Recent articles in tech (page 3 of 9)

1. Jun 18, 2009 An Open Letter to the Microsoft Partner Program

   I continue to be amazed by how horrible a job your web team does. Why would we ever take marketing advice from Microsoft?

2. Mar 19, 2008 Streetwise Will Throw Away Your Mac’s Serial Number

   Over the past week, I have decided once and for all to keep my computer out of the hands of Streetwise, a popular Apple retailer here in Melbourne. I have previously written about Streetwise, an Apple Authorised Service Centre, and its policy of holding onto computers while they wait days for replacement parts to arrive so that they can maintain a high Apple Service Rating.

   
   That original post came about when I had to get the palm rest of my MacBook replaced under warranty, and in the past week another shocking outcome of that repair has come to light: when the Streetwise technician replaced my palm rest, he did not transfer my MacBook’s serial number sticker (which is attached to the underside of the palm rest—inside the battery compartment). When I contacted Streetwise about this last week, service manager Jedda Wignall was appropriately contrite. “It is incredibly unfortunate that you have been hit with this inconvenience, as could have been put in a precarious situation as a result,” he wrote (sic.). “The technician who performed the work is no longer with the company, and I would like to think that this situation would not arise again.”

3. Feb 2, 2008 Apple Service Rating Update

   For those who’ve asked, here’s an update on the situation with Streetwise and the Apple Service Rating that I wrote about in my last post. Streetwise replied almost immediately to my email complaint:

   Hi Kevin, I'm not sure why the technician on Saturday would have told you that - perhaps there was some sort of misunderstanding.
   I do apologise if you felt that was inappropriate in anyway.
   I can confirm that the part to be fitted would not be an issue and you can use your machine normally while we wait for the part.
   As the technician is not in today - I will discuss the matter with him when I see him and to see if we can resolve this one way or another.
   We will attempt to call or leave a message when the part actually comes in. Do you wish me to order the part for you? Best Wishes,
   Gary Chee
   Service & Returns Manager

   Quite the reversal. I asked Streetwise to go ahead and order the part. Two days later:

   Hi Kevin, The top case has arrived today. Could you please drop off your Macbook so we can install it for you?
   Please allow us at least half a day turn around time to sort it out for you. Thanks,
   Gary

   Still no explanation for the original incident, you’ll note. I queried this in my reply:

   Thanks. Will do! Has any explanation for the original mixup been forthcoming? --
   Kevin Yank
   http://kevinyank.com/

   Streetwise’s reply was about as vague as can be, but reading between the lines I believe my complaint was taken to heart:

   No worries Kevin - I've spoken to the tech and he said there was a small mixup - but I hope that's been cleared up. Cheers,
   Gary

   The repair was completed the same day I dropped off the computer. In total, I was without my MacBook for about four hours. Not bad at all! The next day, I received an automated email from Apple requesting my feedback on the support experience I had had with Streetwise. As you can imagine, I was very forthcoming, and ticked the box that said ‘You may contact me for more information about my experience’. Two months later, I have not heard from Apple on the matter.

4. Nov 17, 2007 Apple Service Rating Harms Customer Service

   Streetwise is my local Apple retailer. It's where I bought my MacBook laptop and my Epson printer, and it's where I was planning to buy a lot of other computery things in the near future. Unfortunately, my MacBook is in need of a little in-warranty TLC (a crack has a developed in the casing, a common defect). So today I dropped by Streetwise, an Authorised Apple Service Centre, to get it looked after. I discovered that, in an effort to gain the highest possible "service rating" from Apple, Streetwise has decided to make it really inconvenient to get a minor problem with your MacBook fixed. I therefore walked right back out with my cracked MacBook in hand.

5. Oct 29, 2007 Workaround: Mac OS X Leopard Docked Folder Icon Madness

   My copy of the newly-released Mac OS X Leopard arrived on my desk on launch day before I even got to work. I resisted installing it until I could update my system back-up that night, but at this point I've been using the new operating system for a full 48 hours. Aside from a couple of apps needing updates, the upgrade has been a blissfully uneventful experience. Thanks to the pervasive tweaks to the user experience in Leopard, using my Mac is a more uniformly pleasant experience … with one major exception: the display of docked folders (now called "Stacks"). Thankfully, I've found a work-around.