Here are a few excerpts from it describing experiences at the Apple Store::
Yes, this does sound like a scenario I encountered years ago when dealing with older versions of Microsoft DOS and Windows. I do wonder.. as Apple gets bigger.. albeit insignificant in the computer world compared to MS Gates.. will Apple lose some of its hipness and coolness as they are forced to deal with the public more? Will episodes like the one with the faulty reception on the new iPhone 4 change the perception that many have of Apple. Will Apple become the new Microsoft? Time will tell. What do you think?Once we got our Genius at the Apple store he ran their canned diagnostics on the phone, told her there was nothing wrong, and that the problem, if there was one, must be due to a bad application.
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Somewhat incredulously I joking replied “it’s the old Windows repair solution; wipe the OS and reinstall everything from scratch.” In return I got a blank look and the comment “Just reset everything to the factory defaults.” Apparently the irony of the recommended solution was lost on our Genius.
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Now I don’t know how many of you have 19 year old daughters (or are the 19 year old daughter) but my daughter runs her life on her iPhone. She has dozens, if not hundreds, of contacts stored on her phone,so re-entering all that data would not be a trivial task, nor does she have a hard copy backup of all that contact information, so she would have had to get all the data off the phone before she could begin the recommended process to repair it. So this was looking to be a daunting task for her and she was less than amused.
It's blasphemy to even ask the question, Bob.
ReplyDeleteAs long as Apple remembers its heritage, I don't think they'll become the new Microsoft. One major difference is that Apple is not the dominant player in most of the markets they are in. Microsoft held/holds a virtual monopoly on desktop operating systems, office software and browsers. Apple doesn't have that stranglehold on any of their markets. Of course, as they grow, they will have trouble keeping up that "Apple experience". The Apple stores will struggle to find quality employees. I've had nothing but great experiences at the Apple store, except it's so crowded these days.
@Brian - I imagine that it is a bit of a balancing act for Apple. To drive their prices down they need to sell more units. To sell more units they will need to deal with some of the issues that MS Gates has had to.
ReplyDeleteUntil their prices are lower I will continue to buy HP and hope that the Google Chrome OS becomes an option for future laptops. Blasphemy aside I think that it is a mixed bag.. kind of like comparing apples to oranges. :)
Loving my iPad. Good luck with that Chrome thing.
ReplyDeleteSurprised you are not using the Chrome Browser. Many Mac folks are these days.
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