These forums are independent from Apple and are strictly peer to peer. Also, I think you're overstating the fan boy mindset that you seem to think exists in our forums.
Perhaps you would like to detail for us which posts you think display a fan boy attitude so we can see what you're referring to?
Also:
People take their Apple equipment to the genius bar for several reasons:
1. It's called "Apple Care" (warranty)
2. They trust the technicians there. Time and time again we have received tales of folks taking their Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod, whatever, to other than an authorized Apple reseller or genius bar for repair. While some independent service facilities do a decent job, most do not. Apple stands by their work.
You certainly have a right to express your opinion, but we would like to remind you that calling members in our forums "fan boys" is not something that we will tolerate. Please read our guidelines if you're in doubt.
Thanks for understanding.
I thought this was independent, but unsure. Haven't been on here long, but have been doing Mac stuff since the late 80's.
A couple of points why I thought some of the responses were a bit off-base.
1. AppleCare doesn't exist on a machine that's 5yrs old. Why tell people to take a machine for applecare when a simple logical assessment tells you it's NOT possible that apple will cover it?
2. Apple techs are no more trustworthy that other techs, from my experience. for 3 years I **REGULARLY** repaired logic boards damaged by the certified Apple tech who worked in the beltway (now a tech in the flagship Apple store in Manhattan)... He would bring boards in that he'd ripped the traces off of, ask me to re-attach connectors, chips, etc. Generally the customers STILL got billed for damage done to their machine by Apple... An independent AASP would NEVER have been able to get away with the stuff the main stores do.
Do they ("Apple") stand behind their work?? it's a mixed bag.
For instance I just spent SEVERAL hours early this week, on the phone with Apple corporate, to force them into resolving an iphone issue.. the customer (a personal friend of mine) upgraded a perfectly good working iphone4 to the new OS, and it bricked.. Wifi shut off entirely.
Apple's "official" response is the wifi "was not working" previously (even though it was working perfectly), and that the new iOS simply makes it appear that it's no longer working. Calling that bullsh*** is (in my opinion) a slam on the natural bovine by-product.. Forget that the iPhone wifi issue is a well-documented issue, that it's ENTIRELY software-induced, that Apple's software RECOMMENDS the upgrade to the customer, WON'T allow them to downgrade away from it, and that the hardware worked perfectly previously... It's somehow the customer's fault, and Apple wants $200 for a replacement phone...
The only way I got them to handle it was to ask one of my other clients "look into it" (he's a rather well-known plaintiff's attorney, and is known for doing well in class-action suits - but I've recovered some "impossible" HDDs for him so he's a bit indebted to me). Apparently he faxed something to San Francisco, because I got a call out of the blue with an offer for a completely new phone at no cost to the customer.
Yes, that was a nice outcome... BUT, IMHO, it should NOT require you to have a billionaire lawyer buddy, JUST to get a company to do right for their customers... and in my opinion, that's what it's coming to with Apple.
So why do I call it fanboidom? No, I don't think it's unreasonable.. Perhaps just a bit naive, **IF** in fact, you think that Apple doesn't have profit as the main driving factor.
It's naive to think that walking into a meticulously designed salesroom, filled with WELL TRAINED salesmen, handing your laptop to some kid who hasn't gotten out of pimples yet (ie., NO life experience on which to base intelligent judgement), and asking them for an honest recommendation on your system is going to net you something other than a sales pitch they've been specifically trained to give you.
And, TRUST ME, they've been TRAINED TO SELL YOU COMPUTERS. Apple makes far more money if you buy a new Mac and buy all the accoutrements to go along, than if you bring your 4 yr old computer in and get it fixed.
Apple doesn't want to fix old Macs. They won't touch something outside of 4yrs. That's why places like lowendmac.com wegenermedia.com, ifixit,com, (and i *THINK* this site) have real value for the Mac community - for folks JUST LIKE the original poster on this thread--because he SHOULD have the opportunity for an independent knowledge source OTHER than the mfr (who just wants to convert him to buy a new system). I came here because I saw that it gives significant value to the average Mac's user experience, but I also am not going to gloss over naiveté if I see it.
So......I think you have to be careful when you send people who are NOT tech-savvy (and let's face it, Mac folks are 98% NOT tech savvy!) into a bright & shiny store experience, and expect them to be able to intelligently assess whatever line of sales bull***** they're given by the "experts". Apple has a hidden agenda. Statistically speaking, NOBODY walks into the Apple store and walks back out without spending at least $50. nobody.
Here's a bit of why I'm so cautious. I once hired a couple Apple geniuses, to help me in my service calls in the beltway a few years ago. Boy was that a mistake. One of them was doing good to tie his own shoes, and I don't know that he could have distinguished a T8 from a flathead screwdriver. But he was FABULOUS with the smooth-talk, and the ladies LOVED HIM. After I got thru the shock of just HOW incompetent he was, I took the time to learn all I could from him (before I fired him).
He was a genius bar certified tech and was trained by Apple..... Not trained to know anything. Trained HOW TO SELL. He honestly had NEVER heard of a PRAM battery. A "certified genius" who literally WAS NOT capable of installing a AA battery in a remote control.
Apple built him into a smooth salesman, under the guise of a technician. He sat at the genius bar, having never removed a single hard drive, installed RAM, or done ANYTHING more in-depth than press the power button, and sold new systems. He was taught such indepth lines as "it looks like your graphics card is fried" (use whenever the screen is not coming up), "that's a bad logic board" (if no boot or system shuts off hard).... Truthful?? not even close. But the ladies loved him.
Are they ALL like him? No... i'm sure there are good ones.. But in my decades of Mac experience, I've only known ONE Apple store employee that I'd trust to more than empty my trash can. (and he doesn't work for Apple any more, having become disgusted with the company).
In my experience, the genius bar is a diversion, NOT a solution point. Yes, if you go in and your HDD is crashed, you can likely get it booted again and a new OS installed. And you can likely get RAM installed without them damaging your Mac (i've got horror stories on that as well but won't waste more time).... But ANY repair shop that does Mac can do these processes for you, and quite likely at a much better price, and you'll usually get people who are honest about expectations.
That's my point. Hopefully you won't see this as an attack on you, but as a reference for folks who go to the Apple store, to at least go in with their eyes open.
YES, Apple stores serve a purpose.. And it's for THEIR bottom line, not for your convenience or financial best-interests... Remember that.
The original poster came here looking for help. He was recommended to go to the VERY PLACE where he would NOT get help, but would get sold an overpriced replacement (ie' "youdidn't go to Apple"....). That's why I called it fanboy mindset.... I hope that isn't offensive--I wasn't meaning to insult, just trying to make the point that some mindsets are based on fallacious assumptions.. If that's offensive, I apologize to all....
