it doesn't.

Just about 15 minutes ago I was bouncing around this site and it completely froze loading a page. Nothing would get if out of it so I finally had to resort to the hard shutdown.

Still not very impressed with this thing...although the Garageband is cute. :ohwell:

After battling with my overpriced piece of shit this evening I thought I'd give an update on how I feel about my Macbook. I've gotten accustomed to having to run my utilities 2-3 times a day, rebooting the router and I'm on my 3rd different browser. I stopped calling Applecare awhile back because they ran out of ideas, but the only "solution" they have at the store is that I leave it with them and they'll get back to me.

Fuck it, I'll just pick up a $400 Dell never waste my money on another Apple before I fuck around going to Cleveland and back on the chance that maybe they'll fix this thing.

Apple...not worth the extra money in my eyes. You still have problems, they're just different problems, and you pay a lot more for the privilege.

 

[scarletandgrey]

Testing 1.2.3.....what a better way to break in a new notebook than posting on BP.

Thanks to Jakes rant there about the Crapbook...I went and bought a new Dell. I do have to say though Dell fucking sucks at customer service (just ask Clarity) I ordered this thing on 12/9 and just got it today.

But I got it out of the box set-up a new wireless network and there you have it. It does run Vista which is new to me, I hope the problems are mostly fixed by now..wait this is MS we're talking about...:ohwell:

 

[Dryden]

Testing 1.2.3.....what a better way to break in a new notebook than posting on BP.

Thanks to Jakes rant there about the Crapbook...I went and bought a new Dell. I do have to say though Dell fucking sucks at customer service (just ask Clarity) I ordered this thing on 12/9 and just got it today.

But I got it out of the box set-up a new wireless network and there you have it. It does run Vista which is new to me, I hope the problems are mostly fixed by now..wait this is MS we're talking about...:ohwell:

Sure ... the problems are fixed!

It's called Windows 7! Go download the beta from Microsoft's site.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

OK.. so I finally break down and order a new laptop... delivered end of last week... but I haven't migrated everything over from old laptop...

I go to migrate more this morning... and the old laptop says "screw you" and won't boot...

 

[scarletandgrey]

Sure ... the problems are fixed!

It's called Windows 7! Go download the beta from Microsoft's site.

I'm skeptical to download it...given the history of new windows programs I'm sure it'll have a few problems. Also with this laptop being brand new I'm going to give Vista a shot

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

Anyone tell me how to alter the setting to prevent a hovering pointer from automatically causing a launch?

I suck with the mouse control on the laptop... and it drives me nuts when I can't move the cursor with this dang thing... and things start launching because the pointer is hovering over some hyper-something-or-other

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

Any thoughts on the idea of a refurbished Dell Inspiron? They seem to be markedly cheaper and dealnews has a code right now that takes an additional 20% off.

I've read a couple articles, but I'm still a a bit wary. Is buying refurbished a really bad idea?

 

[cincibuck]

I too made the switch to Mac when my Toshiba started having issues...
The change isn't as easy as Mac World will tell you. Some things, like deleting in either direction, are natural to Windows users, but once you go Mac you have to remember that it always deletes right to left, you have to hit fn + delete to go the other direction. Parallels program makes it very easy to run aything you have from Windows on a Mac.

All in all I like the Mac, but expect some transitioning and expect to pay a bit more.

Oh, and Vista, like Michigan, sucks.

 

[Dryden]

Any thoughts on the idea of a refurbished Dell Inspiron? They seem to be markedly cheaper and dealnews has a code right now that takes an additional 20% off.

I've read a couple articles, but I'm still a a bit wary. Is buying refurbished a really bad idea?

Depends on who "refurbished" it. These days the word refurbished is thrown around to mean "reformatted back to factory default by my technically proficient 11-year old." Very rarely does it mean, "factory reconditioned and recertified."

If it's direct from Dell, I'd say it's a good buy. If it winds up being a 2nd or 3rd party reseller, run away.

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

Depends on who "refurbished" it. These days the word refurbished is thrown around to mean "reformatted back to factory default by my technically proficient 11-year old." Very rarely does it mean, "factory reconditioned and recertified."

If it's direct from Dell, I'd say it's a good buy. If it winds up being a 2nd or 3rd party reseller, run away.

Ah, it would be ordered directly through the Dell Outlet site.

 

[Dryden]

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard | The Onion - America's Finest News Source